The final week of the college football season is simply known as "Rivalry Week" many of the greatest rivalries in college football are played on this week and its the best week of the season. It is sort of a bittersweet week for me in my opinion because I know it typically has the best games but it also means the season is coming to an end, and yea I know there is another week with conference championships and then bowl games but there is nothing like a Saturday where you get 14 straight hours of multiple games to flip through. With that being said let's go ahead and take a look at the best rivalries in College Football with some of their best moments.
Honorable Mention
Clemson vs South Carolina - This is a big one for the fans but there really hasn't been too many significant top ten match ups between these teams to get it that nationwide notoriety that some of the other games get.
FSU vs Miami - This is another good one that just missed the cut. It was a better one in the 80's and 90's and has definitely dropped off in the past decade or two but still one of the best.
Minnesota vs Wisconsin - Similar to the Clemson/SC rivalry in regards to it being a huge deal to these teams fans but hasn't had any big time games of importance in quite a while. They do play for one of the coolest trophies out there.
Georgia vs Georgia Tech - Good Ole' Fashion Hate, that's what they call it, but honestly its been good ole' fashion dominance by UGA for the past few years. This one has been one that has been an easy win for the Dogs for quite a while.
10. USC vs UCLA (USC leads 47-32-7
One of the best west coast rivalries there is in the nation. It has been sort of down for the past few years but over the years this has been the battle for LA and as both teams are trying to re-build their programs this could be one that gets back to that national prominence that it has been in the past.
9. Florida vs Georgia (Georgia leads 51-43-2)
The worlds largest outdoor cocktail party has been one of the fastest growing rivalries in the nation. 20 years ago this game wasn't that big of a deal outside of these fan bases but the dominance of these two teams over the past 20 years has given us many great top ten match ups.
8. Harvard vs Yale (Yale leads 67-60-8)
Not a big time game to many people, but one of the oldest rivalries in college football and with these two schools competing in much more than sports this is one game that you should try to watch at least once in your life. An FCS rivalry but this one is pure hatred for the other team and always provides a great game regardless of team record.
7. Ole Miss vs Mississippi State (Ole Miss leads 64-44-6)
The Egg Bowl is one of the most underrated rivalries in the nation, a game featuring two teams not separated by much but who's fan bases absolutely hate each other. This one was looking to get really good with how the programs were a few years ago but with the Ole Miss issues and Dan Mullen departure it will be interesting to see if these teams can get back to where they were, at least with Ole Miss
6. Notre dame vs USC (Notre Dame leads 47-37-5)
USC and Notre Dame are two of the most historic teams in college football and it's unlike any of these other rivalries on this list. As you notice, every other rivalry on this list features teams in the same state or a neighboring state but this one is one of teams across the country. A rivalry formed on good match ups over the 70's and 80's and continued as these teams continue to be at the top of college football.
5. Florida vs Florida State (Florida leads 34-26-2)
Florida and Florida State was probably the best rivalry in the nation in the 1990's when Bobby Bowden and Steve Spurrier ran college football in the south. Over the past 15 years the rivalry has still been good but not featuring top 10 match ups each year like in the 90's. For whatever reason the Gators and Noles can't seem to be good at the same time anymore as for the better part of the past 15 years this game has featured a top 15 team playing an un-ranked team. One of the unique things about this rivalry came in 1996 when these two teams basically played for the national championship in which the Gators won to claim their first title
4. Army vs Navy (Navy 60-51-7)
One of the most passionate rivalries in college football featuring these two military academies. Typically played after the regular season is over in order to be the only game on and it's one of the best games to watch because of that. Fan bases say, "oh if we lose every game but beat ____ its a good year" but this is the one rivalry where I really believe that is true. This game means little in terms of rankings or college football playoff implications but means everything for these two fan bases.
3. Oklahoma vs Texas (Texas leads 62-46-5)
The Red River Showdown is a unique one on this list because it is typically the first of any of these games played. Typically it is played in early October which gives it its own spotlight against these other games. Texas and Oklahoma is played in Dallas which gives it one of the best environments of any games since half the stadium is in red and half in orange. People also spend days tailgating and getting ready for this game, not to mention it typically features at least 1 top ten team if not both.
2. Ohio State vs Michigan (Michigan leads 58-49-6)
This was the hardest one to do because in my opinion Auburn/Alabama and Ohio State Michigan is a tie. I'll let you decide which one is better, tweet at us @_NoHuddleSports or @NoHuddle_CFB and let us know your thoughts. I give the nod to the Iron bowl at the moment due to the past ten years but its really a toss up. Ohio State has dominated over the past ten years, however its still one of the best games of the year including this year. This one is probably one of the most historic rivalries in the nation with the Buckeyes and Wolverines being two of the best teams in college football history.
1. Auburn vs Alabama (Alabama leads 45-36-1)
The Iron bowl like I said is probably tied with Ohio State and Michigan in my opinion but the games we have seen over the past decade and the passion of these fans of late makes it the best rivalry in college football at the moment. Its really a year to year basis on which game is better. The dominance of Alabama and Auburn across the past ten+ years and the Iron bowl of 2013 which you can see below makes this one such a good game year and and year out. Weather you have to travel 109 miles or 109 yards, this game is one you need to watch at some point in your life!