The Longhorns and Buckeyes will clash in Austin in Week 2, marking a high‑stakes rematch of last year’s opening game and a potential CFP test. Meanwhile, Lane Kiffin returns to College GameDay as LSU’s coach for the season opener, and networks have begun releasing kickoff times for early games.
A primetime battle between Ryan Day's Buckeyes and Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns is on tap in Week 2. | Jason Mowry/Getty Images We already know the full buffet of games on the schedule for the 2026 college football season, but what we don’t know is the times in which the games are kicking off.
For the first few weeks of the upcoming season, that’s beginning to change. While college football’s schedule leaks will never rival those of the NFL’s—So, after Fox revealed its full complement of Friday night game times last week, and ESPN followed suit, revealing kickoff times for 16 of its games this season. Lane Kiffin is set to make his return to “College GameDay,” this time as LSU’s coach in Week 1.
| Nick Suss/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORKYes, more Lane Kiffin. College football’s most polarizing coach figures to be the No. 1 topic of conversation whenrolls through Baton Rouge for its inaugural episode of the 2026 season while previewing Kiffin’s first game on the sideline for the Tigers against Clemson.will be headed to Austin in Week 2 for a seismic showdown between national championship hopefuls Texas and Ohio State, also a rematch of last year’s marquee matchup between the two foes in the season’s opening week.
While last year’s game featured an objectivelyPossible CFP showdown on prime-time One can bet that Manning, who struggled in the Longhorns’ season-opening loss to the Buckeyes in 2025, has this game circled on his calendar. And so should the fans. Unlike last year, when the Longhorns were prematurely anointed as College Football Playoff contenders, this should be a legit showdown between two of the best teams in the sport.
Texas has a revamped group of players at the skill positions, and will benefit from a more confident and seasoned—than the one who took the field last season. The defense, led by edge rusher Colin Simmons, could be one of the best in the business.
Meanwhile, even though all he does is win, win, win no matter what, Ryan Day remains a proverbial punching back for restless Ohio State fans. The Buckeyes’ faithful might find sleep a bit easier to come by in 2026, for a Sayin-Bo Jackson-Jeremiah Smith offense is going to light up scoreboards, while the defense has plenty of talent, such as Kenyatta Jackson and Payton Pierce, even after losing eight starters from last year’s unit.
Here’s hoping we don’t get a repeat of last year’s defensive dud between these two college football powers. Revenge is a dish best served cold—and on prime time. There is no overstating the level of enmity and vitriol awaiting Kiffin, Oxford, Miss. ’s most wanted, when he returns to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium donning the colors of the enemy, LSU.
The Oxford Police Department seems excited for it. But in all seriousness, the hard feelings may not reside exclusively outside the lines, either. Kiffin left the Rebels just as they made their first appearance in the College Football Playoff, a fact that was not lost on the players, and a move that certainly left a bad taste in the mouths of Kiffin’s former players.
Not only will Ole Miss be gunning for a big conference win, but they’ll be seeking revenge. Meanwhile, Kiffin, amidst a likely wave of expletive-laden chants in his direction, will be out to prove that he’s thriving after the messy break-up he initiated.
Thanksgiving weekend will be a Texas football-filled affair, headlined by Arch Manning and the Longhorns traveling to College Station for their rivalry game against Texas A&M. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images The state of Texas will take center stage on Thanksgiving weekend, as the Cowboys will host the Eagles at Jerry World on Thanksgiving Day on the NFL side, then the Red Raiders will host TCU in prime-time in a game that could have big implications for the Big 12 championship. In a bit of fun history, TCU is the first Thanksgiving Day opponent to visit Jones AT&T Stadium since Arkansas in 1977.
Then, an SEC Black Friday tripleheader, headlined by a rematch of last year’s Texas-Texas A&M showdown won by the Longhorns, is on the docket. NBC, ESPN face off on Labor Day Weekend Once again, Labor Day Weekend belongs to the ACC, as the conference will see 14 teams playing in 12 games spanning five days, with Clemson-LSU and Louisville-Ole Miss each drawing primetime slots, seemingly deserved given that both matchups look to be the best of the slate.
Battles won’t just be waged on the field on Labor Day Weekend, but also between networks. As ESPN airs the Louisville-Ole Miss showdown at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 6, NBC will Look, there are plenty of ways to watch both games—and given that the Fighting Irish are heavily favored already, you may not want to watch both games. That’s besides the point, though.
The mere fact that two FBS games are going on at the exact same time on Sunday night, forcing viewers to engage in streaming gymnastics if they desire to watch both contests, is the latest example of fans getting inconvenienced while the networks get convenienced. Tim Capurso is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, primarily covering MLB, college football and college basketball.
Before joining SI in November 2023, Capurso worked at RotoBaller and ClutchPoints and is a graduate of Assumption University. When he's not working, he can be found at the gym, reading a book or enjoying a good hike. A resident of New York, Capurso openly wonders if the Giants will ever be a winning football team again.
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