2026 Big Ten football schedule: 10 important games that will impact College Football Playoff race

With the Big Ten releasing the full 2026 football schedule, teams can finally start circling the dates that will shape the conference race and influence College Football Playoff positioning. While the opponents have been known since October 2023, the order of games and the context of the new season make certain matchups especially critical. The Big Ten has dominated college football recently, winning each of the last three national championships -- including the first two under the current 12-team playoff format.

Seven Big Ten teams appear in CBS Sports' way-too-early top 25, including contenders like Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State and Oregon all among the top 10. Penn State, USC, Washington round out the ranked group, with Iowa among those considered. With so many teams competing at the top level, every game between these squads carries playoff implications, making the sequencing of the schedule crucial for CFP positioning and conference supremacy.

Honing in on those previously mentioned programs, these are the 10 most important Big Ten games that will impact the CFP race next season.

1. Oregon at Ohio State

Date: Nov. 7 (Week 10)

A potential top-five matchup that could determine which team gains the upper hand in the race to the 2026 Big Ten Championship Game — and a possible first-round bye in the CFP. Ohio State and Oregon split their two meetings in 2024, with the Ducks winning in Eugene before the Buckeyes responded with a victory in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on their way to a national championship.

A rematch of the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game, this will mark the third meeting between Curt Cignetti and Ryan Day — and the first in Bloomington, where Indiana is 16-0 since the new era began in 2024. The Hoosiers' perfect home mark will be tested against a potentially top-ranked Ohio State team in a matchup that could again shape the Big Ten's postseason pecking order.

2. Michigan at Ohio State

Date: Nov. 28 (Week 13)

The last time "The Game" lacked significant playoff implications was 2017. In the seven meetings since, at least one side -- and often both -- has been jockeying for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game or positioning in the CFP.

Now, with Kyle Whittingham at the helm in Ann Arbor and Ryan Day having won the only head-to-head meeting between the coaches in the 2021 Rose Bowl, the stakes will again be high on a stage that could produce another top-10 showdown in the Michigan–Ohio State rivalry.

3. Ohio State at Indiana

Date: Oct. 17 (Week 7)

The rematch of the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game. Although this is the third meeting between Curt Cignetti and Ryan Day, it will be the first in Bloomington, where Indiana is 16-0 since the new era began in 2024. The Hoosiers' perfect home streak will be put to the test against the potentially top-ranked Buckeyes, in another game that could impact the Big Ten's pecking order for the postseason.

4. Michigan at Oregon

Date: Nov. 14 (Week 11)

If Michigan wants to prove it still belongs in the top tier of the Big Ten, then surviving the hostile environment of Autzen Stadium could be a pivotal swing game in the conference standings and a defining moment for its playoff résumé. Two years ago, Oregon went into Ann Arbor and dominated the Wolverines, who have not beaten the Ducks since 1973 and have dropped the past three meetings.

5. Ohio State at USC

Date: Oct. 31 (Nov. 9)

Talk about a helmet game. For the first time as Big Ten opponents -- and the time since 2017 -- Ohio State and USC are set to clash in Los Angeles with playoff implications potentially on the line. The Trojans could face one of the toughest schedules in the Big Ten next season, but are at least fortunate enough to get the Buckeyes at home inside the Coliseum. Historically, Ohio State is 1-4 against USC, with its lone win coming in the 2017 Cotton Bowl.

6. Oregon at USC

Date: Sept. 26 (Week 4)

An old Pac-12 clash and another top-five caliber opponent awaits the Trojans. Oregon had no issues putting up points against USC in 2025, winning 42-27 in Eugene. It's up to Trojans new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson to find a way to slow Oregon's experienced attack if they hope to avoid a repeat outcome in Los Angeles.

7. Indiana at Michigan

Date: Oct. 24 (Week 8)

This is the toughest road game the reigning national champions will face in 2026. Curt Cignetti has time and again broken down walls and overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges over the past two seasons at Indiana, and he'll have his sights set on another in Ann Arbor. The Hoosiers haven't won at Michigan since 1967, dropping each of their past 22 trips, but history won't stop Indiana from testing the Wolverines once again.

8. USC at Indiana

Date: Nov. 14 (Week 11)

This matchup certainly wouldn't have been on anyone's radar when the schedules were released back in October 2023. But now, with Indiana's sudden rise to the top of college football, the first meeting against USC in 44 years puts the Trojans on the hot seat. The Hoosiers are 0-4 all-time against USC.

9. USC at Penn State

Date: Oct. 10 (Week 6)

The schedule sets up favorably for Penn State and new coach Matt Campbell, allowing the Nittany Lions to establish themselves as a CFP contender in 2026. Of the seven Big Ten teams in Brandon Marcello's way-too-early top 25, Penn State faces the fewest ranked opponents (three), and a win against USC in Happy Valley would clear a major hurdle on the path to the postseason.

10. Iowa at Washington

Date: Oct. 10 (Week 6)

Both Iowa and Washington enter 2026 as sleeper CFP contenders in the Big Ten despite each facing five conference road games. That makes this head-to-head matchup pivotal in determining which team gains an edge in the postseason race, giving the winner a greater margin for error as they navigate a demanding league schedule.