by Edward Schmidt

Created on: January 04, 2010

Rivalries aren’t what they used to be. In bygone, simpler times, most rivalries revolved around students and alumni who hated other schools for a variety of reasons such as arrogance, conference affiliation and coaches. Today’s rivalries are intense mostly because of recruiting.  When rivals directly recruit against each other, rest assured, the hate factor and intensity rises a couple of notches.

To be sure, there are dozens of rivalries in college football, but do you really care if the University of Central Florida doesn’t like the University of South Florida or if Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois don’t get along. No. Here then, are my top 5 most heated rivalries, followed by other top rivalries.

Alabama and Auburn

Both fan bases live and breath football 24-7, 12 months a year and the annual game is one big hate fest. They recruit heavily against each other and the loser of the game is reminded of that loss repeatedly by the state’s sports media. From a passion standpoint, this is the most intense rivalry in college football.

Florida and Georgia

Played in Jacksonville and known for years as “the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party” this rivalry is extremely heated on game day. Why? Well, mix in all that booze with fiercely dedicated fans and you’ve got the makings for lots of heckling and fights in downtown Jacksonville. Georgia recruits heavily in north Florida and the Gator faithful don’t take to kindly to that fact.

Michigan and Ohio State

Michigan used to love it when John Cooper was head coach at Ohio State. Even though Coop was highly successful, he just couldn’t figure out a way to beat Big Blue. The tables have turned now, and Rich Rodriguez, Michigan’s head coach, is starting to get his head beat in by the Buckeyes every year. Both teams go after many of the same blue chip recruits every year. Because both fan bases tend to be a bit myopic, they don’t want moral victories. It’s either win the game or the entire season is a bust.

Oklahoma and Texas

This rivalry seems to be a fair fight every year. Both teams have great traditions, top-notch coaches and rosters dotted with high school all-Americas. The Sooners relish going into Dallas, where the game is played every year, with a roster loaded with players from Texas. The game has always been heated, but it has picked up a notch in the last decade because both teams now play in the same conference and there’s more at stake.

Army and Navy

You’ll never see more effort on a football field than at an Army and Navy game. When you look down on the field and realize almost every one of the players will be fighting side by side in war in a few years, you can’t help but admire the passion, pride and dedication in this rivalry.

Other top rivalries include, Notre Dame and USC, UCLA and USC, Clemson and South Carolina, Georgia and Georgia Tech, Missouri and Kansas, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, Texas and Texas A&M, Nebraska and Oklahoma, Miami and Florida State and Michigan and Michigan State.

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