#1 OHIO STATE (11-0) @ #15 MICHIGAN (9-2); NOON ET; FOX: Hard to imagine that the unbeaten defending national champions still haven’t clinched a spot in either the Big 10 conference title game or the 12-team CFP playoff field, although the latter does seem to be at least something of a foregone conclusion. Still, the Buckeyes will need to beat Michigan, the one team that seems to have their number of late, in The Big House, one of the toughest places in the country to play, in order to get to to the conference championship game as well as lock up top 4 CFP seed in order to guarantee a first-week bye. However, whatever their outcome over the rest of the season the Buckeyes will almost assuredly have a huge impact on the 2026 draft. Indeed, FS Caleb Downs (#2, 6-0, 205) is generally considered to be one of the top 2-3 non-QB prospects in college football and would appear to be a lock to be a top 10 pick if in fact he opts to enter this year’s draft. Same story for rising LB Arvell Reese (#8, 6-3, 245), yet another OSU top 10 candidate, while WR Carnell Tate (#17, 6-2, 195) isn’t all that far behind, although he may not play this week. Meanwhile TE Max Klare (#86, 6-4, 245) and LB Sonny Styles (#0, 6-4, 245) have at least some later first-round potential, while DE Caden Curry (#92, 6-3, 260), another rising OSU prospect who has 9 sacks on the season, and DT Kayden McDonald (#98, 6-3, 325) are second-day candidates as are CBs Jermaine Matthews (#7,5-11, 190) and Davison Igbinosun (#4, 6-2, 190).
For its part, Michigan doesn’t have the depth of talent of Ohio State, but does play stout defence with a unit featuring DE Derrick Moore (#8, 6-3, 260), who has 9.5 sacks on the season, along with edge rushing LB Jaishawn Barham (#1, 6-3, 245), ILB Ernest Hausman (#15, 6-2, 235). and CBs Jyaire Hill (#20, 6-1, 190) and Zeke Berry (#10, 5-11, 200).
#12 MIAMI (9-2) @ #22 PITTSBURGH (8-3); NOON ET; ABC: While most of the football world will be focused on THE game over at Michigan, Miami and Pitt will face off at the same time in a key ACC matchup with a lot on the line for both teams. The 12th ranked Hurricanes, for example, are the bubble team on the CFP rankings and need a win to keep those playoff hopes alive, while Pitt still has a path to the CFP playoffs if they can beat Miami and then win the conference title game next week. And whether they win or lose, Miami figures to be one of the big players at the draft for the 2nd year in a row as the Hurricanes have a couple of legitimate top ten prospects in DE Rueben Bain (#4, 6-3, 270) and RT Francis Mauigoa (#61, 6-5, 315), although both have issues that scouts will have to sort out. Bain, for example, is a powerfully built guy with who can get to the QB on the bull-rush, but also has plenty of dip and bend in his outside rush arsenal, although the fact that he hasn’t actually got to the QB as often as team’s would like is a little disconcerting. At the same time, Mauigoa, the consensus top offensive lineman in the 2026 draft class with a plug and play grade, has concerns about his lack of overall length that might force him to kick inside at the next level.
Bain, in fact, isn’t the only Miami DE to have a shot at being a #1 pick as fellow DE Akeem Mesidor (#3, 6-3, 265), already the top-rated prospect for the CFL draft, is actually one of the hot prospects in this draft. Meanwhile, Miami has replaced Cam Ward, the first player selected at the 2025 draft, with former Georgia star Carson Beck (#11, 6-3, 225) who has been solid enough, although he’s not going anywhere near where Ward went this past April. The Canes also feature a couple of other decent mid-to-late round candidates in LB Mo Toure (#1, 6-2, 235), a Rutgers transfer who has been an outstanding player when healthy, but has had his career path interrupted by a couple of torn ACLs, and steady DT David Blay (#11, 6-3, 305). For its part, Pitt also features a couple of decent LB prospects in Kyle Louis (#9, 6-1, 220) and Rasheem Briles (#3, 6-1, 220), although both are soewhat undersized; they’re also both juniors with another year of eligibility.
LSU (7-4) @ #8 OKLAHOMA (9-2); 3:30 PM ET; ABC: Its sort of hard to believe that this will be the first time in the long history of these two storied programs that LSU plays at Oklahoma. This game also has a ‘Tale of Two Teams’ feeling as LSU entered the season with high national hopes, but has seen it all implode including the firing of head coach Brian Kelly and benching of QB Garrett Nussmeier, while Oklahoma, which entered the season carrying something of an also-ran label, only needs a win to pretty much guarantee a CFP playoff berth. There was also a time earlier in the season when it looked like this game might feature a head-to-head matchup between potential top QB picks in Nussmeier and OU’s John Mateer (#10, 6-1, 205). Nussmeier, in fact, was considered to be potentially one of THE top prospects for the 2026 draft period at the outset of the campaign, but he struggled with nagging injuries almost all season and was ultimately benched, although he could still figure to be something of a sleeper at the upcoming draft if he’s healthy. For his part, Mateer looked to be the hottest QB in college football early in the season, but he too was injured and hasn’t been the same since and is now expected to return to school for his final year or eligibility. In fact, DE R Mason Thomas
Whatever Simpson’s ultimate decision, the Tide look to be in decent shape to extend their current record streak of 16 years in a row with at least one first-round pick at the upcoming draft. LT Kadyn Proctor (#74, 6-6, 365), for example, is currently considered to be a top-10-15 prospect, while DE LT Overton (#22, 6-5, 280), a prototype 3-4 DE, LB Deontae Lawson (#0, 6-1, 230) and NT Tim Keenan (#96, 6-2, 320) are each among the top 2-3 candidates at their respective positions and have at least some later first-round potential of their own. Same for veteran WR Germi Bernard (#5, 6-1, 205), who has emerged as a big-play target this year as he’s averaged over 18 yards per catch and a TD per game so far this year. Meanwhile, other Tigers’ to watch include OLB Harold Perkins (#7, 6-1, 225), who was considered to be potential top 10 candidates for 2025 before missing most of the season with a torn ACL and rising CB Mansoor Delane (#4, 6-0, 190), both of whom have some late-first round potential.
#6 ALABAMA (9-2) @ AUBURN (5-6); 7:30 PM ET; ABC: Alabama’s Ty Simpson (#15, 6-2, 210), although both have a year of eligibility remaining and could return to school. However, whatever Simpson’s ultimate decision, the Tide look to be in decent shape to extend their current record streak of 16 years in a row with at least one first-round pick at the upcoming draft. LT Kadyn Proctor (#74, 6-6, 365), for example, is currently considered to be a top-10-15 prospect, while DE LT Overton (#22, 6-5, 280), a prototype 3-4 DE, LB Deontae Lawson (#0, 6-1, 230) and NT Tim Keenan (#96, 6-2, 320) are each among the top 2-3 candidates at their respective positions and have at least some later first-round potential of their own. Same for veteran WR Germi Bernard (#5, 6-1, 205), who has emerged as a big-play target this year as he’s averaged over 18 yards per catch and a TD per game so far this year.
