The Top 10 College Football Recruiting Rivalries To Watch in 2010

Rivalries in College Football don't end on the field, they run year round through the media and fans, players and coaches, and in this case...recruiting.

Losing a treasured prospect to anyone is a tough pill to swallow, but watching them flip-flop over to a team you'll have to face every year turns the disappointment into a constant reminder of what could have been.

Here's a look at a few games next season that will bring back the sting of a notable decommitment to Conference, historical or in-state rival. These are ten match-ups where some highly valued 2010 recruits will be among the main topics of discussion before kickoff.

The question is who will have the last laugh?

Matt Elam picking Florida over Florida State

Matt Elam was one of the highest-rated prospects in the country, ranked 25th in the nation and 3rd in the state of Florida by Rivals.com.

Everyone wanted a piece of this hard-hitting, high flying, versatile athlete from West Palm Beach with off the charts potential. It came down to Florida and FSU, but the battle would be a back-and-forth tug of war from October to January.

Elam originally committed to Florida in October of 2009, then changed his mind and decided Florida State was a better fit, before reversing field again and eventually signing with the Gators in January.

It was bitter defeat for the Seminoles, especially considering Elam will most likely be causing havoc against them for the next three to four years as either a safety, linebacker or running back.

They'll get their first taste of him on November 27 in the last game of the regular season.

Da'Rick Rogers picking Tennessee over Georgia

Da'Rick Rogers was considered to be the top prospect in the state of Georgia and top 10 in the nation in 2010. He's a big and powerful receiver who can quickly develop into a great red zone threat.

While it seemed like he was destined to be Bulldog, the Vols reversed a rough start to signing day beginning with his decommitment from Georgia and ending with one of the best recruiting classes in the country.

Rodgers will join Justin Hunter to potentially form a very dangerous one-two punch at receiver for the next few years in Vol country.

Georgia still managed to get one of the top recruiting classes as well, but they won't forget about losing their state's top prospect. When these two teams meet on October 9, expect that to be the hot topic.

Justin Hunter picking Tenn over LSU /J.C. Copeland picking LSU over Tenn

The October 2 meeting between LSU and Tennessee will be a good one for a number of reasons, but from a recruiting standpoint both teams will be looking for a little payback.

The Vols managed to pry away Justin Hunter, one of the best wide receiver prospects in the country, after he decommitted from LSU in January. After the decision, Hunter left the door open for the Tigers, saying he was still considering them, before ultimately signing with Tennessee.

J.C. Copeland on the other hand, was one of the biggest surprises on National Signing Day when he announced his commitment to LSU after only hours earlier stating he was determined to stick with Tennessee. The four-star defensive end is expected to make a big impact down the line.

While both Hunter and Copper are both about 50/50 to play as true freshman, it will be very interesting to see how this recruiting rivalry will play out over the next few years.

Eric Mack picks Auburn over South Carolina

Eric Mack, one of the best offensive line prospects in the country as well as a top-10 ranked player from the state of South Carolina, pulled a fast one on the Gamecocks and instead chose their rivals to play his college ball.

Mack decommitted from South Carolina in January after making a firm commitment to the school earlier that same month. Just days after telling the press he would not make an official visit to Auburn, Mack signed with the Tigers.

A force along the interior of the offensive line, Mack has the chance to be a burden in the Gamecocks side for the next four years. He's a bulldozer of a blocker and you can bet he'll be opening up holes for Michael Dyer on the regular.

When Auburn faces off with South Carolina on September 25, the Gamecocks will get a preview of what's to come and a reminder of what should have been theirs.

Todd Chandler picking South Florida over Miami

Miami and South Florida aren't historically rivals, but that should change over the next few years as the gap in recruiting and talent base continues to shrink.

It used to be that all the top prospects in Florida either went to UM, FSU or Florida, but that hasn't been the case in recent years and it appears those days are behind us. Teams like South Florida have been steadily climbing and will continue to do so.

Todd Chandler is an interesting prospect in that he's a bit shorter than your prototypical defensive tackle, but has a ton of talent and could develop into a force in the middle.

Originally committed to Miami, Chandler changed his mind last December and gave his word to South Florida a couple weeks later.

When these two teams match up on November 27, Chandler will be a reminder that the balance of power in Florida is shifting away from the big dogs.

Tai-ler Jones picking Notre Dame over Stanford

Stanford-Notre Dame tends to be a somewhat unheralded rivalry because both teams have far greater competitions with other teams that get significantly more attention.

Still, the battle for the Legacy Trophy has had its moments, including Stanford's 45-38 win over Notre Dame last season.

The Irish managed to return the favor in a small manner by stealing four-star recruit Tai-ler Jones away from the Cardinals after he originally committed to them back in October.

When the two teams meet this September, Jones might have the chance to make another impact for the Irish.

Chase Rome picks Nebraska over Oklahoma State

Chase Rome doesn't quite measure up to some of the other prospects on this list, but when it comes to Nebraska and Oklahoma State, every victory matters.

No, we aren't talking Cornhuskers-Sooners here, but Cornhuskers-Cowboys still has a nice ring to it. These two teams haven't played since 2007, when Oklahoma State wiped the floor with Nebraska to the tune of 45-14.

Well three years later, the Cornhuskers are looking much stronger and Rome joins a solid recruiting class that has the chance to do some damage right out of the gates next season.

A defensive end in high school, Rome will likely play linebacker at the next level. That's the vision Oklahoma State had for him when he originally committed to them in March of last year.

That was before he decommitted in October and later signed with Nebraska.

When these teams meet on October 23, it will be just one of many story lines to follow.

Craig Sanders picking Auburn over Alabama

While Auburn and Alabama both had some of the best recruiting classes in the country, when it comes to these two rivalries, every little battle matters.

One of those came over four-star recruit Craig Sanders, a versatile athlete who will likely play as a defensive end for the Tigers.

He decommitted from Alabama way back in September, but don't think they've forgotten his betrayal just yet.

Even if he doesn't make it on the field next season, which remains up in the air at the moment, Sanders will be one of the hot topics when the debate over who's recruiting class really was better kicks into full swing once these kids hit the field in the fall.

Brett Nottingham picking Stanford over UCLA

Stanford and UCLA aren't starving at quarterback by any means, but you never know what you'll need down the line, especially in the Cardinal's case where Andrew Luck is a virtual lock to bypass the rest of his college eligibility for the NFL Draft.

That's where Brett Nottingham comes into play. He's a polished pocket passer with plenty to like about his game and is considered somewhat of a sleeper. He may end up being a special quarterback when he hits the field in then next couple years.

The problem is, it won't be at UCLA who gets to see that happen. He decommited from the Bruins in January and chose rival Stanford instead.

Geneo Grissom picking Oklahoma over Kansas

Kansas doesn't win many battles over Oklahoma, in fact they don't win any. Geneo Grissom is just another defeat for a team that really doesn't stand much a chance against a Conference powerhouse like the Sooners.

Grissom is good defensive end prospect, but it's likely he won't find his way on the field for at least a year or two at Oklahoma. If he'd stayed with Kansas, which was his original commitment, Grissom would have started right from the get-go.

He changed his mind in January and instead opted for the Sooners.

When Kansas watches him warm the bench across the field when these two teams meet next season, they'll shake their heads knowing he might have been starting for them.