What are the 10 Biggest College Football Rivalries of All Time?

Fox News

a day ago

Rivalries, both in-conference and out-of-conference, are among the best elements of college football. More often than not, the schedule is devised so that teams play their No. 1 historical opponent in the last week of the regular season.
These rivalries include recruiting battles, amazing late-game finishes and some of the best matchups in all of sports; there are too many of them to count.
Here are the 10 biggest college football rivalries of all time, according to FOX Sports Research.
If you lose this game, don't expect to be greeted well by the locals for the next 365 days. A two-hour drive separating the two schools who compete in the yearly "Egg Bowl," Ole Miss and Mississippi State make for the rivalry in the state of Mississippi. The first game in the rivalry's history was Nov. 24, 1932, with Ole Miss getting a 13-0 victory. And, overall, the Rebels have the upper hand in the all-time series, boasting a 57-30-4 record. Of late, this game has usually been played on Thanksgiving Night or on Black Friday.
Last year, Texas officially joined the SEC, allowing it to play in-state rival Texas A&M for the first time in 13 years, with the Longhorns getting a 17-7 win on the road at College Station. This matchup was traditionally played at the end of the regular season when the two schools were each in the Big 12. Texas A&M won the first meeting between the two teams on Nov. 19, 1915, 13-0. The Longhorns have historically gotten the better of the Aggies, however, boasting a 77-37-5 all-time record. With the two schools back in the same conference, expect heated recruiting battles and anticipated Saturday night matchups in November.
From 1922-2010, Utah and BYU were each in the same conference before the Utes joined the Pac-12 and the Cougars became an independent for the 2011 season. As part of the historic conference realignment, the two schools each joined the Big 12 in 2024, allowing two schools separated by one hour to be arch rivals once again — and not just face off once in a while. BYU has won each of the last two matchups against Utah in "The Holy War," but the former has a 62-36-4 all-time record against the former. Much like the aforementioned Texas rivalry, expect the inner-Utah battle to spice up in the coming years.
Two of the most historic programs in college football are in neighboring states and play each other every year at a neutral site in Jacksonville. Granted, Gainesville (Florida) is much closer to Jacksonville than Athens (Georgia). The Bulldogs have had the Gators number of late, winning seven of the last eight matchups and owning a 56-44-2 record in the all-time series. But that doesn't mean the Gators haven't had their share of success over the Bulldogs. For instance, Florida got the better of Georgia in the Tim Tebow era (2006-09) and won 18 of 21 over Georgia from 1990-2010.
An arduous, seven-to-eight-hour drive separates Florida State from Miami, but it's still an in-state rivalry, nevertheless — and a tightly contested one, with the Hurricanes having a slim, 36-33 record against the Seminoles. The ACC teams first squared off on Oct. 5, 1951, with Miami getting the first of five consecutive wins over Florida State and eight of nine victories. Later, the Seminoles returned the favor with a seven-game winning streak over the Hurricanes, and it has continued to be a rivalry of streaks. Miami won the 2024 meeting, but Florida State had won the previous three.
It's a matchup of one team that can see the Pacific Ocean and one team that pays homage to Rudy. Put them in a blender, and it makes for one of the best rivalries in collegiate sports and two historic venues: LA Memorial Coliseum and Notre Dame Stadium. Whether it be Matt Leinart's goal-line sneak to get USC a win in South Bend in 2005 or Notre Dame putting together a game-winning touchdown drive in the final minutes of a 2010 game in L.A., this matchup has continually delivered. Of late, the Fighting Irish have had their way with the Trojans, winning six of the last seven meetings and having a combined 52-37-5 record in the series.
"America's Game" is not only a great football game but the most meaningful one of them all, as the two service academies play at a neutral site every December in the all-important Army-Navy game. Another matchup that has been one of streaks, the Midshipmen have a 63-55-7 record against the Black Knights. The first-ever matchup was in 1890, with Navy getting a 24-0 win. After Navy won 14 consecutive games over Army from 2002-15, the latter changed the tide in 2016 and has won six of the last nine contests. Two years ago (2023), the game was literally decided by inches, as Army kept Navy out of the end zone on a quarterback sneak at the 2-yard line with one second remaining. This matchup is a battle up front from start to finish.
"The Red River Showdown" is fierce, a great environment (the game is played at a neutral site in Dallas) and makes for an intense scuffle. The first-ever meeting between Texas and Oklahoma was a mere one-point Sooner victory in 1950. In 2020, the two teams played into a fourth overtime, with the Sooners escaping with the victory. The Longhorns have won two of the last three games, with those wins combining for a whopping 83-3 score, but the Sooners have the narrow lead in the all-time series, 37-31-3. Previously bitter Big 12 rivals, the two schools each joined the SEC in 2024, with their yearly game at Cotton Bowl Stadium remaining intact.
Every year, the state of Alabama is on the line in the "Iron Bowl," which has delivered some of the most memorable moments in college football. In 2013, Alabama attempted a would-be, game-winning 58-yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter, but Cody Parkey's kick missed. Then, Chris Davis ran the missed kick back 100 yards for a walk-off touchdown in arguably the most chilling finish in the history of the sport. Recently, Alabama pulled off a pair of miracle wins against Auburn, including a 97-yard touchdown drive with under two minutes to play and no timeouts to force overtime and later win in 2021. In 2023, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe completed a go-ahead and eventual game-winning, 31-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal to Isaiah Bond with 32 seconds remaining in the game. The Crimson Tide have won the last five games and are 51-37-1 in the all-time series.
These two programs literally hate each other. It's called "The Game" for a reason, as Michigan and Ohio State make for a timeless college football rivalry and the best in the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State lost or tied each of its first 14 games against Michigan, including an 86-0 defeat in 1902. Following the 14th all-time meeting, this has been a dead heat of a rivalry. Whether it be Desmond Howard's Heisman pose, Curtis Samuel's overtime walk-off touchdown for Ohio State in 2016 or Michigan trying to plant a flag on Ohio Stadium after its 2024 upset victory, there are countless iconic moments, great finishes and entertainment implanted in this Rustbelt hatred. Michigan is 62-51-6 in the all-time series and has won each of the last four matchups, though, Ohio State won the previous eight games and 15 of 16 beforehand.
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