Nov 26, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Michigan Wolverines players plant the flag on the Ohio State Buckeyes fifty yard line following the win at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: IMAGN-496795 ORIG FILE ID: 20221126_tbs_mb3_093.JPG
November 25, 2023 8: 00 am ET
College football is filled with chaos and weirdness, and so much of that is because of the heated rivalries that often run generations deep. So we’re here to rank some of the biggest in the sport.
With so many to choose from and everyone having their own biases and preferences for what makes a good rivalry, this is an extremely difficult task. So, I took an unbiased approach and went to the internet to find a few existing lists to use in the creation of a composite ranking.
Below is a list of the only eight rivalries to make each list I found and their average ranking on those lists. It should give you a good idea of which rivalries are popularly considered the biggest, even if it’s not the most comprehensive.
8
Florida vs. Florida State
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Get ready for a run of Florida here, starting with the rare nonconference rivalry between Florida’s two oldest public universities. Florida leads the all-time series 37-28-2 after losing a thrilling 24-15 in 2023.
7
Florida State vs. Miami
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When it comes to ACC play, Florida State’s biggest rival is Miami, and this series is even closer than the one against Florida. Florida State’s seven-point win over Miami in 2023 cut the Hurricanes’ series advantage down to two games at 35-33.
6
Florida vs. Georgia
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Florida’s biggest conference rival is Georgia, though the rivalry has been quite lopsided since 2020. Georgia’s 43-20 win in 2023 was its third straight over the Gators by at least 20 points, though the series is a lot closer with the Bulldogs leading 55-44-2 (or 56-44-2 if you go by Georgia’s history book).
5
Notre Dame vs. USC
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Notre Dame’s latest win for the Jeweled Shillelagh gave the Irish a 49-37-5 series lead, and it was about the time things began going downhill for Caleb Williams and USC in 2023.
4
Red River Showdown: Oklahoma vs. Texas
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Even in 2023, a year Texas beat Alabama and had everything going for it, Oklahoma was the one team to knock off the Longhorns, which shows how competitive the rivalry always is. Texas holds a 63-51-5 series lead.
3
The Army-Navy Game
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First played in 1890, the Army-Navy Game is one of college football’s most enduring rivalries, as these two service academies have played almost every year since. The Black Knights’ double-overtime win in 2022 cut Navy’s series lead to 62-54-7.
2
The Game: Michigan vs. Ohio State
If I did a straight up ranking, The Game might have been first for me just because of the massive stakes on the line the last few years, including 2023 with both teams ranked in the top three. Michigan’s three-game winning streak from 2021-23 gave it a 61-51-6 all-time series lead.
1
Iron Bowl: Alabama vs. Auburn
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Auburn has been down a few years, including three straight losses in the Iron Bowl and a couple beatdowns — but that didn’t keep this rivalry out of the top spot. The mere potential of Auburn ruining whatever Alabama has going on always makes it a must-watch, though the Tide went up 50-37-1 in the series after a wild 2023 win.