SEC Football Opponents (Lists 2026-2029):

https://www.espn.com/college-football/st...-2026-2029

It's the first year of the new SEC nine game schedule. Alabama will no longer play LSU annually but will still play them in 2026 and will also play Georgia. Georgia will not play Tennessee or Texas, two teams they played in 2024 and 2025.

Big Ten Football Opponents:



Of note is Ohio State will not be playing Penn State but will play both Indiana (away) and Oregon (home). If I'm FOX, my top three picks are Michigan/Ohio State, Ohio State/Indiana, and Oregon/Ohio State. The last two years Ohio State/Penn State was scheduled the same day as a potential World Series Game 7. I would guess either Ohio State/Indiana or Oregon/Ohio State moves there in 2026.

Traditional rivalry game likely dates:
Oct. 10: Texas vs. Oklahoma at Dallas
Oct. 17: Alabama at Tennessee
Oct. 31: Florida vs. Georgia at Atlanta
Nov. 7: Alabama at LSU
Nov. 27-28: Auburn at Alabama, Texas at Texas A&M, Mississippi State at Mississippi, Tennessee at Vanderbilt, Florida at Florida State, Georgia Tech at Georgia, etc.

Assuming Georgia/Alabama won't play before/after one of these games, the latest they'll play each other will be October 3. If they continue their last weekend in September, they'll play September 26.

The last time the Third Saturday in October was actually played on October 17 was 1992! It was played October 24 in 1998, 2009, 2015, and 2020. Then again Alabama and Tennessee played on October 25 in 2003, 2008, and 2014, having not played on October 18 since 1997 but played on October 18 this year. If Alabama-Tennessee is played October 24. Georgia-Alabama could be moved back to October 10 and could follow the Red River Rivalry. Traditionally putting two huge games back to back leads to huge numbers. Or they could just play Alabama-LSU in late September or early October and move Georgia/Alabama to November figuring it will likely be a bigger game. LSU can then move Mississippi to November annually.

Assuming the SEC won't schedule any huge games at noon ET, it really doesn't matter which week Ohio State's other marquee game would be. But otherwise I'd try November 14. Alabama likely won't play anyone good the week after LSU. Then again, that's a good week to give CBS or NBC a good game for the same reason.