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THE TOP FIVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RIVALRIES
5. THE WORLD'S LARGEST OUTDOOR COCKTAIL PARTY Florida vs. Georgia
All-time record: Georgia leads 46-38-2
For nearly a century, Bulldogs and Gators have been battling in one of the SEC’s most bitter rivalries. It is a series that has produced signature plays (“Run Lindsay Run!”), stretches of dominance by each school and, most recently, one of the most controversial “motivational tactics” any coach has ever dreamed up.
Florida and Georgia first met in 1914 and the game is traditionally played at the neutral site of Jacksonville, Florida. Georgia and Florida first played there 1915 and have met in that city each year since 1933, with tickets split evenly between the two fan bases.
Georgia fans have been known to complain about the actual “neutrality” of Jacksonville. And it’s hard to blame them. While Jacksonville is only about an hour’s drive from Gainesville, home of the University of Florida, the city is nearly 350 miles from Georgia’s campus in Athens, Georgia.
Memorable Moments
-In 1966, the Gators entered the game 7-0 and quarterback Steve Spurrier had locked up the Heisman Trophy the week earlier and Spurrier seemed set to beat the Dawgs for the first time in his career. Instead, he threw three interceptions and Georgia handed the Gators their first loss of the season in a 27-10 game.
-In 1980, Georgia trailed Florida 21-20 and time was running out. Facing a third and long from their own eight yard line, Georgia quarterback Buck Belue found receiver Lindsay Scott open in the middle of the field near the Georgia 25-yard line. Scott darted through Florida's secondary and outran everyone down the sideline, scoring the game-winning touchdown with only seconds left on the clock. The improbable victory kept alive Georgia's successful quest for the National Championship.
-In a move that served to rally the underdog Bulldogs and add fuel to the rivalry, the 2007 game will be remembered for "The Gator Stomp," in which the entire Georgia team left the sideline for a mass-celebration in the Gator endzone after their first touchdown.
4. THE ARMY-NAVY GAME Army vs. Navy
All-time record: Navy leads 52-49-7
The first meeting between the two Service Academies was in 1900 and the game has historically been played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The game is now played on the first Saturday in December and is traditionally the last game of the season for both teams.
Despite the fact that Army and Navy are no longer nationally competitive on a regular basis, the tradition of the game has ensured that it remains nationally televised to this day.
Arguably, one of the great appeals of this game to many fans is that since few, if any, of the participants will ever play in the NFL, they're playing solely for the love of the game. Due to commitments to serve in their respective branches of the armed services after graduation, many players are simply deemed too old and or out of "playing shape" to even consider playing competitively again, much less in the professional ranks.
Fun Facts
-The game has been played in nine different locations: Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, East Rutherford, Annapolis, West Point, Chicago, Pasadena, and Princeton.
-The 1944 game was played during World War II and Army was transported to Baltimore from New York on a ship guarded by Navy warships. Army would go on to win the game and the National Championship that season.
-The 1963 game was the first ever game to feature the use of instant replay.
Memorable Moments
-In 1952, Navy would pull off the win in a defensive battle. Phil McNahan scored from two yards out in the first quarter for the only score of the game.
-In 1971, Navy passed up a short field goal attempt in favor of a going for a touchdown. Navy would lose the game 24-23.
3. RED RIVER RIVALRY Oklahoma vs. Texas
All-time record: Texas leads 58-40-5
Texas has intrastate rival Texas A&M. Oklahoma has intrastate rival Oklahoma State. But to fans of Texas and Oklahoma, the game that matters most is their annual tussle.
First played in 1900, the showdown between the Longhorns and Sooners—known far and wide as the Red River Rivalry—has become one of college football's best and most bitter rivalries.
Though the Texas-Oklahoma series officially began in 1900, the game truly arrived in 1929—the year it was first played at the neural-site city of Dallas. The city is located about halfway between Norman, Oklahoma (home of the Sooners) and Austin, Texas (home of the Longhorns).
The storied old Cotton Bowl has played host to the game since 1937. On gameday—which is always scheduled in early October, during the Texas State Fair—the stadium is split in half, with Texas fans on one side of the 50-yard-line and Sooners fans on the other.
Fun Facts
-In 1948, future Texas coach Darryl Royal was the quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. Ten years later he would beat the Sooners and put an end to a decade of dominance by Oklahoma.
-In 1976, the game was overshadowed by allegations by Texas coach Darrell Royal that Oklahoma had been "spying on his practices." Royal and OU Coach Barry Switzer were involved in a serious feud at the time. The game was attended by then U.S. President Gerald Ford who made an appearance with Royal and Switzer before the game. Switzer and Royal both spoke to Ford but not to each other. The game ended in a 6–6 tie.
-During the 1984 game Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer wore a baseball cap that read "Beat Texas." Future Texas coach Mack Brown was an assistant to Switzer during the 1984 season marking the only time Brown would appear in the Crimson and Cream during the rivalry.
Memorable Moments
-Stoney Clark's Stone Cold Stop: In 1994, Oklahoma drove into the red zone at the end of the game, looking to tie the score. Texas defensive lineman Stoney Clark stopped Oklahoma running back James Allen at the one-yard line on fourth down to end the game.
-In 1996, Oklahoma beat Texas in the Big XII's first overtime game 30-27.
-In a defensive struggle during the 2001 game, Oklahoma safety Roy Williams blitzed and leaped over the blocker to collide with Texas quarterback Chris Simms right as he released the ball. The pass landed in Oklahoma linebacker Teddy Lehman's hands and he waltzed into the endzone to secure the 14-3 victory for the Sooners. The play would become known simply as "The Play."
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