Ranking the Best Rivalries in College Football
The final week of college football's regular season is always important because of championship implications, but a slate filled with rivalry games only adds to the intensity.
And, if we're lucky, several of the matchups mean a whole lot.
While some rivalries are played earlier in the season—or later, in the case of the Army-Navy Game—the results can define whether a program had a successful year. Throughout the sport's history, several rivalries have emerged as the most consequential.
Two important notes: The rivalry must remain an annual game. Discontinued series—such as Texas-Texas A&M, West Virginia-Pitt or Missouri-Kansas, for example—were not considered.
Additionally, the list is also limited to FBS games. Traditional matchups in lower divisions of the NCAA—think Harvard-Yale, Lafayette-Lehigh or even DePauw-Wabash—are not included.
10. Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
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The Egg Bowl (Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State) and Palmetto Bowl (Clemson vs. South Carolina) are both worthy challengers. But do those rivalries smash heads for a trophy named the "Slab of Bacon" or fight for a six-foot axe?
No, no they don't. That prestigious honor goes to Wisconsin and Minnesota, the most-played rivalry in FBS history.
Minnesota dominated the early portion of the matchup but in 2018 snapped Wisconsin's 14-year winning streak.
The 2019 campaign marks the 113th straight season this rivalry has been contested. And entering that bout, the series—quite remarkably—is tied 60-60-8.
9. Cal vs. Stanford
2 of 10"The band is out on the field!"
As it relates to the history of college football, few statements are more recognizable. The jaw-dropping lateral-filled end to the 1982 clash between Cal and Stanford has entrenched the "Big Game" as one of the sport's most memorable rivalries.
Thanks to a recent nine-game winning streak, Stanford holds a commanding lead in the series at 64-47-11. However, the Golden Bears avoided a full-decade sweep with a 24-20 win in 2019.
"To be able to get a win, get The Axe back and what that means to the players and our institution, it's a big deal," Cal coach Justin Wilcox said after the game, per Michael Wagaman of the Associated Press.
8. Florida vs. Florida State
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Although the first meeting didn't happen until 1958, Florida and Florida State have since squared off every season—and both the 1994 and 1996 campaigns included a bowl matchup, too.
The most interesting part about this rivalry is its streak-filled nature.
Early on, the Gators earned nine straight wins before FSU notched four in a row. Then, they responded with six consecutive victories, and the Seminoles answered with another four-game streak. Since 2000, Florida had a six-game stretch (2004-09) and ended Florida State's string of five straight last season.
Overall, Florida holds a 35-26-2 record against the 'Noles.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. USC vs. Notre Dame
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There's no doubt history is this rivalry's greatest appeal.
Whether the winner eventually claimed the national title or spoiled the dreams of the opponent, the result has constantly defined the season for USC and Notre Dame.
Not coincidentally, each championship Notre Dame claimed (at least a share of) after World War II happened in a season it defeated USC. The Fighting Irish enjoyed their most successful stretch in the series from 1983-95, posting a 12-0-1 record along the way.
USC dominated the rivalry with eight straight victories (2002-09) amid a stretch that included two national championships and the infamous "Bush Push" of 2005.
Including three recently vacated games, the Irish own a 49-37-5 record in the battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh.
6. Florida State vs. Miami
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Despite its relatively short life, the 64-game history of Florida State taking on Miami is packed with nationally relevant outcomes.
And a whole lot of missed kicks.
In 1987, Miami successfully defended a last-minute two-point conversion and eventually won the national title. Two years later, Florida State upended the eventual champions.
During the 1991, 1992, 2000 and 2002 tilts, the 'Noles missed potential game-tying or game-winning kicks during the regular-season matchup. Each result had national title ramifications. Throw in Wide Right IV in the 2004 Orange Bowl, Miami's mishandled snap in 2005 and blocked extra point in 2016, and blunders on special teams have played a uniquely massive role in this rivalry.
Florida State's seven straight wins to begin the decade narrowed the gap, but Miami's three consecutive victories have pushed the Hurricanes' series advantage to 34-30.
5. Florida vs. Georgia
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Though it's no longer officially called the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," that's exactly what the SEC showdown is.
Save for 1943, Florida and Georgia have traveled to Jacksonville every season since 1933. The series overall dates back to 1904 with a handful of matchups prior to becoming an annual clash in 1926, and Georgia leads 53-43-2.
While the Gators have owned the last three decades with a 21-9 record—largely thanks to Steve Spurrier's 11-1 record while at UF—the Dawgs boast six of the last nine victories.
Of the five claimed national titles between the schools, each of those seasons included a triumph in this rivalry by the respective champion.
4. Army vs. Navy
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This, for many reasons, is bigger than a game.
"Pageantry" is the most-used description of the Army-Navy Game and a rivalry first played in 1890. The tradition-rich event includes the March On, the prisoner exchange, singing the other school's alma mater and the president of the United States in attendance. (Oh, and the flyover. I love the flyover.)
Because of a 14-game winning streak that started in 2002, Navy enjoys a 60-52-7 all-time lead. Army, however, stopped Navy's rule in 2016 and has since earned all three victories entering 2019.
The matchup also serves as the third leg of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, an annual battle between Air Force, Army and Navy.
3. Oklahoma vs. Texas
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Every year since 1932, Oklahoma has made the 200-mile trip down I-35 to the Cotton Bowl. Texas, meanwhile, heads 200 miles north on the highway for the Red River Shootout.
I mean Rivalry. Er, Showdown.
No matter what you call it—and the Red River clash has included four subsequent nouns—the battle for the Golden Hat is an absolute spectacle. The game is played every October during the State Fair of Texas, which houses the Cotton Bowl.
The only exception happened in 2018 when the programs met in the Big 12 Championship Game, which was played at AT&T Stadium. Oklahoma won that matchup and the 2019 game, trimming Texas' lead to 62-48-5 in the series.
While the 1963 classic is the only No. 1 vs. No. 2 clash, 41 games since 1947 have featured a pair of Top 25 teams. The road to the conference title has regularly run through Dallas.
2. Alabama vs. Auburn
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First played in 1893, the Iron Bowl went on a 40-year hiatus from 1908 through 1947. From then until 1988, Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, hosted the game.
Throughout the 31 years since that matchup, Auburn has played its Iron Bowl home games—with one exception in 1991—on campus. Alabama kept its home games in the series at Legion Field through 1998 before shifting to Tuscaloosa in 2000.
And it's been a near-perfect split.
Dating back to 2000, Auburn has a 10-9 edge in the series. Alabama, though, is seeking to even the two-decade stretch in 2019 while holding a 46-36-1 all-time edge.
1. Michigan vs. Ohio State
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Michigan hasn't much enjoyed the post-2000 portion of this rivalry, but the 115-game history is stacked with memorable games.
There is the "Snow Bowl" of 1950. From 1969 to 1978, the Wolverines and Buckeyes engaged in the "Ten Year War" with a handful of victories apiece. The 2006 clash pitted No. 1 Ohio State against No. 2 Michigan in a contest billed as the "Game of the Century."
Despite the Buckeyes' recent dominance—16-2 since 2001, including the vacated 2010 win—That Team Up North is clinging to a 58-51-6 advantage in the series.
But if Ohio State secures another win in 2019, the control of this rivalry will stay outside of X-ichigan's grasp.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
