College Football's Top Head Coaching Rivalries in 2015
What makes for a great head coaching rivalry?
Mainly, it's a mix of two factors.
A history of playing memorable, competitive games plays a big role, but so does drama between the characters. The best head coaching rivalries feature both on-field and interpersonal intrigue.
By this definition, Alabama's Nick Saban and LSU's Les Miles aren't "rivals" as much as opponents. Their teams are definitely rivals, but Saban and Miles are friends who in 2014 shared a touching on-field moment where Saban consoled Miles after the loss of his mother.
The rivalries that follow, unlike Saban-Miles or even Saban-Gus Malzahn, check both boxes of criteria.
Sound off below and let us know what you think.
Bret Bielema (Arkansas) vs. Gus Malzahn (Auburn)
1 of 7
Series History
2015: Auburn at Arkansas — Oct. 24
2014: Auburn 45, Arkansas 21
2013: Auburn 35, Arkansas 17
What's the Beef?
Bret Bielema lobbied for pace-of-play rule changes last offseason, preaching that the 10-second runoff proposal would make the game safer. Gus Malzahn, an Arkansas native who wants to run the fastest offense in the country, opposed him.
"For a rule to be changed, it has to be under the umbrella of health and safety," said Malzahn, per Bryan Matthews of 247Sports. "And the fact that there’s absolutely zero evidence, documented evidence, that is hazardous on the pace of play, only opinions."
"Death certificates," Bielema countered to the claims of zero evidence, per Kurt Voigt of the Associated Press. "There's no more anything I need than that."
Bielema also once accused Malzahn of leaving a swinging gate play off game film. Whenever he gets a chance, he takes a jab.
Art Briles (Baylor) vs. Gary Patterson (TCU)
2 of 7
Series History
2015: Baylor at TCU — Nov. 27
2014: Baylor 61, TCU 58
2013: Baylor 41, TCU 38
2012: TCU 49, Baylor 21
2011: Baylor 50, TCU 48
2010: TCU 45, Baylor 10
What's the Beef?
Where do we start?
In 2013, Baylor safety Ahmad Dixon was ejected against TCU for targeting, but Art Briles let him linger on the sideline. Gary Patterson questioned Briles' integrity, but Briles coolly ignored him.
The coaches shook hands after Baylor's wild 61-58 win last season, but Patterson said he "felt threatened" by Dixon during the postgame, per Travis L. Brown of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Then came all the politicking at the end of last season, when TCU and Baylor were lobbying to make the College Football Playoff. The Horned Frogs sported a higher ranking—and had the objectively stronger body of work—but Baylor beat them head-to-head, which led to Briles saying, essentially, that a vote for TCU was un-American.
Dave Doeren (NC State) vs. Jimbo Fisher (Florida State)
3 of 7
Series History
2015: NC State at Florida State — Nov. 14
2014: Florida State 56, NC State 41
2013: Florida State 49, NC State 17
What's the Beef?
NC State was the first of many ACC teams to push Florida State to the brink last season, racing to a 24-7 lead before getting pummeled the rest of the way by Jameis Winston.
After the game, Dave Doeren intimated that one reason for the change in momentum was Florida State faking injuries.
"The tempo we had was working until all the crazy fall-down things were going on and the clock kept stopping," Doeren said, per Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com. "You know the refs can't do anything about that, but it's horrible the way the tempo gets slowed down by these injuries. We went fast in the first quarter; I guess there were no fake injuries."
"I accuse him of not knowing what he's talking about," Fisher responded later in the week, per Adelson. "They're not fake injuries. No one faked injuries, and we wouldn't do that. We'll coach Florida State, and he can coach North Carolina State."
Florida State and NC State have long been pseudo-rivals, and the shade between Doeren and Fisher amplifies that. The Wolfpack play FSU in Tallahassee next season, but the meeting comes right after FSU plays Clemson, so they're lurking in a nice spot for an upset.
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Randy Edsall (Maryland) vs. James Franklin (Penn State)
4 of 7
Series History
2015: Penn State at Maryland — Oct. 24
2014: Maryland 20, Penn State 19
What's the Beef?
James Franklin came to Penn State last offseason and hasn't stopped talking smack since. He vowed to "dominate the [recruiting] region" at his introductory press conference, and prospects took notice.
"We’re not going to boast and brag," Edsall said after Franklin's remarks, per Daniel Popper of The Diamondback. "We’re more about substance at Maryland. We’re going to find guys that fit the profile we’re looking for. We’re going to worry about ourselves and not worry about anything else. …Talk is cheap."
Things got even more interesting when Maryland's captains refused to shake hands with Penn State's captains in November. The Terps won in Happy Valley on a late field goal, and afterward Edsall went on live TV and declared, "Let the rivalry begin!"
Franklin, it should also be added, was the offensive coordinator at Maryland from 2008-2010. Many assumed he would succeed Ralph Friedgen, but the Terps hired Edsall away from UConn instead.
Jim Harbaugh (Michigan) vs. Urban Meyer (Ohio State)
5 of 7
Series History
2015: Ohio State at Michigan — Nov. 28
What's the Beef?
Too soon to call this a rivalry? Maybe, maybe not. But ignoring it is denying the inevitable.
Plus, Jim Harbaugh already fired presumable shots at Urban Meyer, tweeting about deception after the Buckeyes signed Detroit Cass Tech running back Mike Weber, only to have their running backs coach, Stan Drayton, leave for the NFL one day later.
"Harbaugh will undoubtedly use [the Weber] drama against Ohio State on the recruiting trail," wrote Ben Axelrod of Bleacher Report.
These two won't meet on the field until November, but they'll spar frequently off the field this summer. The rivalry has already started, and it's all uphill from here.
Urban Meyer (Ohio State) vs. Nick Saban (Alabama)
6 of 7
Series History
2014: Ohio State 42, Alabama 35
2010: Alabama 31, Florida 6
2009: Alabama 32, Florida 13
2008: Florida 31, Alabama 20
What's the Beef?
It's not so much a beef as a battle. Meyer and Nick Saban are the most successful coaches of the decade, and after rekindling their rivalry in the Sugar Bowl—and especially after Meyer scored the victory—they seem fated to meet again.
Saban won the last two meetings when Meyer coached at Florida, after which Meyer fled the SEC. He spent one year with ESPN before succeeding Jim Tressel at Ohio State in 2012.
"I have a hard time remembering our address or phone number, but I could tell you every play in those games," Meyer said of his early battles with Saban, per Axelrod.
Saban can likely do the same with last year's Sugar Bowl.
Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) vs. Dabo Swinney (Clemson)
7 of 7
Series History (last five meetings)
2015: Clemson at South Carolina — Nov. 28
2014: Clemson 35, South Carolina 17
2013: South Carolina 31, Clemson 17
2012: South Carolina 27, Clemson 17
2011: South Carolina 34, Clemson 13
2010: South Carolina 29, Clemson 7
What's the Beef?
Steve Spurrier and Dabo Swinney have a puckish but serious rivalry. Spurrier goads Swinney whenever he gets the chance, namely after beating Wisconsin in last year's Outback Bowl, when he yelled, apropos of nothing, "That state championship ain't bad, either!"
A few days later, after Clemson beat Ohio State in the Orange Bowl, Swinney reminded the crowd, "We're the first team from South Carolina to ever win a BCS Bowl."
But the true highlight of their rivalry came in 2011, when South Carolina play-by-play announcer Todd Ellis quoted Spurrier saying, "We might not be LSU or Alabama, but [at least] we ain't Clemson, folks," per Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com.
Swinney's response, per Edward Aschoff of ESPN.com, was perfect:
"He is exactly right—they ain’t Alabama, they ain’t LSU and they certainly are not Clemson. That is why [North] Carolina is in Chapel Hill, USC is in California and the university in this state always has been and always will be Clemson. It’s right here in Clemson, S.C. You can print that. Tweet that.
"
This is easily the gold standard.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
