This has been a long time coming. Not just this rivalry column, but me making history once more. I am glad to be one of the few that has made it this far. So for my 200th article, I have made the college-rivalry rankings the primetime spectacle that it is.
#10) Missouri-Kansas (Border Showdown)
#9) Florida State-Florida (Battle for Governor's Cup)
#8) Colorado-Nebraska (Rocky Mountain Melee)
#7) Florida State-Miami
#6) UConn-Tennessee (Women's basketball)
#5) Duke-North Carolina
The only reason that this is a Top five and not a bottom five is because of the girl that cried during the first meeting this season. For years, we watched Coach K and Dean Smith butt heads during ACC Conference play. The players have changed since then. Bobby Hurley and Eric Montross are long gone, but Tyler Hansbrough has done more than enough to make people take notice of UNC.
Dean Smith has long retired, but the infamous Roy Williams has tried everything in his power to keep the legacy that Smith started. Williams has brought glory to the Tar Heels, but in the end, as long as his Heels beat the Blue Devils, everything is right Tar Heel-ia.
#4) Texas-Oklahoma
In the Big 12 Conference, there are many teams vying for the top spot in the conference. But there has always been Texas and Oklahoma. From Vince Young to Chris Simms to Sam Bradford, the Longhorns and Sooners have battled for pride, respect, and of course, bragging rights.
The Big 12 Champions has been between these two for quite some time. Even without Vince Young saving their asses (Rose Bowl against USC), Texas has found a way to keep winning. Even with a concussion, Sam Bradford has proved that he is just as tough as he is good.
Nothing is better than watching these two colossals battling it out every season. But nothing is better than watching them battle for a shot at being the Big 12 Champs.
#3) USC-UCLA (Victory Bell Trophy)
The Trojans have had a pretty jacked up few years. Last season, they were one win away from a national championship game against Ohio State. Then came UCLA. They thought that it would be an easy ride all the way to Arizona. Then came UCLA. They had a shot at infamy once more.
Instead of Texas, UCLA showed up.
The Trojans and Bruins lock horns every season, and every year, the Bruins find a new and exciting way to get under the skin of Pete Carroll. And most likely for the rest of time, these two will duke it out for the Pac-10 Championship.
#2) Alabama-Auburn (Iron Bowl)
One thing I have noticed throughout this entire situation is that there are some die-hard Alabama-Auburn fans out there. I have attended a few of these games, and almost every time, there are three sets of ambulances. The first one is for the players. The second is for the fans. And the third is for whoever is left after the melee.
Though the battle in Carolina and Georgia have the titles of "Good Ol' Fashion Hate," the Iron Bowl has alot of fire as well.
With Nick Saban returning for his second season as coach, Alabama could be the front-runners now that LSU is having issues with their quarterback, who is gone for smoking pot.
Even with all the votes for this one, only one rivalry brought out the masses...
#1) Michigan Wolverines-Ohio State Buckeyes
The Wolverines and Buckeyes battle it out every year at the end of the season, and every year, the teams' fanbase goes nuts. I mean, have you ever seen a rivalry that makes the fans lose sleep and blood flow this frequently? Can it get any more interesting than that?
Of course it can, and it will. Ever since the Wolverines got supposedly "snuffed," for the BCS Championship Game, the rivalry has been taking more twists than Kim Kardashian's home movie. With Michigan and Ohio State always leaving the Big Ten faithful breathless, it's no surprise that the SEC and Big Ten always trash talk each other after that second week of January.
And with the acquisition of a Michigan tackle to the Buckeyes lineup, this thing can only get bigger and better.
In any event, whether it's fans screaming "GO BLUE!" or "GOD LOVES THE BUCKEYES!" the biggest Big-Ten showdown, and one of the biggest rivalries in the country, is worthy of the No. 1 ranking.
Honorable Mentions
Michigan Tech-Northern Michigan
Commander-in-Chief Showdown (Army, Navy, Air Force)
Colorado-Colorado State
BYU-Utah
Georgia-Georgia Tech
Clemson-South Carolina
Florida-Kentucky
Florida-Tennessee
Texas-Texas A&M
Syracuse-Villanova
Tennessee-Alabama
Kansas-Kansas State
LSU-Florida
SEC Fans-Big Ten Fans
That's the list. That's the cut. That's my record breaking article. I like 'dem apples! How bout you?
Comments (18) Add a comment »
from 13 days ago
Nice top ten. Although I probably wouldn't put USC-UCLA that high. And I think Texas-Texas A&M belongs somewhere in the mix. Maybe Tenn-Bama deserves an honorable mention. Otherwise some good stuff.
from 13 days ago
Anybody who doesn't put Army-Navy as a separate rivalry and lumps Air Force in there just doesn't get it, so I'm surprised I read anymore. Just one tip: "that girl" cried after UNC lost to Maryland, not Duke. So if that was your reason for putting UNC/Duke in the top-5 . . . well I'm not sure what to tell you.
from 13 days ago
I always hate these lists because ESPN has spoonfed this country to believe they should care about UM-OSU. Its the most boring game to watch. There is no excitement and hardly any fan involvement. It is the most quiet stadium for a rivalry game in the country.
Plus, those idiots could care less about basketball, softball, baseball, or any other sport. In Alabama, any sport version of the Iron Bowl draws sell out crowds at either campus in any sport. The baseball version was last weekend in Tuscaloosa and drew the 3 biggest crowds of the season to watch Alabama take two of three from Auburn.
If you have been to an Iron Bowl and can still say that blood flows moreso for UM-OSU, you obviously just walked in and walked out of the stadium that one time.
Finally, I could write an entire article as to why ESPN LOVES UM-OSU and that nothing else matters, but Ill just hit a few highlights real quick: The only game College Gameday has ever finished a broadcast from inside the stadium after starting outside was UM-OSU. This past year, UGA didnt deserve a title shot because they didnt win their conference. However, just a year earlier, UM deserved a title shot without winning their conference. Thats just the beginning too.
from 8 days ago
The Nov 22, 2003 OSU UM game had 112,118 people crammed into The Big House. An attendance record.
Nov 18, 2006 had 105708 at the Horseshoe. I was at this game. In the military, I detonated pounds of c4 on top of comp b that were less quiet than this game.
Iron Bowl record attendance: 92,138.
Of course ESPN loves OSU-UM. The biggest rivalry obviously will bring the most money.
from 13 days ago
You have to have some kind of Big East rivalry on there. Pitt-West Virginia, Syracuse-UCONN, Georgetown-Syracuse all work.
from 8 days ago
What does attendance have to do with the intensity of the rivalry? NASCAR draws 250,000 to a miniscule rivalry. I have attended a Michigan/OSU game in Columbus, a Texas/Oklahoma game in Dallas, a Colorado/Nebraska game in Boulder and an Auburn/Alabama game in the Iron Bowl. In my opinion, the Alabama/Auburn rivalry is the greatest in America.
from 13 days ago
I like the article, but in my humble opinion Texas-Texas A&M and USC-UCLA need to switch spots.
from 12 days ago
No way to those PAC haters who'd demote USC-UCLA down the list. It means they probably haven't been to one of those games live.
In fact, all year long, when the USC band plays "Tusk," no matter who their opponent is, the refrain from the 90,000+ crowd goes "U-C-L-A SUCKS!"
I don't begrudge the #1 an #2 rivalries their spots, but there is no way USC-UCLA should be out of the top 5.
from 12 days ago
I can't disagree with your placement of Mizzou/kansas. While 2007 will go down as the biggest year for the football rivalry, basketball has become a laugher in favor of kU at this point. Although, Mizzou did win the overall border showdown this year...and 36-28. The greatest final score of any game in Mizzou history up to this point.
from 11 days ago
I guess outside of the one Duke-UNC rivalry (obviously implying basketball) -- the rest are football rivalries? So we talking about all college sports or what?
How about Lacrosse? Maryland vs John's Hopkins -- Its over a century old -- and the national championship almost always runs through that matchup.
BTW -- Army-Navy should be in your top ten. How about Harvard vs Yale? That is known as the Game (with a capital G).
from 11 days ago
John---
Here's a question. Did I not give everyone time to place their votes and submissions. This is not just football. The Florida-Florida State includes basketball. UConn-Tennessee is basketball. Mizzou-Kansas is both as well. I'm sorry if I'm coming off as an ass, but I wrote two articles prior to this ranking letting everyone know what the current top 10 was and if they had any submissions they wanted in. No one included Harvard-Yale or any Lacrosse rivalries. However, Army-Navy got one vote, and after that, everyone went mainstream. Sorry that those three rivalries were not in the top ten. But you can thank the mainstream for not including them. Have to go with the populous once in a while.
from 8 days ago
If you are going to talk lacrosse its Hopkins and Syracuse. There's what 18 national titles between the two or something like that? Plus they play each other every year during the regular season. Now that's a rivalry
from 11 days ago
Ron -- I guess I didnt read the first of your two rivalry articles. And to be honest -- I wasn't fully aware you were compiling a running list based on a "poll". So, my apologies for totally missing the boat on that one.
from 10 days ago
So did I, though I still think the pollsters got it wrong not having Texas-Texas A&M in the top 5, I've heard stories of families praying over dinner tables to "beat the $%!* out of (UT/A&M)." I'm no Pac-10 hater either, I just think that Oregon-Oregon State, Washington-Washington State, and Stanford-Cal have more going as rivalries than the LA schools. Though to be fair I have never been to a USC-UCLA game.
from 10 days ago
Notre Dame - USC is bigger than at least 3 of those on the list.
from 8 days ago
Stanford-Cal is the source of the most exciting play in sports history. It has to get at least an honorable mention. That said, UCLA-USC is not particularly memorable at all, the first time that game has had significance in years is the 13-9 victory in 2006. That game should MAYBE be in the top 10.
from 6 days ago
I must protest - the most exciting play in sports history was the Trinity play this year.
http://www.fantasycollegeblitz.com/ArticleDetail.asp?id=1085
from 8 days ago
Georgia-Florida needs to be there somewhere. They've been playing on a nuetral site for over 90 years.
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