Josh Pate Names Six College Football Teams With the Toughest 2026 Season Starts

Josh Pate has named the six college football programs with the most challenging opening stretches in 2026.

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) throws a pass in the first half of the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorn at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nearly five months lie between the beginning of April and the first weekend of the 2026 college football season.

Each offseason gives the college football media landscape a chance to predict what it thinks will happen in the upcoming season. These predictions come in a variety of different forms, such as top 25 rankings, College Football Playoff bracket projections and early Heisman Trophy odds.

College football media personality Josh Pate has unveiled lists on his show in the first few months of the 2026 offseason. The latest list that Pate compiled on Sunday was the six teams in college football with the most challenging openings to their 2026 schedules.

Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners play three of their first five games against Power Four opponents, none of which will be played in Norman, Oklahoma. They play the road end of their home-and-home with Michigan, a team they beat 24-13 in the second week of the 2025 season.

Oklahoma ends September with its first-ever trip to Georgia, a place only two visitors have won at since 2017. The Sooners' traditional bout with Texas in the Red River Shootout is on Oct. 10.

USC Trojans

Nov 11, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley congratulates Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) after a game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Pate admitted that USC's inclusion on this list may seem like an odd choice, but travel could present a challenge not seen in previous eras of college football. The Trojans play three consecutive Group of Six games to open 2026 before heading to Rutgers.

The Scarlet Knights are coming off a five-win season, but the idea of crossing three time zones twice in one weekend before a home stand against Oregon and Washington is less than ideal. If USC drops games to the Ducks and Huskies, they would have to beat Ohio State and Indiana to salvage its College Football Playoff hopes.

LSU Tigers

The Lane Kiffin era will begin with the home end of LSU's home-and-home against Clemson, who LSU defeated 17-10 on the road to open the 2025 season. Clemson is not receiving as much attention in 2026 with the departure of Cade Klubnik and several key defenders to the NFL draft.

LSU's first road game of 2026 is against an Ole Miss team fueled by hatred over Kiffin's departure ahead of its College Football Playoff run a season ago. The Tigers host Texas A&M at the end of September, the same team that brought an end to the Brian Kelly era in Baton Rouge.

Texas Longhorns

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Caden Curry (92) pressures Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the second half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. Ohio State won 14-7. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The home end of the home-and-home with Ohio State is on Sept. 12. The Buckeyes are returning much of their offensive star power from a season ago, but a trip to Austin with a more seasoned Arch Manning starting for the Longhorns will present a tougher challenge.

Texas does not play an SEC home game until the back half of October. One of its first two SEC games is against a 2025-2026 College Football Playoff participant in Oklahoma, who returns John Mateer as its starting quarterback.

Florida State Seminoles

The Seminoles play New Mexico State during Week 0 before their standalone game on Labor Day night against SMU in Week 1. The Labor Day game is followed by a bye week, then the road end of Florida State's home-and-home with Alabama on Sept. 19.

If Florida State is unable to beat the Mustangs and Crimson Tide, the adversity may snowball in ACC play. October consists of a home game against 2025 ACC runner-up Virginia, a Friday night game at Louisville, a trip to national championship runner-up Miami and a home game against Clemson.

Colorado Buffaloes

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders congratulates Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

A challenging start to 2026 is not what Deion Sanders needs in a pivotal season at Colorado. Two of the Buffaloes' three non-conference games are against Power Four foes in Georgia Tech and Northwestern, both of which are on the road.

Colorado opens Big 12 play at Baylor, which means three of the Buffaloes' first four games are road games against Power Four teams. The Buffaloes' first two home games against Power Four opponents are against 2025 Big 12 champion Texas Tech and a Utah team that is coming off an 11-win season.