What happened: The Big 12 holds a 6-7 record against Power 4 non-conference opponents in 2026, while the ACC stands at 6-11 and the Big Ten sits at 4-10, per Brett McMurphy. Across the other FBS leagues, the Mountain West (1-8), American (1-11) and MAC (1-17) each notched a single victory against Power 4 competition. Conference USA (0-9), the Pac-12 (0-12) and the Sun Belt (0-15) remain winless in those games.

Why it matters: Head-to-head results outside conference play weigh heavily in College Football Playoff selection committee comparisons among multi-loss Power 4 contenders. The gap between the SEC's top mark and the rest of the country shapes strength-of-schedule debates even as the SEC and Big Ten prepare a future scheduling pact tied to a 24-team playoff.

What to watch: Late-season non-conference rivalry matchups in November will provide the final regular-season cross-conference results before CFP selection.