Great rivalries are a timeless tradition of NCAA football. Dating back over a century ago, rivalry games are what makes college football so intriguing!
It can bring the best out of people, and even the worst at times.
Through research, countless years of obsessing over football, and a copious amout of time watching these great rivalries I have compiled a TOP 5 NCAA Rivalries list. Some honorable mentions that didn't make my list are: Florida vs Georgia, USC vs Notre Dame, Cal vs Stanford, and Utah vs BYU.
#5 Oregon vs Oregon State: The Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers have been competing in " The Civil War" game since 1894. Oregon has a commanding series lead 59-46; Additionally, they have won the last four battles! Every year, in the final week of November, the battle lines are drawn as these two face-off in a heated rivalry! Some notable incidents include: (1960) An Oregon student kidnapped the OSU homecoming queen, yet she was recovered later unharmed. (1970) Following a 30-3 drubbing, the triumphant Ducks fans charged the OSU field in an attempt to take down the south end zone goal posts. OSU fans attempted to defend the goal post and a brawl ensued! (2010) Following an intense game with BCS implications, the Oregon Ducks prevailed as they earned the right to compete in the National Championship! Following the game, a group of Duck fans lit on fire a T-shirt saying "I hate your Ducks" over the Beavers logo on the field. The resulting fire caused significant damage to the artificial turf!
#4 Army vs Navy: The Army/Navy game is one of the oldest and most historic rivalries in all of sports. The United States Military Academy of West Point, NY and the United States Naval Academy of Annapolis, MD have been competing for service bragging rights since 1890. The winner of the game is awarded the Thompson Cup, named after its donor, Robert M. Thompson. The game is played in Philadelphia, due to the historic nature of the city and the fact that it is approximately halfway between West Point and Annapolis. The rivalry became an annual event in 1930 and has been played 82 consecutive years ever since. Army held a mere three game series lead until Navy's ten game winning streak between 2002-2011. Navy now has a slight 56-49 series lead over their hungry counterparts. The rivalry between the Naval Academy and the West Point cadets, although typically civil and well mannered, does not lack the intense passion of a true football rivalry. Army/Navy/Air Force have also been competing for the Commander in Chief trophy since 1972 which has been bestowed by former US presidents such as Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.
Eventhough the rivalry may have lost some of its luster over the years, it is still good enough for a top 5 ranking on my list. The future leaders of the US military leave it all on the line on any field of battle. No matter who wins or loses the game, at the end of the day, it is ONE TEAM! ONE FIGHT!
#3 Oklahoma vs Texas: The "Red River Rivalry" is one of the oldest and most notable rivalries in football. The Red River is the second largest river basin in the southern Great Plains and serves as the boundary between Oklahoma and Texas. Every year, the boundary is crossed as these two formidable rivals meet in the Cotton Bowl at Dallas, Texas which serves as the neutral site for this remarkable game! The Longhorns who hold a commanding series lead 59-42, and the Sooners who have won the last two(2010 and 2011) have been duking it out since 1900. The game typically has national and conference implications at stake. Since 1945, one or both teams have been ranked coming into the game in 61 of the 66 games.
The Dallas Morning News held an opinion poll in which coach's from 119 FBS universities voted on the greatest college football rivalry in college football. The result was the Texas-OU football game being rated the third greatest college football rivalry of all time!
#2 Alabama vs Auburn: The Iron Bowl(named after Birmingham's abundant iron ore and steel industry)is an in state rivalry game brimming with bad blood, fervid emotions, and mutual hatred! Undeniably, Alabama vs Auburn is the fiercest intrastate rivalry in college football! If you grew up in Alabama you were faced with a choice...Alabama or Auburn? Tigers or Tide? You are judged by who you root for, so needless to say, there is no love lost between these two teams! A unique thing about this rivalry is that the losing teams SGA president much present the trophy to the winning team; furthermore, he must sing the other teams fight song in front of the opposing team! Talk about public humiliation! This matchup is more than just a game---it is a way of life in Alabama!
Alabama leads the series 41-34, including a 45-10 drubbing in 2011. Avid Alabama and Auburn fans alike can atest to just how important it is to win this game.
You Win: You earned 365 days of bragging rights! You Lose: The loss lingers on your mind for 365 days!
#1 Ohio State vs Michigan: The "Grand Daddy" of them all! The Ohio State Buckeyes and The Michigan Wolverines have been feuding since 1897! Dubbed "The Game" and rightfully so...The US Congress once recognized the rivalry as " the greatest sports rivalry in history." Every year,in the third week of November, The Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines prepare for the ultimate goal that is at stake...365 days of Bragging Rights! The success of each team's season is referenced on whether you win or lose "The Game." Former Ohio State coach, Woody Hayes, coined the phrase "That state up north" and "The team up north", so he would not have to say the word "Michigan." He was well known for his intense dislike of all things Michigan, and once he refused to get gas for an empy tank in the state of Michigan, proclaiming, "No, goddammit! We do NOT pull in and fill up. And I'll tell you exactly why we don't. It's because I don't buy one goddam drop of gas in the state of Michigan! We'll coast and PUSH this goddam car to the Ohio line before I give this state a nickel of my money!" The Wolverines are just as resentful about their rivals; Woody Hayes visage can be found on toilet paper at various places in Ann Arbor, Michigan. But not to be outdone, Michigan logos can be found in toilet bowls around Columbus, Ohio. Needless to say, the Buckeyes and Wolverines are very bitter rivals!
The Wolverines, which currently holds the series lead at 58-43 has been losing ground to the Scarlet and Gray lately. The Buckeyes are 9-2 against their rivals in the last 10 games. However, in 2011 Michigan beat Ohio State for the first time since 2003. When time ran out, seven seasons of heartbreak came to an end as the Wolverines reigned victorious in a hard fought 40-34 win!
http://www.squidoo.com/top-10-biggest-rivalries-in-ncaa-sports
Hi, I'm Jason, and I have been a football fan for as far as I can remember! I love to watch, read, and write about the alluring sport that is football.
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