Top 5 greatest college football rivalries of all time

It doesn't get much better than Hate Week, when many of college football's fiercest rivalries are scheduled to close out the regular season. From a battle in Dallas to a Midwestern melee, here are five of the greatest college football rivalries of all time, with a quick preview of each game remaining in 2019.

5. Army-Navy Game

Series record: Navy leads 60-52-7

The final game of the college football regular season, the Army-Navy Game dates back to 1890 and features much more than an intense matchup on the gridiron. Sitting U.S. presidents often attend the historic clash loaded with pregame festivities including parades, paratroopers and patriotic videos on the jumbotron.

2019 Army-Navy game: Dec. 14, 3 p.m., Lincoln Financial Field, CBS

The Army Black Knights own a three-game win streak, but from 2002-2015, Navy dominated the series with 14 straight victories. The Midshipmen boast a 7-2 record in 2019 and ranked in the top 25 in early November, until the team fell to No. 16 Notre Dame, 52-20, in Week 12.

Army is just 5-6 and will head in as the underdog on December 14 inside the Philadelphia Eagles’ home stadium. Still, the battle should be incredibly close, as the last five games have been decided by seven or fewer points.

4. Red River Showdown: Oklahoma vs. Texas

Series record: Texas leads 62-48-5

Back in 1900, when Oklahoma was just a territory, the Sooners and Longhorns squared off for the first time, in a battle Texas won 28-2. Traditionally played inside the Cotton Bowl in Dallas during the State Fair of Texas, this matchup often decides the winner of the Big 12 Conference and is named after the Red River that creates part of the border between Texas and Oklahoma.

The Sooners own 48 conference titles to Texas’ 32 and have claimed the last four.

2019 Oklahoma-Texas game: Oct. 12, Cotton Bowl, 32-27 Oklahoma

Heading into the 2019 season, many predicted Texas would be a stronger force than it’s turned out to be. The Sooners and transfer QB Jalen Hurts got the best of the Longhorns and junior Sam Ehlinger, though Texas kept it close in a comeback attempt in the final minutes.

The Longhorns sit in fourth in the Big 12, while Oklahoma is 9-1 and tied with Baylor for first in the conference. The No. 9 Sooners have another significant rival, No. 21 Oklahoma State, looming on the schedule. Labeled the Bedlam Series, the Sooners and the Cowboys have played 113 times, with Oklahoma owning the series, 88-18-7.

3. The Big Game: California vs. Stanford

Series record: Stanford leads 64-46-11

One of college’s oldest rivalries not only goes by its own nickname, but it also provided one of the most memorable moments in football history, when “The Play” occurred in 1982. The five-lateral, game-winning drive that led to radio announcer Joe Starkey shouting, “the band is out on the field!” has since been disputed by Stanford fans.

The official record gave Cal a 25-20 win over Stanford, but many Cardinal publications marked Stanford the victor, as the school argued one of Cal’s ball-carriers had his knee down before Cal reached the end zone and the final lateral was an illegal forward pass.

2019 Cal-Stanford game: Nov. 23, 4 p.m., Stanford Stadium, PACN

Since “The Play,” Stanford has triumphed in 24 of the last 36 games (the 1988 contest ended in a tie) and have won nine straight since 2010. Neither team has fared well in the Pac-12 in 2019, but Cal could become bowl eligible by besting the Cardinal and is ready to snap a long streak of Stanford success in the series.

2. Iron Bowl: Auburn vs. Alabama

Series record: Alabama leads 46-31-1

In the Heart of Dixie, you either chant “War Eagle” or “Roll Tide,” and becoming a fan is not a casual choice—it’s practically a religion for some people. Alabama and Auburn have long hated one another, dating back to the first meeting in 1893, when the Crimson Tide’s “little brother school” beat Alabama 32-22. The series took a 41-year break after the two schools tied in 1907 but resumed in 1948 with a 55-0 ‘Bama blowout.

The Crimson Tide are the more successful of the two, with 17 national titles, compared to Auburn’s two. But in the last 15 years, Auburn and Alabama have nearly split the series, as the Crimson Tide have won eight and Auburn seven, including one legendary finish in 2013.

2019 Alabama-Auburn game: Nov. 30, 3:30 p.m., Jordan-Hare Stadium, CBS

The Tigers have already lost three close games to No. 10 Florida, No. 2 LSU and No. 4 Georgia but still rank 15th in the nation in 2019. Alabama recently fell to fifth after suffering its first defeat to No. 2 LSU, 46-41.

‘Bama is on the outside looking in on both the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff. In light of star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa dislocating his hip in Week 12, the Crimson Tide’s fate is far from promising, and Auburn may play the final spoiler to Alabama’s hopes of a College Football Playoff berth.

1. The Game: Ohio State vs. Michigan

Series record: Michigan leads 58-50-6

What rivalry matchup could be bigger than the one known simply as “The Game”? Big Ten powerhouses Michigan and Ohio State first played each other in 1897 in Ann Arbor, where the Wolverines pounded the Buckeyes 34-0. Michigan went on to win the next 12, excluding two ties, but recently Ohio State has controlled the series 16-2 in the last 18 games.

Since 1935, the game has been played at the end of the regular season (aside from 1942, ’86 and ’98). From the ‘70s until the mid-2000s, the outcome of the matchup frequently determined the Big Ten Conference winner and influenced voting on the national champion.

In 2010, the Big Ten split into two divisions, and in 2014 Michigan and Ohio State were placed in the East Division based on geographical realignment, eliminating the possibility of meeting in the Big Ten Championship Game.

2019 Ohio State-Michigan game: Nov. 30, 12:00 p.m., Michigan Stadium, FOX

Even if it’s not for a Big Ten title, Ohio State’s date with Michigan on November 30 carries plenty of implications. Heading into Week 13, the Buckeyes are undefeated and hold the No. 2 spot in the AP Top 25 poll.

Michigan is ranked 12th, with losses to No. 13 Wisconsin and No. 7 Penn State, and has never beaten Ohio State during the Jim Harbaugh era. The Buckeyes have new coach Ryan Day at the helm and are propped up by Heisman hopeful Justin Fields, projected No. 1 draft pick Chase Young and running back J.K. Dobbins.

The Wolverines may not have much shot at the College Football Playoff or a Big Ten title, but ruining Ohio State’s chances of national championship glory would be a victory in itself.

These two programs are neck-and-neck in history, as Michigan has earned 16 national titles, 48 bowl appearances, 35 Big Ten titles and a .730 all-time win percentage. Ohio State has claimed 17 national titles, appeared in 49 bowl games, won 37 Big Ten titles and has achieved a .727 all-time win percentage.

It doesn't get much closer than that, which is why every game between Michigan and Ohio State is just as important as the last, and makes for one of the greatest college football rivalries of all time.

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