The 10 Hottest Rivalry Moments of the College Football Offseason

The recent Twitter exchange between LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu and Alabama’s A.J. McCarron reminds us that rivalries don’t stop smoldering just because it’s the offseason.

Yes, the kickoff to the 2012 campaign is still over two months away,  but that doesn’t mean that Team X doesn’t still want to get even with Team Y, and of course that Team A’s fans still hate anything to do with Team B.

It’s the passion that drives college football, and it’s a beautiful thing.

The following slideshow highlights Mathieu vs. McCarron and nine other offseason storylines that remind us that rivalries don’t pay attention to the calendar.

The Twitter Skirmish: Alabama vs. LSU

After their regular season “game of the century” matchup in the regular season last year that led to a repeat in the BCS title game, it’s no surprise that the LSU vs. Alabama rivalry is living strong.

A.J. McCarron and  Tyrann Mathieu were joined by Tide WR Kenny Bell in their summertime war of words on Twitter, an exchange that included the following jab penned by McCarron.

“Bama fans don’t talk anymore ab it. Let’s just sit back quietly and wait our turn. Y’all know the date. It’s comin.”

The Burning Letter: Michigan vs. Ohio State Part I

Perhaps the hottest rivalry moment of the offseason, literally, came when 4-star OL Logan Tuley-Tillman, who has verbally committed to Michigan, burned a letter he received from Ohio State.

The incident had the obvious effect of inflaming passions on both sides of the Ohio/Michigan state line.

The Home/Away Controversy: USC vs. UCLA

UCLA has only beaten USC once since 1999, and that blip on the radar came in 2006 when the Bruins bested the Trojans 13-9 at home in Pasadena.

Regardless of the very realness of the lopsided rivalry, it’s easy to see how UCLA fans would be miffed about USC listing their 2012 clash with the Bruins as a home game, even though the contest is slated for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

A slap in the face? Maybe not, but it still stings like one.

Win Your Division First: Big Ten vs. SEC

Though not a rivalry between two football programs, the ongoing power struggle between the SEC and the Big Ten could be considered as volatile as any long-term hate fest in college football.

And the stakes may be bigger.

The most recent public skirmish between the old guard Big Ten and dominant SEC came in May when B1G commish Jim Delany stated that non-division winner’s shouldn’t be considered for the proposed BCS mini-playoff.

The remark was considered a jab at the SEC’s Alabama, who won the BCS national title in 2011-12 without even winning its division.

The controversy between the two power broker conferences has the potential to bring the entire discussion of a playoff to its knees.

Cut the Cake: Georgia vs. ???

In a display that might prove offensive to several groups, a wedding in Athens, Ga. featured an extreme theme cake aptly labeled “To Hell with Georgia.”

The graphic pastry creation has a road kill theme, and though its stylings have been attributed to Georgia Tech fans, really any of the Bulldogs’ foes could be the guilty baking party.

The Marketing War: NC State vs. North Carolina

What better way to celebrate five straight victories over your in-state rival than putting up billboards with your school colors welcoming folks to “our state?”

That’s precisely what NC State by placing its Wolfpack-centric signage at many of the state’s major highway entrances.

It’s really easy to see how the billboards could chap the hides of the Heels, but the flip side is that you can definitely gain some respect for NC State for the bold move.

The Truth Hurts: Michigan vs. Michigan State

This one’s not necessarily a hot moment in terms of taking a poke at a rival, but instead it’s all about Michigan’s Brady Hoke speaking the truth about the Wolverines getting schooled by Sparty.

“They have beat our ass for the last four years,” Hoke stated and then added “It’s been an ass-kicking,” just to make things crystal clear.

It’s easy to forget that prior to 2008 Michigan was the teacher and Michigan State the student, as the Wolverines were 6-0 vs. Sparty from 2002-07.

The Ace in the Hole: Arizona vs. Arizona State

According to an article penned by Dan Bickley on AZCentral.com, Arizona AD Greg Byrne purportedly stated that the Wildcats “have a couple of tricks up our sleeve” in terms of his school’s rivalry with Arizona State.

Though the piece is mostly about baseball, it’s clear that the entire athletic department at Arizona (including the new football product) is ready to take on the Sun Devils with more than just statewide dominance as the end goal.

No State: Michigan vs. Ohio State Part II

Back in November Michigan’s head man Brady Hoke began his crusade to refer to the Wolverines No. 1 rival, Ohio State as simply “Ohio.”

Regardless of the fact that, very ironically, the actual “Ohio University” (ummm…the Bobcats from the MAC) ousted Michigan from the second round the 2012 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, Hoke is still going strong.

It’s unclear as to why this rebranding is necessary or even effective, but Hoke seems determined and the press seems eager to play along.

What Have You Done for Me Lately: Utah vs. BYU

Despite the fact that Utah and BYU have met on the football field every year since 1946, the rivalry may be gone after the 2012 season.

The issue heated up considerably when Utah’s Kyle Whittingham recently explained the importance of the in-state clash as considerably less than the future of Ute’s football.

“Our program is bigger than the rivalry,” Whittingham stated. “That’s got to take a backseat to us doing what’s best for our program.”

Could this long standing rivalry be another victim of the current onslaught of conference swapping?