College Football 2011: Power Ranking Each Conference's Best Rivalry

A rivalry.

It's the game every fan, player and coach circles on the schedule.

If your team wins, then you have bragging rights for the year. How much do you think Notre Dame fans are enjoying last year's win over USC? At least Brian Kelly accomplished something Charlie Weis could not do.

But USC-Notre Dame is not a conference game.

So what are the best rivalries by conference?

Well, let's take a look.

12. Sun Belt: Florida Atlantic vs. Florida International

The Sun Belt Conference itself lacks any real historical significance in college football, but there's at least one big game every year.

The Shula Bowl, named after Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, pits Florida Atlantic against Florida International each fall.

While both programs are relatively new to Division I football, both programs recruit many of the same South Florida players who were passed over by the state's bigger programs.

FAU is 8-1 in the series that began in 2002.

11. Mid-American: Central Michigan vs. Western Michigan

The winner of this game gets the CMU-WMU Rivalry Trophy, which has only been around since 2008.

However, Central Michigan and Western Michigan first met on the field in 1907.

Central Michigan has won the past five meetings, but Western leads the all-time series 43-36-2.

When Marshall was part of the MAC, the Ohio-Marshall game was a great rivalry. So is the Miami-Ohio game.

10. Western Athletic: Fresno State vs. San Jose State

While there is no official name for the game when Fresno State and San Jose State meet annually, the fans like to call it the Battle on 152 (after the highway that connects to the two cities).

It has also been called the Valley Rivalry. The two States started playing in 1921, and Fresno leads the series 39-33-3.

Fresno probably considers its old rivalry with Boise State, but the Broncos have left for the Mountain West Conference. Fresno will rejoin Boise in 2012 so the in-conference rivalry can continue.

So the Western Athletic Conference is sort of remaking itself, and this is as good as it gets.

9. Mountain West: Colorado State vs. Wyoming

The Border War began in 1899, but they didn't start awarding the winner the Bronze Boot until 1968.

The game is one of the oldest interstate rivalries that is west of the Mississippi River.

Colorado State leads the all-time series 55-42-5, while Wyoming has an edge in winning the Bronze Boot 22-21.

The Cowboys have won the past two meetings by a combined score of 61-16.

8. Conference USA: Rice vs. Houston

Houston and Rice are located about five miles apart in Houston's Inner Loop, which creates a natural rivalry.

They started playing in 1971, when Houston joined the former Southwest Conference, and the Cougars lead the all-time series 24-9.

Rice has never really been a football power, but when it comes to Conference USA, this is the best rivalry within the conference. There are some better rivalries in the CUSA, but they always include a team outside of the league.

The winner of the Rice-Houston game claims the Bayou Bucket annually.

7. Pac-12: USC-UCLA

The Pac-12 is a tough call.

Do you go with Oregon-Oregon State (Civil War) or Cal-Stanford (big game)?

Traditionally speaking, USC and UCLA have been the major players in the Pac-8, Pac-10 and maybe in the future of the Pac-12.

The winner gets to keep the Victory Bell for a year and paint it in the school's colors.

Another interesting twist to this rivalry is the fact both schools are located in the same city and recruit more of the same players than any other two programs in the country.

During the week before the game, it is known as "Beat SC Week" at UCLA, while USC enjoys "Troy Week." It's also known as "Conquest."

Both teams also don their home jerseys, so neither team is wearing white.

The game began with a 72-0 victory by USC in 1929, and the Trojans lead the series at 43-28-7.

6. ACC: Miami vs. Florida State

The Miami-Florida State rivalry is relatively new compared to many of the others, as it began in 1951, but in the 1980s and 1990s, this game had a major impact on the national championship picture.

Former FSU coach Bobby Bowden lost a number of opportunities at a national championship because of the Seminoles' kicking woes. There were four Wide Right games and one Wide Left game.

This series has also featured some of the game's greatest players. Names like Deion Sanders, Vinny Testaverde, Sammie Smith, Jerome Brown, Charlie Ward and Ray Lewis have played in this game.

While the Florida-Florida State game may be a bigger rivalry in the state, there was a time when the players cared more about this game.

Miami leads the series 31-24, but the trend favors Florida State right. Jimbo Fisher got his first win in the series last year, 45-17.

5. Big East: West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh

The Backyard Brawl is considered a regional rivalry by many, but anyone who has played in this game will tell you there's a lot of hatred on both sides.

For the longest time this game meant more to West Virginia, as Pittsburgh considered Penn State a bigger rival.

But when Penn State joined the Big Ten and discontinued the annual game, the Backyard Brawl took on a new meaning for the Panthers.

In 2007, Pitt added something special to the rivalry by pulling off a huge 13-9 upset of West Virginia in Morgantown to knock the Mountaineers out of the BCS Championship.

The WVU-Pitt game dates back to 1895, and the two have played 103 times.

The Panthers have dominated the series with a 61-39-3 record. However, WVU has won six of the past nine meetings, including a 35-10 win last year.

4. Independent: Army vs. Navy

The Army-Navy game is arguably the most significant and prestigious rivalries in the game.

What this game lacks in impacting the BCS rankings or the prospects of future NFL players, it makes up for in pageantry.

The winner is awarded the Thompson Cup, and the postgame is one of the best ever. The players from both teams join together to sing the alma mater of each school. First the losing team for its fans, and then the winning team.

The game is extra special for the seniors, as most of them are playing their final competitive game and will begin their military responsibilities after graduation.

Navy won the first game in 1890, and the Midshipmen have won 55 of the 111 meetings. The two have tied seven times.

Navy is currently enjoying a nine-game winning steak.

3. Big 12: Oklahoma vs. Texas

Because this game usually starts earlier than normal (11 a.m. CST), the pregame festivities usually occur on Friday.

That makes for a crazy night outside the Texas State Fair, which is going on at the same time near the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

After a number of early wake-up calls and a bunch of cups of coffee, everyone is ready to go.

And usually, the two teams are fired up to get after each other. It's another classic showdown of players who have known each other for a long time.

In 2005, the Dallas Morning News conducted a survey of 119 Division I football coaches, and they ranked the Oklahoma-Texas Game as the third-most recognized rivalry behind Ohio State-Michigan and Army-Navy.

The rivalry began in 1900 with Texas winning, and the Longhorns hold a 59-41-5 advantage.

2. SEC: Alabama vs. Auburn

You could make a strong argument that the hatred generated by the fans and players from the opposing sides of the Iron Bowl may be the nastiest in all of the college football rivalries.

That hatred transitioned into insanity this winter when crazed Alabama fan Harvey Updkye allegedly poisoned the oak trees at Toomer's Corner on the Auburn campus. There was also the time some Auburn fans put a Tigers jersey on the Bear Bryant statue.

During most of the 20th century, the game was played at Birmingham's Legion Field. Now it alternates between Jordan-Hare Stadium and Bryant-Denny Stadium.

A postponement of the series from 1907 to 1947 is a long gap for any rivalry, but it restarted in 1948 and has been going on ever since.

Alabama leads the series 40-34-1.

Last year's game was another classic match up, as eventual Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton rallied Auburn to a 28-27 come-from-behind win.

Legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant summed up his feelings about Auburn by telling a group of boosters one year, "Sure I'd like to beat Notre Dame, don't get me wrong. But nothing matters more than beating that cow college on the other side of the state."

1. Big Ten: Ohio State vs. Michigan

Legendary coaches Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler personified The Game.

In the 1968 game, Ohio State was up 42-14 when the Buckeyes scored another touchdown. Surprisingly, Hayes kept the offense on the field and went for two, which they converted. When Hayes was asked why he did it, the Ohio State coach said; "Because the rules won't let you go for three."

There you go. That pretty much sums up how these two teams feel about each other.

The rivalry is so heated, HBO did a special, 79-minute documentary-type show on the two teams.

No rivalry game is better.

There's tradition (it started in 1897), the Ten-Year War (1969-78) and tons of great players.

While Michigan leads the all-time series (57-44-6), Ohio State is currently riding a seven-game winning streak, and the Buckeyes have won nine of 10 to close the gap.

Almost every rivalry on this list would be worth going to at least once. But The Game is one you'd love to go to annually.