Top 5 college football rivalries

[El Turco]

to honor the CFB rivalry week, post your choice of top 5 rivalries in CFB.

1. OSU-Michigan

Might be a homer pick, but, i ve been part of some of the craziest rivalries around the world and this rivalry is the one of the few in american sports that comes close to those along with Yanks-Sox and Duke-NC. No other game has the tradition and championship implications as this one.

2. Alabama-Auburn

Hate between this two school might even trump the one between OSU-UM. From what i heard from couple friends who has been part of the both, intensity is incredible as teams fight for the supremacy in the state.

3. USC-Notre Dame

Two of the most storied programs in the history playing annually. No other game decided national champion as many times this one. 'Nuff said.

4. Florida State vs Miami

Even though it might have decimated last couple years, no other rivalry combined for more national championships last 25 years and this game shattered the dreams of national championship many times in recent history.

5. Oklahoma-Texas

Intense rivalry between two big 12 schools that carries the pride of not only the schools but also the states as winner gets the ownership of red river.


Honorable Mention: Navy-Army, Florida-Georgia, Nebraska-Oklahoma, Harvard-yale, Cal-Stanford

[PhilipNelsonFan]

USC-Notre Dame is more a matter of convenience than rivalry. All the national championships combined can't save the fact that the game is merely a spectacle (albeit a powerful one) and little else.

Cal-Stanford should be top 5. It's the most intense Pac-10 Rivalry (ahead of the Civil War and the Apple Cup) and there is ALWAYS some bad blood involved.

Red River Shootout is definitely there, and four years ago I would've agreed about FSU-Miami. I'm anti-FSU everything these days, but I still don't think this has merit. Miami-BC MAYBE.

Florida-Tennessee > Florida-Georgia

Harvard-Yale should probably be top 5 just because it has kept up for so long and it's not without its humorous moments (the GO YALE cards reading WE SUCK).

[lpsevier]

Florida -Tenn > Florida-GA?

Um.....no.....notevenclose?

[El Turco]

^agreed. "cocktail party" is quite intense especially since Bell to Nattiel.

[GYBE]

USC-Notre Dame is more a matter of convenience than rivalry. All the national championships combined can't save the fact that the game is merely a spectacle (albeit a powerful one) and little else.

Just recently. I mean, in the 70's, it seemed the USC-ND game decided the national championship race every year. And remember even a couple of years ago they played a hugely anticipated game that was one of the highest rated non-championship game of the decade. Both schools have the most AP championships and the most Heismans. It's the two most celebrated programs in college football period. This is about all-time rivalries, ND sucking this year doesn't take away from it.

It's a cyclical thing. In the 80's and 90's, ND was dominating USC. It's been the Trojans turn lately, it'll swing back around.

[Doctor MJ]

I'm going to try to stay away from trends of the moment:

1. Notre Dame vs USC

Arguably the two greatest programs ever, and certainly since New York has no such program, the meeting of the two biggest metro area greats.

2. Michigan vs Ohio State

Could easily be #1, but it is much more of a regional rivalry with the handicap of the rivals not really having the proximity to take it to its limit.

3. Alabama vs Auburn

The great rivalry of the south, and it has the advantage over UM/OSU of the rivalries really battling for state supremacy.
4. Army vs Navy

Would be the clear #1 if these teams really fielded great programs any more.

5. Harvard vs Yale

Would be the clear #1 if these schools really fielded great programs any more *and* the alums really considered football a priority.

5a. USC vs UCLA

Can't be objective here, but it's the only major rivalry I can think of where the schools are literally right by each other in the same city. Living in LA, I have never had a job where both sides weren't represented in the workplace, and growing up, both sides were represented in my family. That's what I call a civil war.

[Doctor MJ]

USC-Notre Dame is more a matter of convenience than rivalry. All the national championships combined can't save the fact that the game is merely a spectacle (albeit a powerful one) and little else.

I'm really not sure what you mean.

[mizzoupacers]

At risk of sounding like an old fart, I miss a couple of the great rivalries from the days before all the conference realignments took place.

1. Nebraska-Oklahoma. Used to be a HUGE game year after year. The 1971 game featured two undefeated teams ranked #1 and #2 in the country, went right down to the wire, and still gets lots of votes for greatest college football game ever. Now the Sooners and Huskers don't even play each other every year.

2. Ditto Arkansas-Texas, which for years determined the champions of the old Southwest Conference. They too met one time as undefeated teams ranked #1 and #2, in the late 1960s (I can't remember exactly what year).

Oh, and the whole "rivalry" thing loses a lot of oomph if it is not a game played late in the season, preferably as the last regular-season game for the teams involved. I think that was always the case with the games mentioned above. And it's always the case with Michigan-Ohio State, which to me is hands-down the best rivalry going today.

If it's the last game, and if it's two good teams you are talking about, then not only is it a big game because of who you are playing, but because of what is at stake.

That's why Missouri-Kansas is going to be a doozy this year, so long as Mizzou doesn't slip up at Kansas State. Not only do the two schools and the fans truly hate each other, but there is actually going to be something on the line this time besides just pride.

[PhilipNelsonFan]

-= original quote snipped =-



I'm really not sure what you mean.

Read GYBE's post. That's essentially where I was going, and he's pretty much right.

Every time "rivalry" and "Florida" are mentioned, it always comes back to Tennessee for me.

[Nemesis21]

I would think UF vs FSU is a bigger rivalry then UM vs FSU.

[Da Schwab]

IMO:

1. Ohio State vs. Michigan
2. Army vs. Navy (And, if you go to a game, its even better.... I might go again this year)
3. USC vs. Notre Dame
4. Texas vs. Oklahoma
5. Stanford vs. Cal

[Doctor MJ]

-= original quote snipped =-



Read GYBE's post. That's essentially where I was going, and he's pretty much right.

Hmm. Would never have thought by what you said, you meant what GYBE said.

[HMFFL]

IMO:

1. Ohio State vs. Michigan
2. Army vs. Navy (And, if you go to a game, its even better.... I might go again this year)
3. USC vs. Notre Dame
4. Texas vs. Oklahoma
5. Stanford vs. Cal

No SEC teams? Well, I guess I can't take this serious!

[Da Schwab]

^^^

Florida vs. Georgia was #5b, if that's any consolation.

[JaxMagic]

You guys are nuts, UF/FSU has to be on that list. I guarantee you Florida hates FSU more than any other school and FSU hates UF more than anyone else.

[studcrackers]

nuh uhh alabama hates auburn way more than florida hates florida st.

[/7 year old]

[Da Schwab]

nuh uhh alabama hates auburn way more than florida hates florida st.

[/7 year old]

Quoted for truth.

[El Turco]

we might wanna take michigan-OSU out. I believe both teams need to win occasionally for it to count as rivalry.

[JaxMagic]

nuh uhh alabama hates auburn way more than florida hates florida st.

[/7 year old]

I never said UF/FSU hated each other more than any other college rivalry, I was refering to the people who had FSU/Miami instead of UF/FSU.

[studcrackers]

You guys are nuts, UF/FSU has to be on that list. I guarantee you Florida hates FSU more than any other school and FSU hates UF more than anyone else.

referring to your latest post jaydubya maybe you should actually re-read what you wrote, you really make it seem like they hate each other more than any one else.