SEC Network Host Peter Burns Caught Lying About Big Ten's 2026 Schedules

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The SEC Network and its employees have an understandable bias toward the conference, given who their employer is. But that doesn't mean they should be allowed to blatantly lie to prop up the conference. However, that's what happened this week.

SEC Network host Peter Burns, perhaps the biggest SEC homer on the internet, bragged about the SEC's difficult schedules heading into the 2026 college football season. He took a shot at the Big Ten Conference while boasting about the SEC. However, he was quickly called out for lying in blatant form.

Burns bragged that nine SEC schools are playing at least five teams ranked in the Coaches' Poll preseason Top 25, which came out on Tuesday. Burns added that "not a single Big Ten" team plays at least five preseason Top 25 teams.

"9 SEC schools play at least 5 of the Top 25 teams in the coaches poll Not a single Big 10 team plays 5. Efficient work," he shared.

But there's a problem, here: Burns is wrong. He's so wrong, in fact, that you can't help but suggest that he was just blatantly lying on purpose to prop up the SEC and take a shot at the Big Ten Conference.

As fans have noted, Ohio State plays six teams ranked in the preseason Coaches' Poll Top 25: #2 Oregon, #4 Texas, #6 Indiana, #14 USC, #16 Michigan, #22 Iowa.

Other Big Ten teams play at least five, too, including:

  • Ohio State (6): at No. 4 Texas (Week 2), at No. 22 Iowa (Week 4), at No. 6 Indiana (Week 7), at No. 14 USC (Week 9), vs. No. 2 Oregon (Week 10), vs. No. 16 Michigan (Week 13)
  • Michigan (6): vs. No. 9 Oklahoma (Week 2), vs. No. 22 Iowa (Week 4), vs. No. 17 Penn State (Week 7), vs. No. 6 Indiana (Week 8), at No. 2 Oregon (Week 11), at No. 1 Ohio State (Week 13)
  • USC (5): vs. No. 2 Oregon (Week 4), vs. No. 19 Washington (Week 5), at No. 17 Penn State (Week 6), vs. No. 1 Ohio State (Week 9), at No. 6 Indiana (Week 11)
  • Nebraska (5): vs. No. 6 Indiana (Week 6), at No. 2 Oregon (Week 7), vs. No. 19 Washington (Week 9), vs. No. 1 Ohio State (Week 12), at No. 22 Iowa (Week 13)
  • Minnesota (5): at No. 19 Washington (Week 4), vs. No. 16 Michigan (Week 5), vs. No. 22 Iowa (Week 8), at No. 6 Indiana (Week 9), at No. 17 Penn State (Week 11)
  • Washington (5): at No. 14 USC (Week 5), vs. No. 22 Iowa (Week 6), vs. No. 17 Penn State (Week 10), vs. No. 6 Indiana (Week 12), at No. 2 Oregon (Week 13)
  • Purdue (5): vs. No. 5 Notre Dame (Week 4), vs. No. 19 Washington (Week 7), at No. 17 Penn State (Week 9), at No. 22 Iowa (Week 11), at No. 6 Indiana (Week 13)
  • Northwestern (5): at No. 6 Indiana (Week 4), vs. No. 17 Penn State (Week 5),  at No. 2 Oregon (Week 9), vs. No. 22 Iowa (Week 10), at No. 1 Ohio State (Week 11)

Meanwhile, Burns was wrong about the SEC, too.

As Awful Announcing points out, the SEC has 13 teams with at least five games against preseason Top 25 teams. Texas and Arkansas will play seven, followed by Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas A&M with six each. Meanwhile, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt will face five.

Burns was just way, way off here.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Aug 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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