We are currently 15 days away from September 1st — the official beginning of the 2018 College Football Season. Which means that people are losing their minds right about now. Austin Peay and San Jose St could be kicking it off tomorrow and eyeballs would be glued to the television. This summer has been maddening for us. We just want my SEC Football to return. Throughout the summer, we have had some heated comments on the site, which we appreciate, but it got us thinking, “what makes certain rivalries more heated than others?” So for the next couple hundred words, we are going to put on our chef hats and whip up a recipe that would create a rivalry that the United States hasn’t seen since Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.
1. A Few Heaping Tablespoons of “Relevance”
North Carolina and Virginia have played each other more times than pretty much any other two teams in the history of college football. Their rivalry even has a cool nickname (The South’s Oldest Rivalry). But nobody gives a crap the weekend the Tarheels and the Cavaliers play each other. Why? Because their games literally mean nothing. They are two mediocre football programs that have won a combined seven ACC Titles. NC State has alone won seven ACC Titles. The reason why people get jacked up for LSU-Alabama is because it normally has a lot on the line.
LSU-Alabama often holds a lot on the line. Image from USA-Today.
2. A Heaping 1/2 Cup of “Proximity”
Notre Dame – Southern Cal is a great rivalry. But who picks that game out as one of the best rivalries in the country? The closer fans are to each other, the better things get. NC State fans have to live amongst UNC fans. Florida State and Florida fans are next door neighbors. Louisville fans and Kentucky fans have to bump into each other at church, the grocery store, and the gym. That adds to it. Why? Because when you run into your rival friends and coworkers, you want to be able to dish out some trash talk and not have to take it.
Practically neighbors Florida-Florida State is one of the best in-state rivalries. Image from FSU Athletics.
3. A Couple Dashes of “History”
Why does the Army-Navy Game stand alone on the college football schedule? Because this is America and we care about doing things the right way. That game means so much to not only the players, graduates, and family members of the Academies, but it means so much to this country. I have watched every single Army-Navy Game of my 23 years of existence, and even during the dark days of the Navy 14 Game Win Streak, Army players still gave a rip. Even if the score was lopsided, and the game was decided, both teams still gave 110% effort. Even the Navy players, when it could be so easy to enjoy the win and bask in the glory, played 60 minutes of football. Both sides fight for every inch, every touchdown, and for every second of the game because that is what the Army-Navy Game gets out of you, and that is what the Army-Navy Game deserves.
Army-Navy is the rivalry with the greatest history. Image from Business Insider.
4. An Entire Bottle of “Inferiority Complex”
All of the other ingredients matter, but this is the ingredient that turns a rivalry from great to must-watch-television. Auburn and Georgia meet every year for one of the most historic rivalry games in the country (The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry — not be confused with the aforementioned UNC-UVA Game, which is The South’s Oldest Rivalry. There is a difference, people…). Georgia holds a slight advantage in the rivalry with a 58-56-8 record over their SEC foe. It has the history and relevance needed to be one of the best rivalries in the country. But that game is just missing the extra splash of hatred needed to be one of the best rivalries in college football.
Let’s look to Major League Baseball as our guide. Probably the two greatest rivalries in the MLB are Dodgers-Giants and Yankees-Red Sox. But one is better than the other for one reason — success. The Dodgers and the Giants have hated each other literally since the dawn of time when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn and the Giants were in Upper Manhattan. Both have won a considerable number of NL Pennants and World Series. In fact, their numbers are almost identical. And while the Giants-Dodgers Rivalry is great, Yankees-Red Sox is better. They too, have been playing for over a century, but their numbers are not so similar. In fact, the Yankees in many regards are considered the greatest sports organization/club/franchise in the entire world, while the Red Sox went 86 years without winning a single World Series. That 86 Years was due to the Curse of the Bambino. The Red Sox literally cursed themselves by dealing one of the greatest athletes of all-time to their bitter rival. That is what created this rivalry. Boston’s constant and undying hatred for their rivals consumed the entire city. The Yankees had all the money and all the championships, while the Red Sox won nothing in their cozy little ballpark. Frank Sinatra didn’t sing a song called “Boston” and young kids didn’t dream of making it big in Bean Town. This rivalry is the epitome of Big Brother – Little Brother, and to be honest, some of it died when the Red Sox started winning World Series Championships. For 86 years, Red Sox fans resented their Big Brother, the New York Yankees. And for 86 years, Yankees fans loved stomping on the Red Sox dreams, and in fact, became obsessed with it. Listen to New York Sports Radio after the 2004 ALCS. Yankees fans went crazy at the thought of the Red Sox possibly winning a World Series. That’s what makes a rivalry epic.
The same can be said for college football. Auburn is Alabama’s Little Brother and it makes that rivalry toxic. South Carolina is Clemson’s Little Brother and it makes that game one of the most intense football games in the country. Ole Miss is LSU’s Little Brother. A&M is Texas’s Little Brother. Pitt is Penn State’s Little Brother. Heck, in many ways, Georgia-Alabama is turning into that. Tennessee is Alabama’s Little Brother, and that game still means a lot to both sides. And in the Big Ten, Michigan State is Michigan’s Little Brother.
5. Blend Together If Possible
So there you have it: Relevance, Proximity, History, and good ole fashioned Envy. The greatest rivalry in the SEC has all of this. Let’s take a closer look.
Relevance – This is the last game of the regular season, and often times it decides who makes it to the SEC Championship, or better yet, who doesn’t. If the Iron Bowl was played in the middle of the season it would not be as relevant, however, by playing in the final week of the regular season it maximizes the potential for both teams to enter with hopes of reaching Atlanta. In 2017, Auburn made it to the SEC Championship because they won the Iron Bowl.
Proximity – In the state of Alabama you grow up saying either “Roll Tide” or “War Eagle”, and if you don’t pick one of the two you are automatically disowned by the family. If you’re not in Auburn or Tuscaloosa you are sure to run into a fan of the opposing team.
History – Bear Bryant, Shug Jordan, Cornelius Bennett, Tucker Frederickson, Bo Jackson, Julio Jones, Joe Namath, Cam Newton. The list goes on and on and on. Some of the greatest college football players in history have attended both institutions. The first matchup occurred in 1893. Alabama leads the overall series 45-36-1. Some of these games, especially within the last decade, end in epic proportion. In 1967, Ken Stabler ran 47 yards for the only touchdown of the game giving Alabama a 7-3 victory. While in 1982, “Bo Over the Top” remains as one of the most iconic moments in college football history. In 2009, Greg McElroy led the Crimson Tide to a 26-21 win, and Cam Newton got Auburn their revenge the following season coming back from a 24-0 deficit going into the half. And who can forget probably the greatest moment in all of college football history…the “Kick Six”.
Good Ole Fashioned Envy – Harvey Updyke…”Nuff Said”
That’s what makes the perfect college football rivalry. Comment with what you think makes a great rivalry and share with friends.
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