Rivalry weekend is here, so it feels like the perfect time to rank the greatest matchups in the sport. Not all of these games are played this week, but most of the biggest and most historic rivalries fall at the end of the regular season anyway.
College football is built on emotion, tradition, hatred, geography, and unforgettable moments, and these ten rivalries deliver all of that and more.
Here are the Top 10, counted down to number one.
10. Third Saturday in October
Alabama vs Tennessee
A lot of fans forget how good this series was before Tennessee fell into its long slump. Alabama won every matchup from 2007 through 2021, turning the rivalry into a one-sided streak. Yet even during that stretch, the games often had drama, tension, and wild swings.
Then came 2022. Tennessee won a 52-49 thriller on a knuckling walk-off field goal, ending the streak and sending Neyland Stadium into one of the most chaotic scenes the sport has ever seen. That game broke down a psychological barrier for the Vols, and every matchup since has felt competitive again.
This rivalry was huge for decades, and with both teams competitive, it matters once more.
9. The Lone Star Showdown
Texas vs Texas A & M
Thirteen long years without this game was more than enough. The return last season instantly reminded everyone how much college football had missed it. The atmosphere at Kyle Field was the best it had been in years, and the hostility between the two programs picked up right where it left off.
This showdown is heated, spiteful, and deeply personal, yet both schools have shown the ability to come together in the wake of tragedy, like the bonfire collapse in 1999. That combination of hatred and humanity is part of what makes the rivalry special.
8. The Egg Bowl
Mississippi State vs Ole Miss
Few rivalries can match the Egg Bowl when it comes to pure chaos. From the Immaculate Deflection to the infamous dog pee celebration, this game consistently delivers unforgettable moments that live forever in college football lore.
Even in years when neither team is nationally relevant, the Egg Bowl produces drama, emotion, and wild swings. The hatred between these fan bases is real, and it shows every Thanksgiving week.
7. Wide Right / Wide Left
Florida State vs Miami
Before these two programs became national powers, they shared a common foe in Gainesville. Eventually they both rose to the top, collided with each other, and produced some of the greatest games in the history of the sport.
From Bobby Bowden’s resurgence to Miami’s iconic 2001 superteam, so much of the last forty years of college football runs through this rivalry. The name “Wide Right” and “Wide Left” alone tells you how many times this game broke hearts and defined seasons.
6. The Backyard Brawl
Pittsburgh vs West Virginia
Even when nothing is at stake nationally, this game feels huge. The hatred is authentic, the fan bases are intense, and the traditions are deep. Both sides still sing altered versions of the other school’s fight song.
Look back through history and you’ll find legends, iconic plays, and storylines that carried well beyond college. This rivalry is a reminder that you do not need playoff implications for a game to matter deeply.
5. The Army–Navy Game
Army vs Navy
How can you not love America’s Game? Even though it rarely shapes the national title picture, no rivalry carries the same sense of honor, tradition, and pageantry. A full day is dedicated to this game because it deserves it.
The march-on, the uniforms, the emotion, and the stakes within the academies make this one of the most meaningful games on the schedule every single year.
4. The Notre Dame vs USC Rivalry (The Jeweled Shillelagh)
Notre Dame vs. USC
Two of the biggest brands in all of sports. Countless Heisman winners, national championships, and college legends have played in this game. Montana, Brown, Leinart, Bush, and dozens more have shaped the history of the sport through this rivalry.
There is concern that we may be nearing the end of the series depending on how scheduling evolves. Losing this rivalry would mean losing a piece of what makes college football special.
3. Red River Shootout
Oklahoma vs Texas
This game isn’t even played on rivalry weekend, and somehow that makes it stand out even more. The entire week feels like it belongs to Oklahoma and Texas. The Cotton Bowl split perfectly down the middle, burnt orange on one side and crimson on the other, with the State Fair right outside the gates, is one of the most breathtaking sights in sports. The atmosphere is unmatched.
I will never forget Spencer Rattler getting benched again, Caleb Williams being thrown straight into the fire, and then leading the Sooners back in a wild 55-48 comeback. He made some incredible throws and Chris Fowler’s call on a long touchdown run still gives me chills. This rivalry has a whole library of moments like that, the kind you look back on and instantly remember where you were.
And for what its worth, it will always be called the Red River Shootout in my book.
2. The Iron Bowl
Alabama vs Auburn
If we’re talking about unforgettable moments, no rivalry can match this one. The Kick Six. The Gravedigger. Bryce Young’s 97 yard drive. And that’s only from the last fifteen years.
Auburn’s record doesn’t always reflect national stakes, but the games almost always deliver. The Iron Bowl is intensity, hatred, unpredictability, and history wrapped into one.
1. The Game
Michigan vs Ohio State
The gold standard. These two programs have been playing since 1897 and met annually for a century straight before the COVID interruption. Nearly every matchup feels like it has national implications.
Desmond’s Heisman pose. The 2006 Game of the Century. JT Barrett’s spot. The chaos of the last five years. Michigan and Ohio State is the most important rivalry in the sport, and it is the one that defines every season for both teams.
This is why it is simply known as “The Game”.
Honorable Mentions
The Holy War (BYU vs. Utah)
The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Florida vs. Georgia)
The Crosstown Showdown (UCLA vs. USC)
The Big Game (Cal vs. Stanford)
The Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe (Minnesota vs. Wisconsin)
The Game (Harvard vs. Yale)
Battle for Paul Bunyan Trophy (Michigan vs. Michigan State)
The Palmetto Bowl (Clemson vs. South Carolina)
The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry (Auburn vs. Georgia)
The Civil War (Oregon vs. Oregon State)
The Border War (Missouri vs. Kansas)
The Lost Rivalry (Oklahoma vs. Nebraska)
Bedlam (Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State)
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate (Georgia vs. Georgia Tech)
Cascade Clash (Oregon vs. Washington)
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