All 16 SEC teams will face exactly 1 nonconference Power 4 opponent this regular season.
Some of these matchups are set to take place during Rivalry Week. A few are elite, CFP-worthy clashes. Other matchups, you’ll probably be able to tell, were scheduled to fulfill the SEC’s requirement that demands each conference program face at least 1 Power 4 non-con opponent per season.
The first of these matchups takes place on September 5 as Auburn kicks off the Alex Golesh era against Baylor in Atlanta. Most of the rest of these non-con games take place across the following days weeks, while 4 more are set to kick off during Rivalry Week.
Today, we’ll work our way through every nonconference power 4 SEC matchup and rank each by how entertaining they appear to be heading into the new season. I’ll provide a brief explanation for each game’s placement, too.
Let’s get started.
16. Arizona State at Texas A&M
- Sept. 12, Week 2 — Noon kickoff on ABC
I have faith that Kenny Dillingham will recover from the loss of Sam Leavitt to LSU, but this could be the most lopsided game on this list. The Aggies are a borderline top 10 team in the country while Arizona State figures to be around the 7th or 8th best team in the weakest of the Power 4 conferences. To top it all off, the Sun Devils have to travel to College Station to face the 12th Man.
I expect a 2-score Aggies win here, at minimum. Texas A&M fans have a right to be at least slightly concerned if this one is any closer.
15. Mississippi State at Minnesota
- Sept. 12, Week 2 — 3:30 p.m. kickoff on CBS
Oh yeah, Minnesota football. I forgot about those guys for a moment there.
Joking aside, this is a good opportunity for Kamario Taylor to show what he can do in Year 1 as a starter for Mississippi State. It should also be more competitive than Aggies vs. Sun Devils, which is why it avoided the No. 16 spot. I just wish this one was played at Davis Wade Stadium so we can hear more non-SEC fans whine and complain about the cowbells… that’s always a good time.
14. Arkansas at Utah
- Sept. 12, Week 2 — 10:15 p.m. kickoff on ESPN
Kyle Whittingham is no longer at Utah, but don’t expect the Utes to just fall off a cliff in terms of production.
Star RB Wayshawn Parker and QB Devon Dampier are back, but the trenches are depleted on both sides of the ball. On the other side of things, Ryan Silverfield is looking to breathe life into an Arkansas football program that is desperate for a win in this spot.
Salt Lake is a slept-on sports city, too, so expect a great atmosphere no matter the result.
13. Missouri at Kansas
- Sept. 11, Week 2 — 8 p.m. kickoff on FOX
I really wanted to put this one higher. It’s a great rivalry, but Kansas is poised to be a really, really weak football team this year — and Mizzou is unlikely to be at full strength. Combined, it doesn’t exactly bode well for a great viewing experience.
Given the recovery timetable provided by head coach Eli Drinkwitz during SEC Media Days, there’s a decent chance that star running back Ahmad Hardy misses this game for the Tigers. Even so, I’d be surprised to see Kansas keep this competitive.
12. NC State at Vanderbilt
- Sept. 19, Week 3 — 12:45 p.m. kickoff on SEC Network
CJ Bailey is fun. Jared Curtis, who will be starting by Week 3 despite Clark Lea‘s attempts to make us believe there’s actually a QB battle going on over in Nashville, is also fun. By itself, that’s enough for me.
This is Vanderbilt‘s first real test of the 2026 season after matchups against Delaware and Austin Peay. It still feels strange to say, but I’m genuinely curious to see how the Commodores perform.
11. Baylor vs. Auburn
- Sept. 5, Week 1 — 3:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC
I despise neutral-site games. I further despise pointless neutral-site games that obviously favor one crowd over the other.
This is essentially a home game for Auburn, less than a 2-hour drive. Being the first game of the Alex Golesh era definitely gives it some points, as does the QB matchup between Byrum Brown and DJ Lagway. Though I expect Auburn to win this one, it should be fairly competitive, too.
10. Florida State at Alabama
- Sept. 19, Week 3 — 3:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC
You might be surprised to see this game this low in the rankings. You really shouldn’t be, considering Florida State is an unproven football team that has to travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium to face an Alabama squad out for revenge.
To be honest, it’s only this high on the list because of the caliber of football brands we’re dealing with here — it’ll draw big numbers and features some elite talent with FSU’s Duce Robinson, Bama’s Zabien Brown and whoever wins the starting QB battle between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell (faux bonus points if it’s Russell, Alabama).
Alabama should do terrible things to the Seminoles in response to last year’s surprise loss in Tallahassee. Ashton Daniels has struggled at every stop he’s made, and the Crimson Tide secondary is downright elite with Brown and Bray Hubbard leading the way.
The Seminoles were picked to finish 12th in the ACC for a reason, folks. I think this one could get ugly in a hurry.
9. Florida at Florida State
- Nov. 27, Week 13 — 3:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC
Florida State and Florida have played exactly 2 interesting games across the past decade of this rivalry. The Gators have been in football hell for the past 5 years or so, and the decision to keep Florida State out of the Playoff in 2023 seems to have broken Florida State’s spirit completely, as we touched on in the above section.
Seeing Jon Sumrall‘s attitude at SEC Media Days, I simply expect the Gators to have more juice when this matchup rolls around.
8. Louisville at Kentucky
- Nov. 28, Week 13 — Kickoff TBD
Is it crazy to say Kentucky and Louisville fans care about this one more than FSU/Florida fans? It’s more basketball-focused, for sure, but this is a hugely underrated college rivalry.
Despite Will Stein‘s endless supply of confidence, it would be surprising to see Kentucky competitive enough to actually dance with the Cardinals in Year 1. Jeff Brohm’s squad is going to contend for a Playoff spot in the ACC this season, and each of their last 2 matchups against the Wildcats have been pretty one-sided in favor of Louisville, as Kentucky has been outscored 82-14.
I’m absolutely willing to take a flyer on this Kentucky team, though — especially considering this one is played in Lexington. And despite Kentucky’s struggles across the past 2 matchups, Stein just brings a different moxie to Kentucky. Who knows?
Subscribe to the Saturday Football Newsletter — Get the latest news and updates on your team, your conference, and the college football nation straight to your inbox.
Having trouble seeing the signup form? Some privacy or ad-blocking tools can prevent it from loading. You can subscribe directly here.
7. Tennessee at Georgia Tech
- Sept. 12, Week 2 — 7 p.m. kickoff on ESPN
Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner is gone, as is QB Haynes King after combining for 29 passing and rushing touchdowns last season. All that said, Georgia Tech is still primed to lean on the run game with Indiana transfer QB Alberto Mendoza (brother of Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza) and an elite RB duo of Malachi Hosley and Justice Haynes.
Adding intrigue to this game, Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter — last year’s conference leader in tackles per game — was suspended by the NCAA for Weeks 1 and 2 on Wednesday. In case that’s not enough of an obstacle for the Vols, they’ll have to face this early test on the road.
6. Georgia Tech at Georgia
- Nov. 28, Week 13 — Kickoff TBD
Hello again, Georgia Tech!
On paper, this matchup should be considerably less competitive than Tennessee at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have to face Georgia in Athens, and the Bulldogs are set to be one of the best teams in the sport this upcoming season.
But remember, this is a rivalry game between 2 great head coaches. You can throw that piece of paper we talked about earlier straight out the window.
Brent Key has played the Bulldogs tough across his 4 years as Georgia Tech’s head coach. Each of GT’s 3 matchups against the Bulldogs have been decided by one possession, and I have no reason to believe he won’t have his guys ready for the challenge.
5. South Carolina at Clemson
- Nov. 28, Week 13 — Kickoff TBD
Ah, the Palmetto Bowl.
Of all the Rivalry Week games, this is the one I’m most excited about. Partly because the game has been back-and-forth for the past 4 seasons, and partly because there’s so much talent spread evenly on the field. LaNorris Sellers, Dylan Stewart, T.J. Moore, Sammy Brown and an elite rivalry atmosphere? Sign me up.
4. Louisville vs. Ole Miss
- Sept. 6, Week 1 — 7:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC
All of the buzz this offseason surrounding Ole Miss is centered around the Rebels’ Week 3 matchup against Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers. As it probably should be. As alluded to earlier, though, Ole Miss better not overlook the Cardinals in this Week 1 matchup in Nashville. While I’m against neutral-site games, I can appreciate that this matchup takes place at almost exactly the halfway point between these schools.
Week 1 games can be deceiving (just ask those who were ready to crown LSU after their win over Clemson to start last season), but this is a fantastic first test for Pete Golding‘s 2026 Rebels.
3. Clemson at LSU
- Sept. 5, Week 1 — 7:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC
Speak of the devil.
More than anything, I’m excited to see what Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers look like after attacking the transfer portal so heavily. On the opposite sidelines, Dabo Swinney and the Tigers brought in more transfers than usual, but still much lower than the national average. This is a battle of roster building philosophy on a grand stage.
Also, Death Valley might register a minor earthquake when Kiffin first steps onto the field. If nothing else, we’re all excited for the vibes alone.
2. Oklahoma at Michigan
- Sept. 12, Week 2 — Noon kickoff on FOX
John Mateer announced himself to the country last time Oklahoma and Michigan faced off, and he’ll have a chance to prove he’s back and better than ever this time around in Ann Arbor.
There’s so much to like about this game. While it serves as Mateer’s first true test of the season, it’s also Kyle Whittingham’s first real test at Michigan after a whopping 21 seasons at Utah. And to match Mateer, former 5-star prospect Bryce Underwood is looking to finally break out as the Wolverines begin a new era.
1. Ohio State at Texas
- Sept. 12, Week 2 — 7:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC
I mean, duh.
Ohio State at Texas is considered by many to be the Game of the Year for the 2026 college football season. The Longhorns and Buckeyes have perhaps the 2 most talented rosters in the country, led by elite quarterbacks and way-too-early Heisman candidates Julian Sayin and Arch Manning. This game could feature 10-15 future NFL players, and that might be a conservative estimate.
To state the obvious, it’s also just a really, really crucial game for each of these programs with limited spots at the table in the College Football Playoff and brutal conference schedules across the remainder of the year.
Like our coverage? Make SDS a preferred source in your searches!
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
