By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
June 18, 2026
The college football season is right around the corner, and there are plenty of exciting matchups on the schedule.
I went through every Week of the upcoming season and picked out what I thought were the best games.
If some additional matchups deserved attention, I added them to the Honorable Mention Section.
Here’s my list of the Best Games in the West by Week for the 2026 Season.
Week 0
August 29 — Memphis at UNLV
The action in Week 0 features an early test for UNLV.
Can the Rebels continue their momentum in the new era of the Mountain West? A victory is expected.
The region will be watching.
Week 1
September 5 – Boise State at Oregon
The two storied programs collide for just the fifth time in history.
Boise State leads the series 3-1. But Oregon beat the Broncos last season, and the Ducks are one of the best programs in college football.
It’s fair to expect UO to dominate.
Honorable Mention: UCLA at California; Washington State at Washington
Week 2
September 12 — Arizona at BYU
This year’s Arizona team could be Brent Brennan’s best since taking over as head coach in 2024.
Noah Fifita is an experienced senior and enters his second year under offensive coordinator Seth Doege.
BYU has won five straight in the series dating back to 2016. Last year’s double-overtime matchup was a thriller.
Honorable Mention: Arkansas at Utah; Arizona State at Texas A&M
Week 3
September 19 — Arizona State v Kansas (London)
The Sun Devils travel to London for a game against Kansas.
It’s unusual to play a conference opponent in a foreign country, and the loser might spiral downward the rest of the year.
Arizona State’s season could hang in the balance after facing Texas A&M the week before.
Honorable Mention: Utah State at Utah; New Mexico at Oklahoma
Week 4
September 26 — Oregon at USC
The former Pac-12 foes renew their rivalry for the fourth time this decade.
The Ducks have won all three games since 2020, with USC’s last win coming in 2016. Is this the year the Trojans stop the losing streak?
USC has just two wins against Oregon since 2010.
Honorable Mention: Clemson at California
Week 5
October 3 — Washington at USC
Is this Washington’s year? Some are saying it.
The expectations are raised in Seattle this season.
It’s time for Jedd Fisch to deliver.
Week 6
October 10 — Stanford at Notre Dame
The Cardinal travel to South Bend for another chapter in the historic rivalry.
In an era where rivalries are dying and teams are changing conferences, it’s enjoyable to see a traditional matchup.
The first game between the programs occurred in 1925. The teams have met every season since 1997, not counting the COVID year.
Honorable Mention: North Dakota State at UNLV; UCLA at Oregon; USC at Penn State
Week 7
October 17 — Notre Dame at BYU and Nebraska at Oregon
Two great matchups are featured in Week 7 with Notre Dame traveling to Provo to face BYU andNebraska heading to Oregon to play the Ducks.
Many eyes will be on the matchup between the Irish and Cougars.
But the game of the day might be in Eugene.
Honorable Mention: Arizona State at Texas Tech
Week 8
October 24 — Boise State at Washington State
Welcome to the New Pac-12.
The Cougars host Boise State in what could be a critical game in the conference race. This series should be considered a rivalry.
The two schools are 300 miles apart but have played just seven times in their history. WSU leads the series 5-2, yet Boise State has won two of the last three.
Honorable Mention: California at SMU; Michigan State at UCLA; USC at Wisconsin
Week 9
October 31 — Ohio State at USC
This is one of those games that the television executives dream of. It’s matchups like this that caused the Pac-12 to break up.
Ohio State at USC. It’s what college football is all about.
Meeting for the first as Big Ten foes, the hype surrounding this game could be substantial.
Honorable Mention: Washington at Nebraska; Arizona State at BYU
Week 10
November 7 — Oregon at Ohio State
Another appointment-television matchup.People will plan their day around getting to watch this game.
Oregon at Ohio State in Columbus. This is as big as it gets.
Honorable Mention: BYU at Utah; Penn State at Washington
Week 11
November 14 — Michigan at Oregon
Every week in the Big Ten features another colossal showdown.
Michigan goes to Autzen to face the Ducks.
It will be the first time the Wolverines play in Eugene since Oregon joined the Big Ten. Michigan last visited Autzen in 2003.
Honorable Mention: USC at Indiana
Week 12
November 21 — Stanford at California
The Big Game returns to Berkeley.
The teams first played in 1892, with Stanford leading the all-time series 66-51.
The Bears have won four of the last five, but the Cardinal got the victory last year, 31-10.
Honorable Mention: Indiana at Washington
Week 13 – Rivalry Week (All Games November 28)
Washington at Oregon
It would be poetic if this game had Playoff significance.Washington might be trending up, and Oregon is expected to stay dominant.
Could UW’s Playoff hopes be on the line?
Arizona State at Arizona
The Territorial Cup always matters.Forget what happened throughout the year. This is the only result that people tend to remember.
Who really runs the State of Arizona?
USC at UCLA
These programs are juxtaposed.
The expectations for UCLA are low, and the Trojans might be in the Playoff hunt.
The winner gets to claim LA.
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