College Football Blue Bloods That Seemingly Never Play Each Other on the Field

Ohio State, Texas and Tennessee compete on the recruiting trail, but the actual teams never seem to take the field against each other. That's a regular theme for college football's blue-blood programs.

First, we should answer the all-important question, "What is the definition of a blue-blood program?"

The 10 best all-time winning percentages from schools with a long history of football compose the list. That includes Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas, USC, Nebraska, Penn State and Tennessee. Sorry, Boise State.

Plus, the list is divided into a few subsections, including the number of all-time games and longest droughts—both during the regular season and overall.

Note: Not every matchup will be highlighted. Most every college football fan knows the annual matchups, like Michigan and Ohio State, Oklahoma and Texas or Alabama and Tennessee.

Recent Games, but Little History

At first glance, you will probably remember the most recent contest mentioned. Some were high-profile regular-season openers, while others headlined bowl action.

Despite a memorable recent outing, though, there isn't always a significant history between the programs.

Alabama (2-2) vs. Michigan: To open the 2012 campaign, second-ranked Alabama smashed No. 8 Michigan. The lone regular-season matchup in their history got ugly early on, and the Tide won 41-14.

Alabama (3-1) vs. Ohio State: Although the Crimson Tide own the series edge, the Buckeyes grabbed a 42-27 victory en route to the 2015 national championship. Prior to that, the programs met in 1978, 1986 and 1995.

Ohio State (4-2) vs. Notre Dame: Surely you recall the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. Perhaps the 2006 Fiesta Bowl rings a cranial bell. But other than a home-and-home in 1995-96, the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish only squared off in 1935 and 1936.

Oklahoma (3-1) vs. Tennessee: The Sooners recently completed a home-and-home sweep of the Volunteers, recording a 34-10 rout two years ago and a 31-24 overtime win last season. Before then, the schools had a 46-year break.

USC (4-1-0) vs. Texas: Vince Young's last-minute drive to secure the 2005 national championship punctuated a legendary game. However, it was the first matchup since 1967.

Fewest Meetings

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Every team has opposed the nine other blue-blood programs, but several rarely occupy opposite sidelines.

5 Games

• Alabama (3-2) vs. Nebraska; Oklahoma (3-1-1) vs. Alabama; Penn State (3-2) vs. Tennessee; Penn State (3-2) vs. Texas; USC (4-0-1) vs. Nebraska; USC (4-1) vs. Texas

4 Games

• Alabama (3-1) vs. Ohio State; Ohio State (3-1) vs. Nebraska; Oklahoma (3-1) vs. Tennessee; USC (4-0) vs. Tennessee

3 Games

• Texas (2-1) vs. Ohio State; Texas (2-1) vs. Tennessee

2 Games

• Nebraska (2-0) vs. Tennessee; Ohio State (1-1) vs. Oklahoma; Oklahoma (2-0) vs. Penn State

1 Game

• Oklahoma (1-0) vs. Michigan; Tennessee (1-0) vs. Michigan; Tennessee (1-0) vs. Ohio State; Texas (1-0) vs. Michigan

Scheduled Matchups

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Unique 2016 Matchups

Alabama vs. USC: During Week 1 of the upcoming campaign, the Crimson Tide and Trojans will meet at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The schools haven't met since 1985. More on that shortly.

Notre Dame vs. Texas: The Irish trampled the Longhorns 38-3 in 2015, so Texas will try to exact revenge on Notre Dame. Before last year's matchup, though, the storied programs had only matched up twice since 1978.

Ohio State vs. Oklahoma: For the first time since 1983, the Buckeyes and Sooners will square off. Ohio State's young roster must contain Baker Mayfield while overcoming an unfriendly environment.

Unique Upcoming Meetings

Oklahoma vs. Ohio State: 2017

Texas vs. USC: 2017, 2018

Ohio State vs. Texas: 2022, 2023

Michigan vs. Texas: 2024, 2027

Michigan vs. Oklahoma: 2025, 2026

Nebraska vs. Tennessee: 2026, 2027

All future matchups via FBschedules.com.

Zero Regular-Season Meetings

Nebraska (2-0) vs. Tennessee: Despite never being on the original schedule, both clashes—the 1998 Orange Bowl and 2000 Fiesta Bowl—carried significant meaning. Nebraska earned a split of the national title and finished No. 3 in the country, respectively.

Oklahoma (1-0) vs. Michigan: Billy Brooks and Steve Davis each scored a rushing touchdown to lift Oklahoma past the Wolverines 14-6 during the 1976 Orange Bowl.

Oklahoma (2-0) vs. Penn State: The 1986 Orange Bowl featured the Sooners and Nittany Lions with the national championship on the line. Oklahoma grabbed the title thanks to a 25-10 win.

Tennessee (1-0) vs. Michigan: Casey Clausen threw for 393 yards and accounted for five touchdowns, helping the Vols hammer the Wolverines 45-17 in the 2002 Citrus Bowl.

Tennessee (1-0) vs. Ohio State: Six years earlier, the Volunteers dispatched a different Big Ten powerhouse. The Peyton Manning-led Tennessee team clipped Eddie George and the Buckeyes 20-14.

Texas (1-0) vs. Michigan: Longhorns kicker Dusty Mangum drilled a 37-yard field goal as time expired, and Texas edged the Wolverines 38-37 in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

Texas (2-1) vs. Tennessee: All three games between the Longhorns and Vols came in the Cotton Bowl. Tennessee won in 1951, but Texas bounced back with victories in 1953 and 1969.

Longest Regular-Season Droughts

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

Anthony Morelli helped Penn State defeat Tennessee in the 2007 Outback Bowl.

In addition to the seven series with zero regular-season outings in college football history, six matchups haven't been on the initial slate since 1980.

38 Years; Alabama (3-2) vs. Nebraska: Shortly after three bowl meetings during a seven-year stretch, the Tide and Huskers engaged in a home-and-home series—the latter of which was in 1978.

38 Years; Alabama (5-2) vs. USC: Three weeks later, Alabama hosted USC. Like Ohio State and Oklahoma, this regular-season drought will end in 2016.

44 Years; Penn State (3-2) vs. Tennessee: The Nittany Lions grabbed the 1992 Fiesta, 1994 Citrus and 2007 Outback Bowls, but the Volunteers claim a 2-0 record during the regular season. They recorded victories in 1971 and 1972.

49 Years; USC (4-1) vs. Texas: Before Young dashed USC's hopes of a second straight national title, the Trojans and Longhorns hadn't shared the field since 1967, a 17-13 USC win.

58 Years; USC (6-4) vs. Michigan: Each of the last seven times the Trojans and Wolverines battled, it was for the Rose Bowl. The last regular-season tilt? All the way back in 1958.

94 Years; Texas (7-1-1) vs. Alabama: Crazily enough, it's nearly been a century since these historic schools were on the schedule. Six bowl clashes—including the 2010 BCS National Championship Game—dot the series since the 1922 bout.

Longest Overall Droughts

Associated Press

Joe Paterno and Penn State were at the helm of Penn State and Oklahoma during the teams' last matchup.

Seven matchups have not occurred during the past 20 calendar years (1996-2015). In fact, you need to travel back another decade to find the most recent of the group.

30 Years; Oklahoma (2-0) vs. Penn State: In addition to the 1986 Orange Bowl, the teams squared off in the 1972 Sugar Bowl. The Sooners won 25-10 and 14-0, respectively.

31 Years; Alabama (5-2) vs. USC: During the 1970s, the Crimson Tide and Trojans had a pair of home-and-home series. In 1985, 'Bama secured a 24-3 victory in the Aloha Bowl.

33 Years; Ohio State (1-1) vs. Oklahoma: As previously mentioned, this battle will be renewed in 2016. The Sooners triumphed in Columbus during the 1977 campaign, and the Buckeyes notched a victory in Norman six years later.

35 Years; USC (4-0) vs. Tennessee: Marcus Allen starred on the 1980 and 1981 Trojans squads that defeated the Vols, highlighted by a 43-7 trouncing in the second tilt.

38 Years; Alabama (3-2) vs. Nebraska: A season-opening date with Nebraska began Alabama's run to the 1978 national championship. The Tide scored 20 unanswered points in a 20-3 win.

40 Years; Oklahoma (1-0) vs. Michigan: The third-ranked Sooners earned the 1976 title after upending No. 5 Michigan in the 1976 Orange Bowl—with a little help from UCLA and USC knocking off Ohio State and Texas A&M, respectively.

47 Years; Texas (2-1) vs. Tennessee: Congratulations, Longhorns and Vols fans, you win? The last of those three Cotton Bowl matchups came in 1969, when Texas rolled to a 36-13 victory.

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Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.