COLUMBUS, Ohio — When the 2026 Big Ten schedule was released, the Ohio State vs. Indiana game immediately stood out — not because it’s a traditional rivalry, but because of how dramatically this matchup has transformed.

The last three national champions all play one another, while Oregon faces both Ohio State and Michigan. How does the schedule stack up?

USC really needs to go 10-2 and make the CFP this year. Lincoln Riley therefore faces a tough challenge, given how difficult the Big Ten schedule is. I felt earlier in the offseason that Riley might need to go 10-2 to save his job in 2026. I'm going to step back from that view and say 9-3 is what he absolutely must accomplish. Let's explain why.

Even with those caveats, though, Wisconsin fans will surely take this schedule over the daunting 2025 schedule. The Badgers' nine 2025 Big Ten foes that averaged 5.67 conference wins in 2024, and they ended up playing even better than that with 6.11 conference wins per team in 2025.

The ancient rivals’ haggling over future matchups, and the eventual decision to cancel the 2026 game, forced the Trojans to find a 12th opponent. That, in turn, prompted a delay in the Big Ten’s schedule rollout by more than a month, to Tuesday — well after the SEC schedule was revealed in early December.

UCLA's 2026 Big Ten football schedule has been released, and we now know what head coach Bob Chesney and the Bruins will face during their first season together

Time/TV channel: 7 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CT, 4 p.m. PT (ugh!) on Big Ten Network This is one I’m headlining for the intrigue.