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What is the premier conference in college football right now: the Big Ten or the SEC? After producing the last three College Football Playoff national champions — from three different schools — there is no denying the Big Ten has sat atop the college football world recently. But there is also a growing sentiment that the SEC is stronger in the middle and at the bottom, making it the deeper league overall. “There was a lot of pushback from the Big Ten on that this week,” FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt said on a recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” discussing what he learned at the Big Ten spring meetings in Palos Verdes, California. “And really, the Big Ten is not wrong.” Klatt pointed out that the Big Ten is 4-0 against the SEC in the College Football Playoff over the past three years. The conference is also 5-2 against the SEC in non-CFP bowl games over the past two years. “There is an idea that the depth of the Big Ten is being undersold nationally, and a way to fight that would be a scheduling agreement with the SEC,” Klatt said. “They want to fight the narrative on the field.” Here’s a look at 10 future SEC-Big Ten college football matchups Klatt would love to see if the conferences ever agreed to a scheduling agreement: Klatt: Bielema-Beamer 2! Remember that Citrus Bowl at the end of the 2024 season, when there was some bad blood there, particularly with how the game ended? I want this again. There’s no doubt. This might not be the best possible matchup, but certainly the storylines would run deep. Klatt: Kirby [Smart] to face Dan Lanning in Autzen Stadium? Yes! I’m in on that. Lanning’s first game as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks was against Georgia, and that one was in Atlanta in 2022. Georgia beat them up, 49-3. I’d love to see Kirby go up and face his former assistant and defensive coordinator. Klatt: We heard a lot in the playoff a couple of years ago about Neyland North. Listen, Tennessee fans, to your credit, you guys showed up huge in that playoff game. There’s no doubt. There was more orange in the stands than I saw of any other color in my history calling college football games in Columbus at The Shoe. I want to see Ohio State go and return the favor. Klatt: Lane [Kiffin] back in LA? Yup, you bet! Lane has obviously been back to LA, but not in an official capacity since he was left on the tarmac as the head coach of the USC Trojans. Bring him back. I want that every day of the week. Every year. That would be phenomenal. Please give us this scheduling agreement because it would be great for fans and great for college football. Klatt: How about bringing back an old rival? Nebraska-Oklahoma used to be as good as any rivalry in college football, maybe second to only Michigan-Ohio State. Throughout the whole Big 8 days, and even in the Big 12, this was a marquee Thanksgiving weekend matchup. Bring back this one. Klatt: I’m just hitting all the classics, and USC-Texas is absolutely a classic that I want to see. Obviously, that Rose Bowl with [Matt] Leinart, [Reggie] Bush and Vince Young was maybe the greatest game we’ve seen in the history of college football. You get those colors on the field at the same time. It would just drip with nostalgia. We’d be thinking about that and Keith Jackson on the call. Klatt: Curt Cignetti going back to Alabama, where he got his start, in a big way, under [Nick] Saban as a recruiting coordinator. Plus, this would be a rematch of last year’s Rose Bowl. That would be a great one. Klatt: This one’s time sensitive. So, it wouldn’t happen, unless we could do it this year. But, how about Nico Iamaleava going back to Tennessee? How about Nico and [UCLA head coach] Bob Chesney going to face Josh Huepel and Tennessee back in Knoxville? I’m sure those fans would just welcome Nico back with open arms. Klatt: I would love to see the Urban [Meyer] Bowl. Urban won a championship with both of those schools. I think that one would be phenomenal. Kalen DeBoer had a lot of success at Washington, getting them right on the precipice of a championship, and then leaving for the bigger and greener pastures of the SEC and Alabama.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

There’s no better time to have a breakout campaign than in a contract year. In the NFL, it’s certainly not uncommon for a contract year to lead to big-time results on the field for a player, either. And with that comes a big reward. Just ask Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce. After recording a career-high 1,003 receiving yards in the final year of his rookie deal, Pierce cashed in and landed him a four-year, $114 million deal with Indianapolis this spring. The deal was the largest ever for a free-agent wide receiver in league history, and it made him the 11th-highest-paid receiver in the league at the time of the deal. Next year, who could emerge in a Pierce-like way and land a massive contract of their own in the process? In descending order, here are the 10 contract-year players in 2026 I believe have the best chance of breaking out: A 2023 second-round pick, Matthew Bergeron has been the Atlanta Falcons’ starting left guard since his rookie season. But the addition of longtime offensive line coach Bill Callahan to new coach Kevin Stefanski’s staff could take his game to new heights. Callahan has long been regarded as one of the NFL’s top offensive line coaches, credited with developing the likes of Zack Martin and Tyron Smith. Ji’Ayier Brown, who has five interceptions since entering the league in 2023, has started 13 games and recorded six pass breakups in back-to-back seasons. Reinforcements on the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive front in 2026 (linebacker Fred Warner and edge rusher Nick Bosa returning from injury; bringing linebacker Dre Greenlaw back; trading for defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa) will create more playmaking opportunities on the back end for Brown. Set to play on his fifth-year option in 2026, Kayvon Thibodeaux has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason. Whether he plays the upcoming season with the New York Giants or elsewhere, he’ll have plenty to prove in a season where long-term security could be on the line. The former No. 5 overall pick had a career-low 2.5 sacks in 2025. The rebuilding Miami Dolphins are built around star running back De’Von Achane and dual-threat quarterback Malik Willis on offense. There will be plenty of opportunities for Aaron Brewer to continue showing his athleticism in space, building off of an impressive 2025 season, when he was named a second-team All-Pro selection. A 2023 second-round pick, Brenton Strange’s numbers have improved every season of his career, including more than doubling his receiving yards per game last season (45.0) from 2024 (24.2). Another exponential leap could be in store in 2026, when he’ll be in his second season in coach Liam Coen’s offense and fourth year playing with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Myles Murphy started to come on at the end of last season, recording three of his career-high 5.5 sacks in the final four weeks of the year. The additions of nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and edge rusher Boye Mafe should create favorable matchups for Murphy, a 2023 first-round pick, in 2026. Josh Downs had career lows in receptions (58) and receiving yards (556) last season, but he should become a much more significant part of the Colts’ offense with Michael Pittman Jr. getting traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. A former third-round pick, Downs is the second-best wide receiver on Indianapolis’ roster behind Pierce, who’s expected to miss all of the team’s offseason workouts following ankle surgery. The Green Bay Packers’ passing attack is always balanced, but Christian Watson has a prime opportunity to break out. He tied a team-high 61.1 receiving yards per game last season, and Romeo Doubs departed in free agency for the New England Patriots. Star tight end Tucker Kraft could miss the start of the season thanks to a torn ACL, which could make Watson the focal point of Green Bay’s passing game. Riq Woolen has plenty to prove on his one-year deal with the Eagles, given he lost his starting job with the Seattle Seahawks last season and saw his play overall marked by inconsistency since his Pro Bowl rookie season. The 2022 fifth-round pick has elite ball skills — he led the NFL with six interceptions in his rookie year — and he’ll have plenty of playmaking opportunities with opposing offenses looking to avoid targeting Quinyon Mitchell and nickelback Cooper DeJean. If Kyler Murray beats out 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy for the starting quarterback job, the former Arizona Cardinals quarterback will be positioned to thrive. He’ll have the best supporting cast of his career, highlighted by superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Head coach Kevin O’Connell is also well-regarded as a quarterback guru, helping Sam Darnold earn a three-year, $100.5 million deal when he was in a similar situation a few years ago.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports