With EA’s College Football 26 now out and players all across the country now exploring all the new features of the game, including the new mascots and new offensive playbooks, I think it’s time we look at what type of matchups will be the best in the new game. When I say “matchups” I don’t mean what two teams are the most equally matched, that would be too easy. You could just look at team overall ratings and performance and try to match up the most similarly skilled teams, but that’s not what college football is about, balanced matchups don’t happen super often, but you know what does? Rivalries!
Rivalries are a staple of college football and thus are a staple of College Football 26. Some rivalry teams will be horribly lopsided in terms of skill level, like Michigan and Michigan State over the last decade. Still, somehow, through pure hatred of one another and the extreme pride they take in winning their battles against their rivals, the games always seem to go either way. For instance, Michigan and Michigan State have split their ten games played since 2014, despite Michigan going 102-37 during that stretch while Michigan State has gone 77-57. It’s that legendary rivalry that led to incredible Michigan State upsets, including the “trouble with the snap” game in 2015 and the Halloween upset in 2020.
