In the current age of college football, it seems that more changes are coming with the proposals that the College Football Playoff is expanded from 12 teams to 24 or 16 teams. Assuming the CFP does expand, this could give some of the major conferences more margin for error, which could encourage some of the top college football programs to play games against each other. With that in mind, Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt talked about 10 potential Big Ten-SEC college football matchups he would like to see if the elite programs in those conferences wanted to schedule games against each other on The Joel Klatt Show.Dec 1, 2025; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn ImagesLSU vs. USCOne of the biggest storylines that could come out of a Big Ten-SEC college football agreement is LSU traveling to play USC at the Colosseum. With this matchup, Klatt has one clear storyline that this game has. “LSU at USC, Lane back in LA. Yep, yep, you bet. You bet. Lane’s 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. LSU at USC. Yep, I want that every day of the week. I want it every year,” said Klatt.In this matchup, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin would have the opportunity to return to USC for the first time as an opposing coach after being fired on the tarmac following a brutal loss in 2013.Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesWith that motivation, there is no doubt that Kiffin would have LSU motivated to play in this game to get back at the Trojans, but also because it could become huge for the Tigers when it comes to building the resume for the College Football Playoff. While USC coach Lincoln Riley does not have a major rivalry with Kiffin, the opportunity to compete against a program like LSU is something that could help Riley to win a game that could give him the confidence to beat some of the top teams in the Big Ten.If LSU and USC do match up at some point, there are clear storylines that could make this game one of the best of the college football season and go a long way in determining the national rankings. Texas vs. USCOct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesAnother major SEC team USC may have the opportunity to compete against is the Texas Longhorns, which is a matchup that has a storied history. USC and Texas matched up for one of the best games in college football history when they played in the Rose Bowl in 2006. In that game, Texas escaped with a win behind a great performance from quarterback Vince Young, who did just enough to outlast USC quarterback Matt Leinart and Trojans running back Reggie Bush.In addition to the history of this matchup, USC and Texas also present a great coaching display with USC’s Lincoln Riley and Texas’s Steve Sarkisian. Riley and Sarkisian are two of the more innovative minds in college football, which makes this game very intriguing and potentially one that could be quite entertaining, as well as having major implications for the Big Ten, SEC, and the College Football Playoff. What A College Football Playoff Expansion Could Mean While USC has been unable to win a Big Ten title so far under Riley, an opportunity to compete against the SEC in the non-conference schedule could give the Trojans a chance to get prepared for what is often a daunting conference schedule in the Big Ten. Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesAdded to the preparation for the conference schedule, USC could also gain very valuable experience for the younger players on the roster in these games, so they are much more prepared for what could be major tests in the CFP once the Trojans can get there. In the current 12-team model, many teams are discouraged from scheduling games against tough opponents, mainly because if they lose just one game in the nonconference schedule, their hopes of qualifying for the College Football Playoff become very much in question if they also lose a game in their conference schedule. If the CFP does expand to 24 teams, this gives the teams in the major conferences, like the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, and the ACC, much more room for error to handle a loss, which could encourage them to schedule games against nationally ranked opponents instead of scheduling FCS opponents or lower level Divisoon 1 opponents.Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow