The answer to that question depends on who you ask, but for
argument’s sake here is my Top 10.
10.) South Carolina vs. Clemson- This is probably a little
high, but a few weeks ago Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said nothing but
positive things when asked about the injury to South Carolina running back
Marcus Lattimore and the Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier decided to start a
verbal pissing contest.
9.) Army vs. Navy- It’s probably the most meaningful to the
respective students and alumni, but I never know any of the players in the
game, so it’s hard for me to put it any higher.
8.) Kansas vs. Missouri- This one would be ranked much
higher, but the series has been put on hold with the Tigers departure to the
SEC. They call this one the border war because of a dispute in the 19th
century about slavery in the Kansas territory. With historical roots like that
you know it’s an important game.
7.) Oregon vs. Oregon State- They call it the Civil War,
which accurately assesses the hate between the two schools. Interstate contests
like this are always contentious and make for great rivalry games. In this one
the phrase “throw out the records” most certainly applies.
6.) Texas vs. Oklahoma- You know it better as the Red River
rivalry. The name dates back to a border dispute between the states, so there’s
some added tension to the game. These two schools routinely represent the best
of the Big 12 and they usually put up a lot of points in the Cotton Bowl, where
the game is held during the Texas State fair.
5.) Miami vs. Florida State- These two Florida schools are
usually ranked pretty high when they meet and the game is generally decided on
a missed field goal.
4.) Stanford vs. Cal- They call this one “The Big Game” and
30 years ago the band played a factor in the outcome. The winner of this one
gets an axe and that’s pretty cool.
3.) Notre Dame vs. USC- This is a bit of a homer pick as I’m
a huge Notre Dame fan, but this matchup is largely thought of as one of the
best rivalries in the sport, so I’m fine with placing it this high.
2.) Michigan vs. Ohio State- It's known simply as “The Game”, which just goes to show you how important it is for fans
on both sides. The last few years notwithstanding this has been the the best rivalry
in college football over the course of the last 15 years. They met in what’s
known as “The Game of the Century” back in 2006. Ohio State won the game 42-36
and everyone that was anyone wanted them to play a rematch to decide the
national championship, but the BCS ranked Florida ahead of Michigan and the
Gators defeated Ohio State in the title game.
1.) Auburn vs. Alabama- They simply care about football more
there than anywhere else. Case in point, an Alabama fan was arrested in 2011 after
admitting to poisoning the famous trees on Auburn’s campus (Toomer’s Corner)
While those are the best all-time rivalries in college football,
the best current rivalry has to be LSU vs. Alabama. They’ve been two of the
best teams in the country for the last 3 years and Alabama head coach Nick
Saban used to coach LSU. What more do you need?
What are the best rivalries in other sports?
NFL
Traditionally- Packers vs. Bears, Cowboys vs. Redskins
Currently- Steelers vs. Ravens
MLB
Traditionally- Cubs vs. Cardinals, Yankees vs. Red Sox,
Giants vs. Dodgers
Currently- Reds vs. Cardinals
NBA
Traditionally- Lakers vs. Celtics, Bulls vs. Pistons, Pacers
vs. Knicks
Currently- Celtics vs. Heat
College Basketball
Traditionally- North Carolina vs. Duke, Syracuse vs.
Georgetown, Kansas vs. Missouri
Currently- Cincinnati vs. Xavier
Here are my picks for Week 11 in the NFL
at Bills -2.5 vs. Dolphins
Eagles +3 at Redskinsat Lions +3.5 vs. Packers
Cardinals +9.5 at Falcons
Bucs -1.5 at Panthers
Browns +8 at Cowboys
at Rams -3 vs. Jets
Colts +9.5 at Patriots
Jaguars +14.5 at Texans
at Chiefs +3.5 vs. Bengals
Saints -4.5 at Raiders
Chargers 7.5 at Broncos
at Steelers +3.5 vs. Ravens
at 49ers -5.5 vs. Bears
Last Week- 6-8
Season- 69-74-3
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