Taking inventory of the talent on the field in a mammoth matchup used to be retroactive. And it used to be measured by the NFL Draft.

The 2011 “Game of the Century” between LSU and Alabama boasted 45 draft picks on the two sides combined. In the 2003 title game between Miami and Ohio State, 37 of the 43 starters were eventually drafted.

Times change. And so might the ways we quantify a big game.

Last week’s thriller between Texas and Ohio State may very well have been the most expensive game in college football history, in terms of roster spending: Players on the two teams are making between $94 million and $109 million combined for just this season, according to reporting from The Athletic. We set out to find out how much every power-conference school spent on its 2026 roster, and you can see the full data here.

The budgets in the Texas-Ohio State game were staggering. But it’s not the only game that could top nine figures in player pay this season. Here’s a look at the high-dollar matchups to keep an eye on this year.

Sept. 12: Texas 24, Ohio State 23

Ohio State: $49 million-$54 million
Texas: $45 million-$55 million
Full estimated matchup range: $94 million-109 million

The Longhorns were the splashiest team in college football this past offseason, spending big for top prospects on both sides of the ball, but especially at the skill positions surrounding quarterback Arch Manning, who is believed to be earning well below market value.

Receiver Cam Coleman, a transfer from Auburn, is earning nearly $3 million as the top prospect in the portal this cycle. Texas also added two top running backs in Hollywood Smothers (NC State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State), a star linebacker in Rasheem Biles (Pitt) and offensive tackle Melvin Siani from Wake Forest.

Ohio State boasts the nation’s best player in Jeremiah Smith, whose precise earnings are hard to pin down, but who is believed to be one of, if not the, highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the sport. The Buckeyes have consistently been one of the sport’s highest spenders in the NIL era, famously publicizing their $20 million roster during their last championship season in 2024.

Ohio State dominated the first three quarters Saturday, but Manning and the Longhorns rallied in the fourth quarter, scoring touchdowns on their three final drives to turn a 23-3 deficit into a 24-23 win.

How much are colleges spending on their football rosters?

David Ubben

Sept. 19: LSU at Ole Miss

LSU: $47 million-$50 million
Ole Miss: $39 million-$45 million
Full estimated matchup range: $86 million-$95 million

Don’t let Ole Miss’ feud with Lane Kiffin distract from the fact that these are two of the most well-funded teams in the country.

Ole Miss was an aggressive early adopter in the NIL space and didn’t slow down once revenue-sharing was adopted as part of the House settlement. It helped that the program had a coach it believed in. Kiffin took the program to new heights and the College Football Playoff last season. He’s gone now, but he raised the floor of a program that believes it can continue to spend — and win — without him. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is expected to make between $5 million and $6 million this season.

Sept. 26: Texas A&M at LSU

Texas A&M: $45 million-$50 million
LSU: $47 million-$50 million
Full estimated matchup range: $92 million-$100 million

The two campuses are separated by only five hours, and their roster budgets are separated by very little, with near-identical ranges.

Texas A&M wasn’t as flashy this offseason, though it did finish with the No. 6 transfer portal class in the country. The Aggies’ biggest wins were retaining quarterback Marcel Reed, receiver Mario Craver and running back Rueben Owens II.

These two have played 10 times since 2016. They’re 5-5 against one another, including a seven-overtime game in 2018.

Nov. 7: Miami at Notre Dame

Miami: $44 million-$50 million
Notre Dame: $41 million-$48 million
Full estimated matchup range: $85 million-$98 million

It’s the only non-SEC/Big Ten matchup on the list, but Notre Dame and Miami are both near the top. They’re both getting dividends from their investment, too.

Notre Dame reached the national title game two seasons ago, and Miami won three Playoff games to reach it last year. Miami spent big again this offseason to land Duke transfer Darian Mensah at quarterback. The Hurricanes are spending well above the rest of the ACC.

The old 1980s rivals revisited their hatred a season ago when Miami beat the Irish in the season opener, but trailed the Irish in every CFP ranking all year … except for the last one after a week in which neither team played. That’ll be as hot a topic as the money when these two face off in South Bend for the first time since 2016.

Nov. 7: Oregon at Ohio State

Oregon: $48 million-$54 million
Ohio State: $49 million-$54 million
Full estimated matchup range: $97 million-$108 million

The most expensive conference game this year will happen in Columbus. Oregon paid up to keep quarterback Dante Moore out of the NFL and beat out deep-pocketed Texas Tech for star safety Koi Perich, who transferred from Minnesota. But the Ducks have already lost on the road to Oklahoma State, whose roster The Athletic estimated at just $15 million-$19 million, less than half of what Oregon is paying.

The Buckeyes and Ducks have to spend to outdo one another in the Big Ten. These two teams played a classic in 2024 that came down to the final play, with Oregon holding on for a 32-31 win in Eugene. A little more than three months later, Ohio State erased Oregon off the planet in the Rose Bowl on the way to its national title.

Nov. 14: Texas at LSU

Texas: $45 million-$55 million
LSU: $47 million-$50 million
Full estimated matchup range: $92 million-$105 million

The only team that rivaled Texas’ impact additions in the transfer portal this offseason was LSU. The Tigers grabbed the top quarterback out of the portal — Sam Leavitt from Arizona State — and swiped Colorado offensive tackle Jordan Seaton just before the portal closed. The Longhorns were after Seaton, too.

Kiffin’s first team is well-funded, evidence of why he left Ole Miss for LSU, though the Rebels aren’t far behind.

Nov. 27: Texas at Texas A&M

Texas: $45 million-$55 million
Texas A&M: $45 million-$50 million
Full estimated matchup range: $90 million-$105 million

The hated rivals reunited in the SEC in 2024, and they’re back in Aggieland on Thanksgiving weekend in prime time once again.

Texas A&M hasn’t beaten Texas in either game since the return of the rivalry. But the oil money in the state of Texas has been flowing freely into both teams’ facilities since the advent of NIL.