College Football Rivalries Today

January 24, 2022 by Staff

College football is not about famous stars and fat payrolls.

It’s rather more about that time in life when everyone is just a budding player building a name for himself, when rivalries are more about developing school spirit and rousing cheers than national fame and money.

It’s a parallel universe with the professional world, with its small share of perks and prestige.

Nevertheless, it predates pro football in terms of history and intensity of rivalries.  Princeton University, then known as New Jersey College, and Rutgers University, originally Rutgers College, were already into intense football rivalry in November 1869, long before the first professional football match between Pittsburgh and Allegheny on November 12, 1892.

The football feud between Princeton and Rutgers lasted until September 27, 1980, when the latter decided to give up its football program and embark on new sports priorities.  Between 1869 and 1980, Princeton and Rutgers clashed 71 times, with Princeton ahead in the all-time win-loss-draw series, 53–17–1.

Despite the losses, Rutgers takes pride in having ended the long-standing football rivalry on a winning note, 44-13. The rivalry has since then metamorphosed into basketball – but that’s another story.

Well, that one is for history books. We’ll have a look at the current ones still active in sports books and attracting attention as hot as college football picks at Odds Shark.

Auburn vs Georgia

No rivalry in college football has ever been as fiercely fought as this one between Auburn Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs.

They began their rivalry in 1892, at about the time when pro football was just starting.

Their all-time series had recently been tied at 54 victories apiece, and 8 draws in 116 matches, but the Bulldogs reclaimed it's all-time lead with seven new wins against only two by the Tigers.

The Bulldogs, re-energized by its sixth year coach Kirby Smart, smashed the Tigers, 10-34, last October 10, 2021, at the Jordan-Hare Stadium, in a fiery performance that brought them to the finals of the SEC Championship Game.

For sure, Auburn focused on Georgia to win a piece of glory. It turned out, however, that Georgia was more motivated to win not just against the Tigers, but against a hostile environment created by pro-Auburn fans.

Army vs Navy

College football attended by sitting presidents, politicians, and military top brass?

The matches have not been as intense as they used to be, but the Army-Navy game is one of the most enduring rivalries in college football.

The players are students (cadets) from the Army Black Knights of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the Navy Midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis.  They are two of the finest military schools in the United States.

They showcase their football skills not for football scouts, but as part of their training to become soldiers for deployment in the army or navy. In some instances though, a few have actually opted to join the pro league.

The series started in 1890 and became a yearly event nine years later. The navy cadets are leading the series with 61 wins, 53 losses, and seven draws, but the army has had recent successes, winning four of the last five matches.

Can the army sustain its success against the navy? The navy men disagree and are ready to disprove it on the football field.

Ohio State vs Michigan

This annual matchup between the Wolverines of the University of Michigan and the Buckeyes of the Ohio State University is referred to by some fans as “The Game.”

These two fierce rivals have met 109 times since 1897, with the Wolverines leading the series, 58-44, with six drawn games.

The game is almost always held at the end of the regular season of the NCAA, and is an important event for fans from these two neighboring states in the Midwest.

Last year’s football season was the 12th time that both teams were ranked in the top five of the standings, with the Buckeyes at second and the Wolverines fifth.

And it turned out to be another season of surprises. Michigan, the underdog by virtue of an 8-game losing streak to Ohio, scored a 42-27 upset. It was also the first win of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh in six attempts against the Buckeyes.

Yes, there were no hugs and kisses among bitter rivals. Only dagger looks.#