It’s hard to believe, but we’re just a few months away from the ramp up to the 2026 college football regular season.

We’ve already seen some early, analytics-driven rankings be released, which showcased one obvious point: there are two conferences dominating the sport. The Big Ten Conference, at least based on last year’s performances, recruiting rankings, and returning talent, is expected to have three of the five best teams.

Meanwhile, the SEC will once again show off its quality depth. Seven of the top 15 teams are expected to come from the SEC, though with just one in the top five.

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As in most years, the 2025-2026 season was dominated by debate and discussion around strength of schedule. Particularly with two Group of Five teams reaching the College Football Playoff, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish getting left out of the playoff in favor of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Those debates are only going to increase this upcoming season, as the playoff field remains locked at 12. And perhaps more importantly, scheduling philosophies changing rapidly as programs optimize for reaching the postseason.

Well, we already have a new ranking of the ten hardest schedules in the upcoming season, and, spoiler alert, it’s those same two conferences yet again.

Bill Connelly, the creator of the SP+ analytics-based ranking system housed at ESPN, posted on X this week about the current toughest schedules in the country, based on the projected top teams in SP+. And the SEC dominates the list, with a few Big Ten teams slotting into the middle.

Per Connelly, the Texas Longhorns are projected to have the toughest schedule in the country, and looking at it, you can see why. They host Ohio State, who’s expected to be the best team in college football. They play at Tennessee, have their traditional rivalry game against Oklahoma, host Florida and Ole Miss, go on the road at Missouri and LSU, host Arkansas, then finish out with another rivalry game at Texas A&M. There’s only one likely top 5 team, but few off weeks facing lower quality opponents.

Speaking of Ohio State, they’re the top ranked Big Ten team, coming in at #4, with a bunch of tough games on tap for 2026. On the road at Texas, home for Illinois, at Iowa, at defending national champion Indiana, at USC, home for Oregon, at Nebraska, and home for Michigan. Two top five teams, and plenty more likely top 20 or 25 caliber teams.

Here’s the full list:

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So seven of the top 10 are from the SEC, with the remaining three coming from the Big Ten. No surprise there. But the fact that there is so little surprise, and the strength of both conferences, makes it obvious why there will continue to be schedule-related arguments between the Power Four moving forward.

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The SEC, and the Big Ten too, will have reasonable arguments to make that they deserve more spots in the playoff because of the difficulty in getting through each conference. And they’ll surely have plenty to say about Notre Dame’s arrangement with the playoff too.

The Irish are now guaranteed a spot in the field if they finish in the top 12. Their schedule in 2026 indicates they are well aware of it.

Compare that to Texas or Ohio State, and you see where there’s going to be some disagreement. Expanding the playoff to 16 teams, for example, would allow for more playoff spots and take some of the disadvantages of tough schedules away from those conferences. For now though, it’s going to be a tough road ahead for many SEC teams, and plenty of Big Ten teams too.

FBI Director Kash Patel got into a heated exchange with NBC News reporter Ryan Reilly Tuesday over his $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic for what he claims is a fraudulent story.

During a news conference with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about an indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center, Patel was asked to comment on the story by The Atlantic, including security concerns over his alleged excessive drinking and frequent absences.

Patel denied he’s ever been intoxicated on the job and was about to leave the podium when Reilly asked Patel to clarify the claim he believed he was fired by President Donald Trump after being temporarily unable to log in to the FBI’s internal computer systems.

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“Let’s have a survey. How many of you people believe that’s true?” Patel responded.

Reilly continued to ask the question, which led Patel to launch into a tirade against the article’s “baseless” reporting.

“The problem with you and your baseless reporting is that is an absolute lie. It was never said. It never happened, and I will serve in this administration as long as the president and the attorney general want me to do so,” Patel said. 

“And every time you guys report false lies, every time you guys raise baseless questions when we are here to talk about the Southern Poverty Law Center’s $3 million decade-long scheme to fraudulently fleece Americans, you are off-topic.”

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Reilly insisted it was a “straight-forward” question, leading the two to begin talking over each other.

“The simple answer to your question is you are lying,” Patel insisted.

Patel went on to say he was “never locked out” of the FBI’s systems, though Reilly remarked that his defamation lawsuit suggested otherwise. Blanche eventually stepped in to cut Reilly off.

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“Stop, you’re being extraordinarily rude, and I know maybe that’s part of your profession, but please just stop. If you ask a question, he can answer it. And now you’re interrupting me. Just a little bit of respect, man, just a tiny little bit. Try it some time,” Blanche said before answering another question.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and NBC News for comment.

Hundreds of passengers on an Amtrak train in Florida were left stranded for nearly 24 hours after wildfires broke out near the tracks — disrupting service, halting travel and leading to countless complaints.

The delays on Monday were caused by two brush fires near the Clay County-Putnam County line in northern Florida.

Train 98, part of the Silver Meteor route between Miami and New York, was forced to stop near Jacksonville, leaving some passengers stuck onboard for extended periods.

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Amtrak confirmed the incident and details in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

“For the safety of our passengers, train 98 returned to Miami yesterday with 232 passengers onboard after being delayed in Deland, Fla,” the company said. “Customers who traveled on this train will receive a full refund and Amtrak travel vouchers.”

Amtrak said most service in the area has since resumed — though two trains remain affected as crews continue to monitor wildfire conditions.

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Some passengers took to social media, describing long delays, limited updates and worsening conditions onboard as the situation unfolded.

“We’ve now been sitting on the tracks for about 10 more hours with little to no clear updates,” one traveler commented on Reddit during the incident.

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“The bathrooms are overflowing and unusable,” the traveler added.

Some also raised concerns about access to food and other necessities during the extended wait.

“I’m starving and really have to use the bathroom, and can’t,” a traveler said.

Passengers on Train 98, however, were given snacks, drinks and food from the lounge car during the delay, FOX 35 reported, with additional food provided once the train reached Orlando.

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The disruption on Monday also left some passengers scrambling to adjust travel plans, as cancellations and delays affected multiple routes and connections across the region.

Much of Florida is currently under drought conditions, which officials say contribute to increased wildfire risks, according to Fox Weather.

Fire weather warnings have also been issued across large parts of the state, including areas from the Panhandle through central and southwest Florida.