Non-conference matchups are fun when done right. For years, the cream of the crop has had a handful of top-tier matchups against one another, with a few buy-in games sprinkled in. For 2026, the Big Ten has several marquee matchups. In total, college football’s top conference has 14 matchups against the Power 4 (plus Notre Dame), 27 against the Group of 6 (plus UConn), and 14 against the FCS. Five teams don’t have an FCS team on the schedule, and 13 Big Ten teams have 10 P4+Notre Dame games on the schedule (Purdue has 11!). USC hasn’t finalized its third non-conference game at this point. So, we will assume it will be an FCS team in Week 0 since most of the FBS programs have their opponents figured out.
While there are quite a few cupcakes on the slate, a few games are worth tuning into.
Ranking the Top Big Ten Non-Conference Games
10. North Dakota at Nebraska
There are a few Big Ten vs FCS matchups in 2026, and only two look interesting. Northwestern hosts South Dakota State (“upset” alert?), and Nebraska gets to host North Dakota. No, it’s not North Dakota State, but the Fighting Hawks are one of the four Dakota schools that usually run the FCS.
Last year, UND went 8-6, eventually falling to the number-four team in the second round of the FCS tournament. Those other five losses came at No. 17 Kansas State (38-35), at No. 5 Montana (24-23), at South Dakota (26-21), vs No. 1 North Dakota State (15-10), and vs No. 22 South Dakota State (34-31 in overtime).
The Huskers are 1-0 all-time against North Dakota, with a 38-17 win in 2022 that was tied at halftime. Nebraska better not overlook the Fighting Hawks; that’s all we will say.
9. Washington State at Washington
The Apple Cup is one of the unfortunately overlooked rivalries in the Big Ten. With Washington State’s conference unofficially being relegated to Group of 6 status, it likely loses some luster from folks outside of the Pacific Northwest. Regardless, it’s a massive game for both programs.
Washington 77-34-6 advantage and won the most recent matchup, but Wazzu took two of the previous four in 2021 and 2024.
8. Notre Dame at Wisconsin
Three Big Ten teams get to face off against Notre Dame next year (and none of those teams are USC or Michigan…). While the Fighting Irish’s trip to Purdue or matchup against Michigan State are interesting, the Week 1 game against Wisconsin is the one to keep an eye on.
Wisconsin is one of the many programs that kept its coach despite years of futility. Even then, the Badgers committed to infusing the program with funding. The first test for Luke Fickell in 2026 is against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field. Will the Badgers hand the Irish an early loss, or will they start 2026 the way they did all of 2025?
7. Iowa State at Iowa
The Battle for the Cy-Hawk is another underrated rivalry involving the Big Ten. The two have met 71 times in history, and the Hawkeyes own a 47-25 advantage. Of course, the Cyclones have won three of the last four, including each of the last two.
However, Iowa State lost its longtime head coach, who subsequently took a handful of players with him to Penn State.
6. Virginia Tech at Maryland
The first road game of the James Franklin era at Virginia Tech is a trip back to the Big Ten. Maryland beat Franklin in the first inter-Big Ten matchup in 2014, and once more in 2020, but that was it.
The intrigue here is not that this is a battle of CFP-bound programs – that would be a Biblical-level miracle – but the Franklin aspect of it all. He was a fairly successful coach in his time at Penn State, but always came up short. He needed a change of scenery in the worst way, so perhaps Blacksburg is the place for him.
Regardless, Maryland is going to be looking for the program’s first win over a P4 team since it beat Wisconsin on September 30 of last year. The Terps are riding an eight-game losing streak. In terms of beating Power 4 teams not in the Big Ten, the last Terps win was against Virginia in 2024. Since then, Maryland is 2-16 against the P4 (all Big Ten).
5. Duke at Illinois
Overshadowed by the whole Darian Mensah debacle is a sneakily good Big Ten vs ACC matchup. Last year, Duke won the ACC despite being routinely trounced by the Illini at Wallace Wade Stadium. This year, the game takes place in Champaign.
Bret Bielema is building a solid program at Illinois, so another opportunity to take down a Power 4 team (even if it is Duke) would be another big step for the Illini. The second game of the Katin Houser era will be a solid test for the ECU transfer.
4. UCLA at Cal
This matchup is intriguing for a number of reasons. While neither of these teams is expected to make a serious run to the CFP in 2026, it’s going to be the 95th matchup between former Pac-12 rivals. The Bruins own a 57-36-1 advantage over the Bears.
UCLA is another program in flux. After firing DeShaun Foster, the Bruins brought in Bob Chesney after a successful two-year stint at James Madison. He took over a program that made the jump from FCS to FBS and was immediately competitive, then subsequently gutted when Curt Cignetti left for Indiana. Despite that, he went 21-6 in his two seasons, culminating in a Sun Belt championship and CFP berth in 2025.
Cal has a promising young quarterback and a brand-new coach as well. While neither team is CFP or bust, it could be the beginning of a better era for both.
3. Boise State at Oregon
Perhaps the premier Group of 6 program, Boise State owns a 3-1 record against Oregon in its history. The Ducks did win in 2024, albeit it was a narrow 37-34 victory.
The Broncos will be one of the favorites in the new-look Pac-12, but if they can go into Eugene and take down Oregon, which is expected to be one of the national championship favorites, it would go a long way in fighting the Group of 6 allegations.
For reference, Boise State has been at the FBS level for 30 years. In those 30 years, it finished with double-digit wins 19 times. Comparatively, Oregon has only done so 16 times in 132 years.
Of course, history is just stories when it comes to influencing the future. Dante Moore and the Ducks are going to be very, very good.
2. Oklahoma at Michigan
The Game vs the Red River Rivalry. Last year, Michigan traveled to Norman, Oklahoma, only to be routinely beaten, 24-13. John Mateer was a big part of the Sooners’ success against the Wolverines, and he will be back and fully healthy for this one.
Michigan will be under new leadership with Kyle Whittingham taking over. The Wolverines may look a bit different in 2026. Will one of the two quarterbacks they brought in challenge for the starting role? Either way, the rushing attack should be solid once again with Jordan Marshall, Bryson Kuzdzal, and five-star true freshman Savion Hiter.
Oddly enough, Michigan traded Cole Sullivan for Oklahoma’s Taylor Tatum via the portal. The Wolverines are 0-2 against the Sooners, so maybe a little home-field advantage in the first-ever game in the Big House will help out.
1. Ohio State at Texas
Just like last year, the biggest non-conference game in the Big Ten will feature Ohio State and Texas. The Longhorns fell short last year. After a 14-7 loss to the Buckeyes in Columbus, Texas finished with a 10-3 record, and it missed the cut for the CFP. While it did shellack Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, that’s not the goal for the Arch Manning-led team.
Last year, Manning wasn’t quite the player he was billed to be. He grew throughout the year and can be expected to be better in 2026, but Ohio State should be ready. Unlike last year, this game will be in Week 2, allowing both teams to iron out some kinks against an unwitting G6 opponent.
The Ohio State defense will have to be rebuilt again, but there is reason to expect bigger things from the Buckeye offense. Year two of Julian Sayin, with a deeper wide receiver corps, answers at running back, and an experienced offensive line in front of him, should be better.
Of all of the non-conference games across college football, this could be the best one.
Main Image: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
