The 2025-26 college football season opens with Week 0 games on Saturday, Aug. 23, and the schedule features a Big 12 rivalry game in Ireland.
No. 17 Kansas State will take on No. 22 Iowa State in the season's first game, setting the tone for the Big 12 season as both teams are expected to be in the hunt to overtake defending conference champion, No. 11 Arizona State.
The battle between the Wildcats and the Cyclones is also a traditional rivalry known as "Farmageddon." It's one of several rivalries that will have high stakes this season.
Here's a list of some of the rivalries with the highest stakes happening this season.
Farmageddon
No. 22 Iowa State vs. No. 17 Kansas State (Week 0, Aug. 23)
We'll start our list with the aforementioned rivalry in the Big 12. "Farmageddon" started in 1917 and has been played 108 times but was not icnldued in the "protected rivalires" the Big 12 announced with its current scheduling matrix. The two teams are scheduled to play in 2025 and 2026 but not 2027.
That'll put even more emphasis on winning this game for both teams. Plus, it's the biggest national game of Week 0 and will be played in Ireland. It's also a matchup between the only two current winners of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which was introduced in 2023.
Iowa State has a 54-50-4 advantage overall in this rivalry and has won five of the last seven meetings following a 10-game losing streak in the series. However, both teams figure to be in the Big 12 race this season. Iowa State lost the conference championship game last season, while Kansas State returns a veteran group led by quarterback Avery Johnson.
Whoever wins the season opener will have an immediate leg up in the Big 12 before anyone else has even hit the field.
Battle for the Iron Skillet
No. 16 SMU at TCU (Week 4, Sep. 20)
This is an underrated rivalry with plenty of storylines. SMU put itself back on the college football map last year with an impressive debut season in the ACC, reaching the conference championship game and the college football playoff. Meanwhile, TCU quietly won nine games and finished just a game shy of a first-place tie in the Big 12.
With the schedules these teams face in the first three weeks, there's a good chance both the Mustangs and the Horned Frogs are Top 25 teams entering this game, which just happens to be the final chapter in the rivalry as it will not be played in the foreseeable future.
Last season's game in Dallas was filled with fireworks as SMU's offense lit up the field, and TCU head coach Sonny Dykes, also the former head coach at SMU, was ejected from the game and escorted off the field. DFW is one of the top sports markets in the country, and the winner of this game will reign supreme as the top college program in the area.
Alabama - Georgia
No. 8 Alabama at No. 5 Georgia (Week 5, Sept. 27)
By now, this should be a game that fans look forward to every year, regardless of team, school, or conference affiliation. These two teams have been established as a couple of the nation's elite programs and always play entertaining football.
The stakes this season are highlighted by an early matchup and changes in personnel. Alabama is looking to stay in the "elite" category during the early stages of the head coaching transition from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer, while Georgia has become the team to beat in the SEC until proven otherwise.
Each team is inexperienced at key positions this year, primarily quarterback. That could come into play in the early going and impact how the SEC race shapes up during the first half of the season. The winner remains elite, while the loser will have work to do against a tough SEC slate the rest of the season.
Red River Rivalry
No.1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma (Week 7, Oct. 11)
This is always one of the most anticipated rivalries on the schedule, but the importance lies with keeping it there and maintaining its comeptitive nature.
Oklahoma dominated this rivalry for much of the current millennium, but Texas' resurgence has coincided with winning two of the last three in this series by a combined 83-3 margin. The Sooners upset the Longhorns in 2023, yet that's really the only notable win the program has under current head coach Brent Venables.
The Sooner program has seen a steep drop-off since Lincoln Riley left for USC, and its debut season in the SEC was a disappointment. Many experts are mixed on the Sooners this season, while the Longhorns have excessive hype. That along with the recent struggles make this a much more important game for Oklahoma.
It's been a one-sided rivalry before, but college football is much better off when both these teams are in contention and put a competitive product on the field in their rivalry game.
Notre Dame - USC
USC at No. 6 Notre Dame (Week 8 , Oct. 18)
Another one of the most iconic rivalries in the sport makes this list because of the indecisiveness surrounding its future. These teams have met every year since 1926 (except for the 2020 COVID season) and have provided fans with many memorable moments, like the controversial "Bush Push" touchdown to win the game in 2005 for USC.
According to ESPN, the 2026 meeting is the last on the schedule barring an agreement to continue. Both schools have expressed interest in continuing the rivalry, but there has still been no official announcement. As long as it remains uncertain, they will need to continue to play quality football games to entice fans and those in charge to take action one way or another.
Considering USC is not the elite program it once was, a Trojan win, which would likely also be an upset, could go a long way toward renewing the series as it would give the Trojans some momentum. Regardless, as fans, we need to enjoy these classic rivalries when we can, and the suddenly finite nature of these rivalries in the new world of college athletics makes the ones on the schedule increasingly vital.
Third Saturday in October
No. 24 Tennessee at No. 8 Alabama (Week 8, Oct. 18)
An SEC rivalry so iconic they write country songs about it. For a while, Tennessee had fallen off the map, and Alabama took advantage with 16 straight wins to take a commanding lead in the series. However, Josh Heupel has reinvigorated the Volunteers program and re-established its competitiveness in the SEC.
Tennessee snapped its losing streak to the Crimson Tide with a dramatic last-second field goal in 2022 and has now won two of the last three matchups. However, it has not won in Tuscaloosa since 2003.
Both teams enter the season with question marks and adversity all over the place. Alabama fans are already weary after Kalen DeBoer's first season as head coach, putting pressure on his second year in an increasingly impatient age of college football. Meanwhile, Tennessee is trying to keep its footing in the conference after quite a few key departures.
Given that both teams play Georgia early this season and have some ranked SEC opponents on the back end, it could be an early elimination game in mid-October.
That Sucker (Paul Bunyan Trophy Game)
No. 14 Michigan at Michigan State (Week 9, Oct. 25)
"That Sucker" isn't an official name for this game, but it originates from a quote by Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith, and some fans have adopted it.
Jonathan Smith: “I think for me (the rivalry) crystalized Saturday night. … That thing is different. That thing is important. That’s why it’s so frustrating. … After experiencing that sucker, you will not forget that thing.”
— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) October 28, 2024
Michigan will have a target on its back after the latest report stemming from an NCAA investigation revealed that the Wolverines cheated, lied to the NCAA, deleted evidence, and tried to cover it up. That won't sit well with their opponents this season, especially when it comes to rivals Michigan State and Ohio State. While many Michigan fans claim this "isn't a rivalry," their players can't seem to shut their mouths about it.
That's brand new bulletin board material and disrespect for the Spartans, who have struggled in this rivalry recently. However, that was the kind of inspiration that drove the MSU teams of the Mark Dantonio era. It seems like a natural point for this rivalry to flip, similarly to the way it did following Mike Hart's comments in 2007.
Michigan State went on to win eight of the next 10 meetings following Hart's declaration and is 10-7 in the game since (even with the current three-game losing streak). Some have compared Smith's approach to Dantonio's, and this could be the chance he's been waiting for. It's on Michigan to avoid falling in the trap if it wants to continue to be seen as the superior team.
Texas A&M - LSU
No. 19 Texas A&M at No. 9 LSU (Week 9, Oct. 25)
After the way Texas A&M came back on the Tigers behind quarterback Marcel Reed and essentially eliminated LSU from SEC title contention, the Tigers will be out for revenge.
LSU will have great circumstances to get back at A&M, especially if this turns into one of those daunting night games in Death Valley. LSU is among those considered a contender for the national title entering the season and has not lost a home game to the Aggies since 1994, which means most of the pressure will be on Texas A&M.
A&M ended several bad road streaks in its first season under Mike Elko, and the LSU streak should be one of the benchmarks for this season. Both teams expect to compete for the conference title (at least internally) entering the year, and this has the potential to catapult the winner into the SEC conversation as we go into November.
Penn State - Ohio State
No. 2 Penn State at No. 3 Ohio State (Week 10, Nov. 1)
Both of these squads beginning the season as Top 3 teams makes this year's game appointment viewing and adds to the recent history between the programs. Penn State and Ohio State have been among the top contenders in the Big Ten over recent seasons, but Ohio State usually comes out on top.
The Buckeyes hold a 24-8 overall record in this series and have won nine of the last 10, losing only the 2016 meeting, 24-21 in State College. Several of those have been decided by less than 10 points and/or come down to critical plays and moments in the fourth quarter or second half.
This year, Penn State has more experience on offense, particularly at quarterback and running back, likely giving it a slight edge in the minds of experts to start the season. Yet, Ryan Day has had James Franklin's number in these big games, as have many other coaches. Can the Nittany Lions finally get over the hump against the Buckeyes and catapult themselves into the Big Ten and national championship conversations?
Tennessee - Florida
No. 24 Tennessee at No. 15 Florida (Week 13, Nov. 22)
This used to be a massive rivalry on a national scale when both teams were among the top in the SEC, and many expect those days to return this season, considering Tennessee has returned to contender status in the SEC over recent years, and Florida found a way to close last season strong behind freshman quarterback DJ Lagway.
Still, there are question marks on both sides. Can Tennessee be the same elite team without Nico Iamaleava at quarterback? Has Florida really turned the page, or will the Gators regress back to the early days of the Billy Napier era?
By the time this game rolls around, those questions will have been answered, and the game will either be one of the most anticipated of the season or suddenly mean absolutely nothing. If it's the former, we may be in for another classic battle in a rivalry that's had plenty of iconic moments.
Lone Star Showdown
No. 19 Texas A&M at No.1 Texas (Week 14, Nov. 28)
Similar to the Tennessee-Florida game above, this matchup will either be huge on the national scale or mean very little. The iconic and heated rivalry disappeared (on the field) when the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012 but was revived last season as the Longhorns entered the conference amid another wave of expansion.
Now that it's been restored, we as college football fans can look forward to another classic Thanksgiving weekend rivalry.
Last season, both teams entered the matchup with a chance to reach the SEC championship game against Georgia. Texas A&M had lost its momentum from early in the season with a tough losing streak, while Texas was flying high toward another playoff appearance. The Longhorns prevailed in a 17-7 slugfest, adding fuel to the fire for the Aggies.
Now, the series heads back to Austin, with both teams hoping to improve on last season. If they both do, this game could have playoff implications, which would push the rivalry to unprecedented heights.
The Game
No. 3 Ohio State at No. 14 Michigan (Week 14, Nov. 29)
This is always one of the biggest rivalry games of the season, and the stakes will likely be even higher after the aforementioned NCAA findings. Emotions run high in this game, and it'll be at its most intense boiling point given those results and the current circumstances when late November arrives.
Ohio State and head coach Ryan Day could not beat the Wolverines during the period in question, and they'll be out to prove they're the better team and still worthy of national attention as the defending national champions. As the issues between the schools get put behind, the Buckeyes will try to resume their dominance over the Wolverines.
Before the period referenced in the NCAA's report, Michigan had lost eight in a row to the Buckeyes and 17 of the last 21. It even got to the point that many believe Jim Harbaugh would've lost his job with another loss to Ohio State, so you can bet the facts that Michigan canceled the 2020 game and then won three in a row during a scandal will have a negative effect on this edition of "The Game."
But Ohio State has lost four in a row to the Wolverines, even without the cheating, so both teams will have plenty to prove as their historic rivalry adds another chapter.