What is the best college football rivalry?

Question

Please give a valid explanation. I am gonna go with Michigan-OSU but there are some other awesome rivalries out there.

Answer 1

The Iron Bowl certainly is a fierce rivalry. Given that there’s very little else of note in Alabama, it completely shuts down the state. Florida-Florida St. is another good one, and USC-UCLA, while a little one-sided as of late, still has a lot of history. Army-Navy is played for more than just the game, the Red River Shootout is a great game, and Wisconsin-Minnesota is the longest continuous rivalry in I-A. Notre Dame-USC is without a doubt THE intersectional rivalry and pits the two most prominent programs in the country against each other in a classic Midwest vs. SoCal battle.

Arkansas-LSU? Determines the SEC-West? Yeah, because Arkansas is so much better than Alabama and Auburn…and Duke-North Carolina? When’s the last time either of those teams were in contention for the national championship, much less the ACC title or even the Top 25? Didn’t Duke go something like three years without winning a single conference game? A great basketball rivalry, but doesn’t quite translate to football so well.

The best college football rivalry though, as has been said by many others, is Michigan-Ohio St. Heck, these two states once fought a war (over Toledo of all places). Simply put, people in Michigan hate people in Ohio. And people in Ohio hate people in Michigan. These two schools have some of the worst, most obnoxious and psychotic fans I’ve ever seen. Not to mention they owned the Big Ten for about half a century. Auburn-Alabama is as fierce rivalry as there is, but in the end, they’re all still Alabamans. UM-OSU is a year-round, seething hatred. A Michigan coach was once recruiting in Ohio and he ran out of gas a couple miles from the border. Rather than purchase gas in Ohio, he and his assistant pushed the car across the border back to Michigan. Not to mention the rivalry has more significance on a national scale than the Iron Bowl. No disrespect to anyone’s hometown rivalry (except the chowderheads who said LSU-Arkansas and UNC-Duke), but this is the top rivalry in college football.

P.S.: Argives, are you high? Michigan's top rival is NOT Michigan St. Everybody knows it's Ohio St., which is why ESPN ranked it the top rivalry of all sports. Every Michigan fan I know would gouge your eyes out for that remark. UM-MSU is the one-sided one that only matters to Michigan if they lose it. UM-OSU isn't their big rivalry, are you kidding?

Answer 2

Michigan is the winningest program in NCAA football history.
And the rivalry between OSU and U of M is storied and documented. Last coach at OSU was fired for not beating U of M a few years in a row... Although I forget his name. Pfft, I'm a Big M fan though, so what do I care?

Army / Navy game is a long-standing rivalry as well. Go Navy, Beat Army.

Answer 3

South Carolina vs. Clemson

South Carolina is a football state. Hardly anyone cares about NFL in SC. Little girls are raised in south carolina to NOT have their wedding day on the day of the game. When has the last time another rivalry broke out into a fight on the field like USC/Clemson two years ago? That fight is nothing, you need to see what is going on months before the game. The state of South Carolina is shutdown on those games. (FYI, if you happen to be driving through South Carolina that day, don't be afraid to speed. Every state trooper is at the game helping with crowd control.)

Other ones I would probably vote for if I actually got to witness it first hand.
Auburn-Alabama
Michigan-Michigan State (Michigan's biggest rival is NOT Ohio State, it's a one-sided affair according to a few of my Michgan friends)
Army-Navy
Florida-Florida State

Answer 4

UT vs aTm. A Texas College Rivalry that has spanned many a decade which was normally played on Thanksgiving day. No Matter the teams record, this has always been the biggest game of the year in Texas.

Answer 5

Good call -- Ohio State vs. Michigan

I live in Columbus, OH. Life here is nothing but OSU football and hating anyone and anything from the entire state of Michigan.

Answer 6

Michigan v. ohio state is the biggest rivalry in sports history

Cooper was a very good coach and recruiter for ohio state they were ranked in the top 5 almost every year
but he got fired cuz he couldn't beat michigan

Answer 7

I agree with you Michigan vs Ohio State is the best
college football rivalry. Both schools & their fans dont like
each other.
Also I like watching the Army-Navy game. I think it's great
that both teams can battle, for 60 minutes, & then come
together in unity.

Answer 8

DUKE- Carolina
Don't think a explanation is necessary.
Granted,the Basket ball rivalry gets more press. it is only because of the nationally ranked teams. The football rivalry goes back alot more years than for basketball.
ME....I am a NC State fan... go Pack!!!

Answer 9

CAL vs. Stanford
It became the most infamous rivalry in 1982 with "The Play." This rivalry will forever be recognized as the best.

Answer 10

Auburn vs. Alabama.
I've been there and I've never seen anything like it. I've been to SEVERAL "rivalry" games across the country. My father was a sportscaster with CBS for nearly 20 years. Nothing compares to the Iron Bowl. I saw a man get SHOT in a parking lot because he "had the wrong team shirt on".