5. California-Stanford
California-Stanford is one of the oldest college football rivalry games in the nation, dating back to 1892 when the Cardinal took home a 14-10 victory. It also featured one of the most memorable plays of all-time when in 1982, on the final play of the game, four Golden Bears players lateraled their way through Stanford’s coaching staff and band en route to the miraculous game-winning touchdown.
Some may stick their nose up at this rivalry game because academics tend to come first for each university, and the fact that Stanford is a private school only adds to that feeling, but there’s no denying how badly these two teams want to beat each other.
Stanford has dominated “The Big Game” in recent years, however. They’ve won seven straight since 2010, and the vast majority of the wins have come in dominating fashion thanks to the program’s resurgence under Jim Harbaugh and then David Shaw.
Still, the intensity never dies down when these two teams take the field, and it’s only a matter of time before the Golden Bears get back in the win column.
4. Notre Dame-USC
The rivalry between Notre Dame and USC is both star-studded and rich in championship pedigree. Each team has claimed 11 national championships and they have produced a combined 13 Heisman Trophy winners — seven for Notre Dame and six for USC.
But their rivalry is about much more than history, and is often referred to as the greatest inter-sectional rivalry in college football. And rightfully so.
The Fighting Irish and Trojans have met 87 times since 1926, with Notre Dame leading the all-time series 46-37-5. They have also won four of the last seven after USC had reeled off eight straight from 2002-2009.
More often than not, the Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy is won by the team that goes on to compete in a major bowl game or, in several instances, the National Championship Game. But even when the stakes aren’t high for the oft-ranked teams, the other tends to play a key role as spoiler.
The two sides want nothing more than to defeat the other, which is why five of the 10 highest-ranked college football games of all-time were between Notre Dame and USC.
3. Army-Navy
Some may feel the Army-Navy rivalry is ranked entirely too high at No. 3 overall, but it’s the only game on the college football schedule that literally has its own week. It draws the attention of sitting and former presidents, every branch of the military service, and the rivalry garners national acclaim.
In stating the obvious, the Army-Navy game is also quite significant to those who play.
The game itself might not feature the national championship implications it once did, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting for fans around the country. And in recent years, both Army and Navy have been improving their programs, so it has become a bit more meaningful again.
Since 1890, the Midshipmen and Black Knights have met 117 times with Navy holding the all-time lead, 60-50-7. However, Army got a much-needed win last season after losing 14 straight.
Despite the streaky nature of the rivalry, it remains a fan favorite that the entire country look forwards to. And for the most part, the games are ultra competitive.
2. Michigan-Ohio State
Once upon a time, the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry was considered the nation’s best. The “Ten Year War” between Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes in the 1970s put the long-standing rivalry back on the map, and it’s continued today thanks in large part to Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer.
Other than being Midwest rivals, what makes “The Game” even more intriguing and, at times, heated, is the competitive balance between the two teams and their respective championship pedigree.
Since 1897, the Wolverines and Buckeyes have met a total of 113 times with Michigan leading the all-time series 58-48-6. However, Ohio State has won the last five games and are the most recent to have won a national championship (2014).
The implications of “The Game” can also not be over-stated. In recent decades, it has consistently helped determine the Big Ten champion and often the participants in the Rose Bowl.
When you add in that sort of overall significance to the rich history and hatred each side has for the other, it becomes an intense must-watch for all football fans.
1. Auburn-Alabama
The Auburn-Alabama rivalry is not just the best in college football, but is arguably among the fiercest rivalries in all of sports. Appropriately dubbed “The Iron Bowl,” it pits the state of Alabama’s two largest universities against each other and adds to the mix a key SEC influence.
The Iron Bowl began in 1893 with a 32-22 Auburn win and has been played a total of 81 times. Alabama leads the all-time series 45-35-1, and within those games have been some of the most legendary of all-time. Even within the last four years there have been several instant classics.
But beyond the game on the field, the fierce nature of the Auburn-Alabama rivalry extends to the fans themselves. Families have been broken up over choosing opposing sides, and marriages have been ended. It’s taken seriously in the south and in some cases, things have gotten a bit extreme.
At the end of the day, the Auburn-Alabama rivalry is about more than just football, and that intimacy makes it all the more intriguing. The two sides legitimately do not like each other and the game itself is rarely a letdown.
