Predicting the Winners of Every Major College Football Rivalry Game in 2015
One of the best parts about college football is the rivalries. Every fall, fans point toward the annual matchups which carry decades of history behind them, galvanizing programs and, in some cases, dividing families. Athlon Sports' Braden Gall lists the top 25 rivalries in college football history.
A win is a reason for huge celebration. A loss is cause for despair and will make you want to run and hide from family and co-workers on the opposite side. That’s why rivalries are meaningful—because we care.
This fall, they will take place across the nation again, with many of them making major impacts on league races and the chase for the College Football Playoff. While lots can happen between now and the season opener in early September, here’s our take on which team will win each major college football rivalry game in 2015.
Alabama vs. Auburn
1 of 26
Year in, year out, Alabama-Auburn is one of the nation’s very best college football rivalries. Fans in the Yellowhammer State obsess about the Iron Bowl 365 days per year, tracking their team’s fortunes (and the other team’s too) all to see how it’ll translate in the season’s final regular-season game.
The game always matters for SEC and/or national title hopes too. Two years ago, Auburn’s famous “Kick Six” play ended Alabama’s hopes of a third consecutive national championship and boosted the Tigers toward an unlikely national title game appearance.
This fall marks Alabama’s first trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium since that infamous night. The Tide return only nine starters from 2014’s SEC title team and must replace quarterback Blake Sims, Biletnikoff Award-winning receiver Amari Cooper and standout safety Landon Cooper among others.
Auburn returns 12 starters but must replace quarterback Nick Marshall, the SEC’s leading rusher in Cameron Artis-Payne and more, including big-play receiver Sammie Coates.
The Tigers do have able replacements in likely new starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson and junior college transfer tailback Jovon Robinson. But unless Will Muschamp works miracles with AU’s defense, it’s hard to pick against Alabama’s talented roster when these two rivals clash.
Alabama vs. Tennessee
2 of 26
In recent years, the rivalry known as The Third Saturday in October hasn’t been. In fact, over the last 20 years, Alabama-Tennessee football has been played on that date only six times. It also hasn’t been that competitive. The Crimson Tide have won the teams’ last eight meetings, seven of them by at least 14 points. From 1995 to 2001, Tennessee won seven consecutive and then took three of the next five.
While Tennessee has struggled following the end of the Phil Fulmer era with disastrous tenures from Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley, Butch Davis has a young program on the right track following 2014’s 7-6 season punctuated with a TaxSlayer Bowl win over Iowa.
Nick Saban returns only nine starters on this season’s Alabama roster, but the tradition he has built at Alabama with a trio of national championships is among the nation’s elite programs. Saban’s staff has recruited very well, and it’s hard to see the Tide slipping much from last season’s SEC champion status. It’s equally hard to see a young UT roster winning in Tuscaloosa, at least this season.
Arizona vs. Arizona State
3 of 26
When you think of college football’s oldest rivalries, do you think about Arizona-Arizona State? Probably not, but you should. The Territorial Cup, which the programs play for yearly as Pac-12 South foes, has been certified by the NCAA as the nation’s oldest rivalry trophy. And the football isn’t bad either.
In recent years, both Arizona and Arizona State have risen to national prominence. Under Rich Rodriguez, Arizona won the Pac-12 South a year ago behind freshman quarterback Anu Solomon and made the Fiesta Bowl. Arizona State won 10 games for the second consecutive season under Todd Graham.
Arizona has won four of the last seven meetings, including last season’s 42-35 victory in Tucson. The Wildcats have holes in the secondary and offensive line but will return 12 starters. ASU must replace standout wide receiver Jaelen Strong but will return 16 starters. This will be another very even game, but give the Sun Devils a slight edge playing at home, especially if they prove they’re improved defensively.
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Army vs. Navy
4 of 26
It doesn’t really matter what Army or Navy’s records are when they face off every year in the regular-season finale. If Army and Navy are playing football, the pageantry and mystique surrounding the game make it worth watching for any true college football fan.
Both programs are made up of our future military leaders, with players from both sides bound to mandatory military service after their collegiate careers end. It is a truly honorable college football game, although Army certainly wishes for more success. Navy has won 13 consecutive games in the rivalry dating back to 2002 and 16 of the last 18.
The Black Knights are coming off a 4-8 record while the Midshipmen finished 8-5. Expect Navy’s offense to again be led by senior quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who rushed for 1,191 yards and 23 touchdowns. And until Army proves otherwise, don’t expect anything to change regarding this rivalry’s ultimate result on the field.
Auburn vs. Georgia
5 of 26
The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is always special. Since 1892, Auburn and Georgia have met 118 times, and the games are always fraught with emotion and meaning. Their placement in mid-November mean that they’re always crucial to the SEC standings and the national title race.
Georgia has had the upper hand in the last decade, winning seven of the teams’ last 10 meetings, including last season’s 34-7 rout. This season’s meeting should be evenly matched. The Bulldogs won 10 games last fall but left with an empty feeling after failing to win the SEC East. Auburn went 8-5 and slipped from its national runner-up finish in 2013, and coach Gus Malzahn replaced defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson with former Florida coach Will Muschamp.
Both programs have key pieces to replace, but Auburn returns 12 starters while Georgia returns 13. By mid-November, new Auburn offensive stars like quarterback Jeremy Johnson and tailback Jovon Robinson should be more comfortable. With this game set for Jordan-Hare Stadium, we’ll give Auburn the slight edge.
Cal vs. Stanford
6 of 26
The Big Game is one of college football’s best rivalries. Cal and Stanford share the Bay Area, but the programs don’t care for one another. And they’ve had some classic moments over the years. Cal’s five-lateral kickoff return to beat Stanford in 1982, complete with the Stanford band running out on the field, is one of the most memorable plays in college football history.
The last few years of the rivalry haven’t been as memorable for Cal. Stanford has won the last five games, including a 63-13 whipping in 2013 and a 38-17 beating last season. While Cal should be improved this fall in Sonny Dykes’ third season, Stanford is built to take another run at a Pac-12 title. It’d be surprising to see the Bears win at Stanford Stadium.
Clemson vs. South Carolina
7 of 26
Over the last decade, the nation has learned the Palmetto State’s secret: The Clemson-South Carolina rivalry is one of the best and nastiest in the nation.
As the Tigers and Gamecocks have risen to national prominence under Dabo Swinney and Steve Spurrier, the rivalry has received more and more attention. Clemson has won at least 10 games in each of the last four seasons, and South Carolina’s 7-6 2014 season broke a string of three consecutive 11-win seasons.
Spurrier and Swinney’s penchant for trading verbal barbs has given the series extra spice too. Last November, Clemson broke through against the Gamecocks, ending South Carolina’s five-game winning streak with an emphatic 35-17 victory. The Tigers have not won in Columbia since a final-play field goal lifted them to a 23-21 victory in 2007.
But if sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson is fully healthy following ACL surgery and Clemson’s young defensive line grows up over the course of the season, this looks like the year that the Tigers break through in Williams-Brice Stadium for an important rivalry victory.
Duke vs. North Carolina
8 of 26
You know Duke-North Carolina as the best rivalry in college basketball. That’s obvious. But did you know that the programs’ gridiron rivalry has been gaining steam in recent seasons? David Cutcliffe has led Duke back to prominence with back-to-back nine-win seasons and made the series more competitive.
From 1990 to 2011, UNC won 21 of 22 meetings, but Duke has won two of the last three meetings. The football rivalry has its share of bad feelings too. North Carolina was forced to pay Duke for cleanup after its players damaged Duke’s locker room facilities following last season’s 45-20 win.
This season’s game is in Chapel Hill, and Duke would love nothing more than to pay its rivals back with a clean win on the field. Given North Carolina’s inconsistency under Larry Fedora’s watch, expect that to happen.
Florida vs. Florida State
9 of 26
On the final week of the regular season, multiple ACC and SEC teams face off in rivalry matchups which always engage league fanbases. In Florida, the state is galvanized by Florida-Florida State. Despite the Gators’ program slipping following Urban Meyer’s departure, this has been one of the nation’s most evenly matched series in the nation, tied 21-21-1 since 1974.
Last season was no different. A Florida team going nowhere pushed undefeated FSU hard before the Seminoles pulled out a 24-19 victory. 2015 will be something of a transition year for Florida State following multiple NFL draft departures led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston. Jimbo Fisher will return just 10 starters.
Meanwhile, Jim McElwain will surely push toward this game as a major focus in his first season in Gainesville. It will also be a transition year for the Gators. Even though this game will be at The Swamp, we’ve got to favor Florida State and an overall more talented roster to handle adversity and win for the third consecutive time in the series.
Florida State vs. Miami
10 of 26
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Florida State-Miami was one of college football’s best rivalries. Over a period of 18 years, the Seminoles missed five field goals that would have given them wins over the Hurricanes, which are now remembered in rivalry lore.
Over the past decade, the Seminoles have taken the upper hand in the Sunshine State rivalry, winning eight of the last 10 meetings between the teams. That includes the last five meetings as Miami has sunk back into the ACC Coastal Division pack.
Although Jimbo Fisher will return just 10 starters this fall, the Seminoles have recruited very well and will be one of the nation’s most talented, albeit young, programs. They’ll continue their recent success against their in-state rivals with no late field goals needed.
Georgia vs. Florida
11 of 26
For residents of Jacksonville, Florida, the Florida-Georgia game has been a staple on the late-October/early-November calendar for as long as anyone can remember. With the exception of a two-year span in the mid-1990s for stadium renovations, the game has been played in Jacksonville since 1933.
Florida and Georgia are border and SEC East rivals who really don’t like each other. Georgia leads the overall series, but the Gators have dominated in recent years, holding a 19-6 lead over the series' last 25 games. Last fall was particularly disappointing for Georgia, as a Florida team which would fire coach Will Muschamp just two weeks later dominated the Bulldogs 38-20.
This fall is a transition year for Florida as new coach Jim McElwain steps in and tries to elevate the program from the mediocrity it had fallen into under Muschamp. Georgia must find a new starting quarterback, but it returns 13 starters from a 10-3 team, led by sophomore tailback Nick Chubb, who rushed for 1,547 yards a year ago. Florida will be game again, but the Bulldogs will exact some revenge in EverBank Field.
Georgia vs. Georgia Tech
12 of 26
The Georgia-Georgia Tech rivalry is known as “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate,” but until last fall, it was all about clean, old-fashioned domination. Entering 2014’s meeting in Athens, the Bulldogs had won 12 of the last 13 meetings between the programs, with Georgia Tech’s only win in that span coming in 2008.
Georgia Tech’s 30-24 overtime win changed the dynamic a bit and was a huge victory for coach Paul Johnson, as well as a key moment in a bounce-back 11-3 season. The Yellow Jackets will return 13 starters, including standout quarterback Justin Thomas, but must replace four of their top five rushers from a year ago and their top two receivers.
Georgia will return 13 starters, led by standout tailback Nick Chubb, and will be angry about last season’s overtime disappointment. Expect that motivation to matter in Atlanta as the Bulldogs pull out a tight victory.
Georgia vs. South Carolina
13 of 26
The first month of the season can be light on football rivalries, but Georgia-South Carolina is an exception. The border battle between SEC East rivals is traditionally held in mid-September, and it usually sets the tone for the division race. Georgia holds a 47-18-1 all-time lead, but as Steve Spurrier has made South Carolina’s program more competitive, the rivalry has become more compelling.
South Carolina has won five of the last eight games, including last season’s 38-35 win in Columbia, which saw USC stop the Bulldogs on a late 1st-and-goal scenario at its 4 to preserve the win.
This fall, South Carolina hopes to improve a defense that allowed 30.4 points per game in 2014, No. 91 nationally. Going to Athens against a Nick Chubb-led offense will be a tough task. We’re projecting Georgia to take some early-season momentum with a victory.
Iowa vs. Iowa State
14 of 26
In recent years, Iowa-Iowa State has turned from a rivalry of pure dominance into a legit rivalry for America’s heartland. Iowa won 15 consecutive games against its cross-state rival from 1983 to 1997, but following Iowa State’s breakthrough win in 1998, the series has become much more competitive.
Over the last 17 games, Iowa State leads the series 10-7 and has won three of the last four games. A year ago, the Cyclones beat only Toledo and Iowa en route to a 2-10 record. This season’s game will be in Ames, and Iowa will be looking to turn around 2014’s 20-17 defeat. With C.J. Beathard as the clear No. 1 quarterback, expect Iowa’s offense to be more consistent, which will make a huge difference in a key victory.
Kentucky vs. Louisville
15 of 26
Kentucky and Louisville have one of the nation’s hottest basketball rivalries, but their rivalry is growing on the gridiron as well. And the move of the annual rivalry game from the season’s opening game to the regular-season finale only helps that buzz build.
The teams have played only 27 times, renewing the rivalry in 1994 following a 70-year hiatus. Louisville leads the rivalry 13-8 since its renewal and is currently riding a four-game win streak. Kentucky showed improvement last season, but a 44-40 win kept the Wildcats out of a bowl game.
This November, the game will be in Lexington, but given Louisville’s recent dominance, it’s hard to pick against the Cardinals, who return a solid nucleus from 2014’s 9-4 team that began Bobby Petrino’s second run as head coach.
Michigan vs. Michigan State
16 of 26
While Michigan-Ohio State is one of college football’s premier rivalries, Michigan-Michigan State carries significant meaning within Michigan’s borders and beyond too. As members of the Big Ten’s East Division, the two programs share a state and, more than Michigan-Ohio State fans, share everyday interactions.
Recently, Spartan fans have had the upper hand in those run-ins. While Michigan leads the overall series 68-34-1, Michigan State has won six of the teams’ last seven meetings, including a 35-11 whipping last fall.
Jim Harbaugh’s hiring as Michigan head coach will make the rivalry more even in time. But don’t expect him to catch up with Mark Dantonio’s squad in his first season. The Spartans will roll into Ann Arbor and take another victory against their cross-state rivals this fall.
Michigan vs. Ohio State
17 of 26
Michigan-Ohio State is considered to be one of the premier rivalries in college football if not American sport. While the rivalry reached a peak with the “Ten Years’ War” between Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler from 1969-78, it was meaningful before and continues to be so.
While Ohio State has dominated recently, winning 10 of the last 11 games, we could be headed toward a new golden age in the rivalry. Michigan’s hiring of Jim Harbaugh creates a fascinating dynamic between him and Urban Meyer, who led the Buckeyes to the 2014 national championship.
“I don’t know him,” Meyer told SI.com's Pete Thamel just before Harbaugh was hired at Michigan. “Obviously I’ve seen what he’s done and he seems like a heck of a coach.”
That said, it’s hard to pick the Wolverines this season, even with the game in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes are a deep, talented roster, and Harbaugh needs time to build Michigan’s roster, particularly its struggling offense. Expect Ohio State’s strong run against its rival to continue this November.
Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
18 of 26
Last season brought new meaning to the Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry, also known as the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The winner of the game would represent the Big Ten West in the Big Ten title game. Wisconsin turned back a spirited test from Minnesota, taking a 34-24 win and the division title.
In that sense, it was business as usual. Minnesota holds a 59-57-8 edge all-time, but Wisconsin has won 18 of the last 20 meetings between the schools. That said, Jerry Kill has improved Minnesota’s program, guiding the Gophers to eight wins in 2014.
Wisconsin hopes Paul Chryst, the program’s third coach in the last four years, will hang around for a while. He must replace Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon, but the Gophers must replace backfield standout David Cobb and tight end Maxx Williams. Expect Wisconsin to have a bit more firepower and continue its recent dominance of the Gophers.
Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss
19 of 26
Last fall, the Egg Bowl got the attention that many outside the state of Mississippi felt it had deserved for some time. With both Mississippi State and Ole Miss spending much of the season in the top five or top 10 nationally, the game was spotlighted nationally before the Rebels’ 31-17 win.
The state of Mississippi loves its football, and the Egg Bowl is its biggest celebration. This fall’s game will be in Starkville, but Ole Miss should be the favorite. The Rebels return 17 starters across the board. MSU returns do-everything quarterback Dak Prescott but only returns eight starters total. Prescott can only do so much, and it could catch up with the Bulldogs in 2014—and especially in the Egg Bowl.
Notre Dame vs. Southern California
20 of 26
While they’re cross-country rivals, Notre Dame and Southern California have forged one of the nation’s most spirited rivalries. The Fighting Irish's and the Trojans’ annual meeting is always a highlight of the college football season, no matter the teams’ relative strengths. Notre Dame leads the series 45-35-5, but the Irish will enter this season’s meeting smarting after an ugly, turnover-fueled 49-14 loss in Los Angeles.
Notre Dame should be better than 2014’s 8-5 record. The Fighting Irish have questions at quarterback with Everett Golson and Malik Zaire, but they do return 19 starters from a year ago. USC will return 15 starters, and while it must replace NFL draft departures such as defensive end Leonard Williams, wideout Nelson Agholor and tailback Javorius Allen, Steve Sarkisian’s program is poised for big things this fall too.
Expect the Trojans offense to be just a little too strong for Notre Dame’s improving defense, giving USC a big win in its push for a College Football Playoff bid.
Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State
21 of 26
In the state of Oklahoma, you only have to say one word, and everyone knows what you’re talking about. That word? “Bedlam.” Bedlam is the official name for the football rivalry between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and it is often fitting, since the rivalry is unpredictable.
In 2001 and 2002, unranked Oklahoma State scored a pair of upsets against No. 4- and No. 3-ranked Oklahoma teams, and last fall, the Cowboys toppled No. 18 Oklahoma in overtime to make a bowl game.
Oklahoma does lead the series 84-18-7, and coach Bob Stoops is 12-4 against the Cowboys. This season’s game, set for Stillwater, should be very even. The Cowboys return 16 starters, while OU is hoping for a rebound from last season’s disappointing 8-5 record that led to Stoops overhauling his offensive staff and hiring new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley.
Oklahoma will enter this season with some uncertainty at quarterback, and it’ll be interesting to see if transfer Baker Mayfield can unseat starter Trevor Knight. With that said, give Oklahoma State the slight edge for now, as the teams are playing the game in Stillwater.
Oklahoma vs. Texas
22 of 26
If you’re a college football fan, the Red River Showdown should be on your bucket list. Every October, Oklahoma and Texas meet at the Cotton Bowl for one of the game’s most intense rivalries. Oklahoma and Texas don’t care for each other, and the game typically has a large impact on the Big 12 and national title pictures.
Under Bob Stoops, OU has taken control of the rivalry, winning 10 of the teams’ last 15 matchups, including a 31-26 win in 2014. Charlie Strong is still trying to implement his culture at Texas, as last season’s 6-7 record shows.
Oklahoma is trying to rebound from last season’s disappointing 8-5 mark, but the Sooners should still be a more talented team than Texas, with an offense led by dynamic tailback Samaje Perine. Expect Oklahoma to have the edge again in the Cotton Bowl this fall.
Oregon vs. Oregon State
23 of 26
While it matters within the borders of Oregon, outside it, the Civil War has been treated more like a skirmish in recent years. Oregon and Oregon State’s football rivalry is known as the Civil War, but the Ducks have left their in-state rivals behind during their rise to national success.
Oregon has won the teams’ last seven meetings, including 2014’s 47-19 rout. Oregon State has come close in recent years, falling 36-35 in 2013 and 37-33 in 2009. But Oregon will have some questions after returning 13 starters—namely, which quarterback will emerge from a crowded derby to replace Heisman Trophy-winner Marcus Mariota.
New Oregon State coach Gary Andersen will give the Beavers some fresh energy following Mike Riley’s departure to Nebraska, but it won’t be enough to overcome the Ducks, especially in Eugene.
Southern California vs. UCLA
24 of 26
While the UCLA-Southern California rivalry has fallen in prominence in recent years, that trend appears to be reversing. The Bruins and Trojans combined for 19 wins between them last fall, and both could begin the 2015 season in the preseason Top 10.
USC will return 15 starters led by senior quarterback Cody Kessler, and UCLA will return 18 starters, although the departures of quarterback Brett Hundley and linebacker Eric Kendricks are concerns.
Both programs boast young, talented rosters which should only improve this season. Their meeting in the regular-season finale Nov. 28 will have major Pac-12 South title and potentially College Football Playoff implications. It should be a closely contested game, but if the Trojans can plug some holes on defense, give them the edge as the home team.
Virginia vs. Virginia Tech
25 of 26
While it might have slid under the radar, 2014 was another meaningful moment in the Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry. Both teams entered the game 5-6, and only the winner would go to a bowl game. Virginia held a late 20-17 lead before the Hokies drove for a game-winning score, taking a 24-20 win and making the Military Bowl.
It was the Hokies’ 11th consecutive win over their cross-state rival and 15th in their last 16 tries. Although Virginia Tech has slipped back from a run of eight consecutive 10-win seasons from 2004-11, Frank Beamer’s team remains as one of the ACC’s model programs.
Meanwhile, Mike London will be coaching for his job this season. The Cavaliers should be improved but not enough to overcome the Hokies’ steady offense.
Washington vs. Washington State
26 of 26
It might slide under the radar in some parts of the nation, but for the residents of Washington and the Pacific Northwest, the Apple Cup is a big deal. Washington and Washington State’s annual meeting galvanizes the state, although the Huskies have dominated it historically and in recent seasons. Washington holds a 69-32-1 overall lead and has won five of the last six games.
Mike Leach was expected to energize Washington State’s program, but he has gone 12-25 in his first three seasons with one bowl berth and could be feeling some heat. Washington hopes to improve from an 8-6 record in Chris Petersen’s first season.
The Huskies took heavy NFL draft losses on defense, including multitalented linebacker Shaq Thompson, but should still be better than the Cougars. That said, quarterback Tyler Falk and Leach’s Air Raid offense will keep things interesting.
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