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If there's one reason why college football will always beat out the NFL, it's the rivalries. Sure, there are some good, hard-fought match-ups in the NFL, like the ones between the Steelers and the Ravens or Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but the year-to-year consistency of these games pales in comparison to that which we expect between two college sides. With collegiate rivalries, you can always be certain that, no matter the stakes or the records of the teams involved, every single player is going to come out onto the field with their heart on their sleeve, ready to play. You can never count out the underdog in games like these, with the prestige of the match-ups alone being motivation enough for every kid involved to bring their A-game. Yes, Baltimore and Pittsburgh have given us some great memories this past decade, but we'll still take the Iron Bowl or a Michigan-Ohio State game over them any day.
But out of all these rivalry games, what are some of the best that have ever been played? What are the instant classics like the 1966 Michigan State-Notre Dame game or the 1991 Miami-Florida State Wide Right incident? Which one of these was actually "The Game of the Century?" To prepare yourself for all the upcoming rivalry tilts this weekend, check out The 15 Greatest Rivalry Games in College Football History and find which games have become unforgettable in the halls of college football history. Will any of tomorrow's games be able to live up to this standard?
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15. 1982 Cal vs. Stanford
Date: 11/20/1982
Location: California Memorial Stadium (Berkeley, Calif.)
Result: 25-20, Cal
Not only is the 1982 contest between the Stanford Cardinal and Cal Golden Bears one of the defining match-ups of the rivalry, but it's also one of the most well-known games in college football history. Why is that, though? Neither team was particularly exciting going into the game, with the Golden Bears sitting at 6-4 and the Cardinal at just 5-5. Sure, Stanford was quarterbacked by John Elway at the time, but this wasn't a game with national title implications or anything. In fact, Stanford was fighting just to be bowl eligible.
However, the game itself ended up being anything but a ho-hum affair. After a heroic, last minute drive that saw Elway lead his team into field goal position—and overcoming a 4th-and-17 on their own 13-yard line in the process—the Cardinal were up 20-19 with just four seconds left. However, there was one, crucial wrinkle to Stanford's nearly-sealed victory: a 15-yard penalty for excessive (and premature) celebrating stuck the Cardinal at their own 25-yard line for the ensuing kickoff. Guess what happened next?
14. 1985 Alabama vs. Auburn
Date: 11/30/1985
Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium
Result: 25-23, Alabama
Bo Jackson knew a lot of things throughout his days as a football superstar, but beating Alabama wasn't always one of them. Though 1985 was his Heisman year, one of the teams that Bo wasn't able to get through during his campaign was the Alabama Crimson Tide—the long-bitter rivals of Jackson's Auburn Tigers. Though Bo had been able to lead his Tigers to victory over the Tide in his first two seasons with the team, his junior and senior seasons weren't as successful. And in his final game against Bama, it bordered on miraculous that the Tigers couldn't pull out the win.
During a tumultuous fourth quarter that saw five different lead changes, the final possession was given to Alabama after Auburn had scored to go up 23-22. With just 36 seconds left, and stuck at their own 17-yard line, it didn't seem likely that the Tide were going to be able to find a way to score. Amazingly enough, though, a reverse from Al Bell and a pass from quarterback Mike Shula to receiver Greg Richardson brought the team to the 35-yard to attempt one last field goal. Looking at a 52-yarder, Bama's kicker, Van Tiffin, nailed it through the uprights to snatch away a win from Bo and his Tigers, and clinch the upset. Roll Tide.
13. 2008 Oklahoma vs. Texas
Date: 10/11/2008
Location: The Cotton Bowl (Dallas)
Result: 45-35, Texas
The Red River Rivalry has played host to some serious slugfests over the years, with hard-nosed, Southern-style football often defining the terms of the arrangement between Oklahoma and Texas. But even they have to concede to the high-scoring, pass-heavy demands of today's new-wave, high-octane attacks every now and again. In 2008, with the Sooners ranked no. 1 overall, and the Longhorns ranked no. 5, the two sides traded blow-after-blow with one another, led by Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy, to produce a thrilling, if uncharacteristic, shootout. In the end, it not only ended up being the highest scoring Red River game ever, but also the most viewed, hosting 92,182 fans.
Funnily enough, this victory wasn't enough to give the Longhorns the tiebreaker over the Sooners at the end of the season. After Texas fell to Texas Tech later in the Big 12 season, and Oklahoma blew out Tech after that, a three-way tie was created in the Big 12 that ultimately ended up going to Oklahoma because of their higher BCS ranking. They earned the right to play Missouri in the Big 12 championship game, which they won handily, before facing off against the Florida Gators for the BCS National Championship. Meanwhile, Texas had to settle for the Fiesta Bowl. FWIW, though, the Longhorns did win their bowl, while Oklahoma fell to Florida.
12. 1994 Florida vs. Florida State
Date: 11/26/1994
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Result: 31-31, Tie
Known as the "Choke at Doak," the 1994 Florida-Florida State showdown was a highly-anticipated match-up of two 9-1 teams out for intrastate bragging rights. With future Heisman-winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel leading the way for the Gators, Florida was able to lead for most of the afternoon before a furious FSU rally brought the Seminoles back into the game during the fourth quarter. Down 31-3 at the beginning of the final quarter, the Noles dropped 28 points on the Gators to tie the game, and earn a moral victory of sorts in the end.
If a tie can have a winner, it's hard to argue that the Noles didn't come out on top here, as the team tied the NCAA record for the biggest fourth quarter comeback ever. Luckily for everyone, the two teams would go on to meet again later in the season in the 1995 Sugar Bowl, finally able to give us all a definitive answer on who was better. And guess who managed to settle the score in their favor this time around? That's right: Florida State. The Seminoles took the W over the Gators, 23-17, proving to everyone that year that the team in Tallahassee was the better of the two.
11. 2010 Alabama vs. Auburn
Date: 11/26/2010
Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Result: 28-27, Auburn
In Cam Newton's lone, magical season as the quarterback for the Auburn Tigers, not only did Newton manage to snag the Heisman trophy and secure a national title, but he also carved out his spot in Iron Bowl lore when he led the Tigers to a miraculous comeback over the Crimson Tide. With the Tide ranked eleventh in the country, and Auburn sitting on a perfect record, the stakes were high for both teams coming into the game, as Alabama remained one of the few obstacles standing in the way of the Tigers' national championship bid.
Amazingly, for most of the day, it looked like Alabama—who had won a national title of their own just a year earlier—would have their way in stopping the Tigers just shy of their postseason title dreams. Leading 24-7 at the half, Bama had been dominating Cam Newton and Co. for the entire game, as Mark Ingram and Julio Jones each put a TD on the board in the first quarter before the rest of the offense blew it open even wider for the Tide.
However, as it had been all season, Auburn would not be denied. Newton threw for three scores and ran for another in the second half, earning the go-ahead score with about 12 minutes left in the game. A staunch defense held for the Tigers to close out the rest of the contest, and the team punched their ticket for the SEC Championship Game, before earning their much-coveted spot in the BCS title bowl.
10. 1978 USC vs. Notre Dame
Date: 11/25/1978
Location: The Coliseum (Los Angeles)
Result: 27-25, USC
Given how spectacular he was with the San Francisco 49ers, it's easy to forget that Joe Montana did have to play in college at some point too. For those who aren't familiar, when Joe Cool was a college boy, he suited up for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. And even in school Montana was still a big-time winner, leading Notre Dame to national title during his junior season in 1977, after they defeated the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl, 38-10.
However, the following season wasn't as kind to the Golden Domers, who opened the year with two straight losses before they ripped off an eight-game win streak leading up to their annual rivalry game against USC. The Trojans, ranked no. 3 at the time, presented a stiff challenge to Montana and his Irish, as the two sides came together to play one of the best games that the rivalry has ever seen. Though USC dominated for most of the game, and led 24-6 to start the fourth quarter, Montana came alive in the final period of play, carrying Notre Dame on his back and giving them a 25-24 lead with just 45 seconds left to play. Unfortunately for Joe, that would prove to be just enough time for the Trojans to take the game back from the Irish, as their QB, Paul McDonald, brought the team into field goal range to regain the win. Southern Cal would go on to win the national title that year after they defeated Michigan in the Rose Bowl, while Montana was able to redeem himself in the Cotton Bowl after a come-from-behind victory over Houston.
9. 1926 Army vs. Navy
Date: 11/27/1926
Location: Soldier Field (Chicago)
Result: 21-21, Tie
Yes, this is a major throwback, but there's some serious history in this game. First off, the 1926 Army-Navy game featured two military football programs at the peak of their powers, and both eyeing a national title with a win. For such an epic match-up, what better venue for the action than good ol' Soldier Field? Oh, and this wasn't just any game on Chicago's hallowed ground, either. This was the first game. That's right: the 1926 Army-Navy game was responsible for Soldier Field's christening.
With Navy undefeated and Army sitting at 7-1, the stakes couldn't have been higher and the atmosphere couldn't have been more electric. Soldier Field was packed that day, hosting over 100,000 people to take in the action, all hoping to come out of their with a national championship to cheer. With Tom Hamilton, Frank Wickhorst and Tom Eddy on the Midshipmen, and Chris Cagle, Chuck Born, and Gar Richardson on the Cadets, it was sure to be fairly even battle. But in the end, it was just a little too even.
Army and Navy played to a 21-21 stalemate, with darkness contributing to some particularly sloppy play in the closing minutes, but a tie ultimately being enough to give the Midshipmen a national championship anyway. The result may have been less than perfect, but the moment was a definitive one for college football in its early stages. Army-Navy. Soldier Field. Thousands upon thousands of people on hand to watch. Did it get any better than that back in the day?
8. 1969 Arkansas vs. Texas
Date: 12/6/1969
Location: Razorback Stadium (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Result: 15-14, Texas
Though they aren't able to play as much these days, the Longhorns and the Razorbacks ruled the Southwest Conference together back in the day, winning or sharing the league crown for nearly all of the 1960s. But in 1969, the two teams squared off for more than just their conference title at stake. With Texas ranked no. 1 and the Razorbacks at no. 2, national championship implications were on the line in Razorback Stadium that day.
The game was somewhat atypical for both teams, as a low-scoring, grinding style of play defined the action for much of the day. Texas, which had been employing its wishbone offense all season, came into the game averaging over 44 PPG. However, Arkansas' defense had only been allowing a meager 6.8 PPG prior to the match-up. Something had to give.
For most of the game, it appeared that Texas would be the one to relent, and at the end of the third, they were down to the Razorbacks, 14-0. Eventually, though, the Longhorns attack began to wake up, bringing them to 14-8 after a touchdown and a gutsy two-point conversion, and then 15-14 after running back Jim Bertlesen trucked into the end zone for the go-ahead score. After the game, Texas would go on to play and defeat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl Classic, earning the title of national champion. Arkansas, on the other hand, fell to the Archie Manning-led Ole Miss Rebels in the Sugar Bowl.
7. 1966 Michigan State vs. Notre Dame
Date: 11/19/1966
Location: Spartan Stadium (East Lansing, Mich.)
Result: 10-10, Tie
A lot of games have been labeled as the "Game of the Century" in college football, with each billing getting a little bit more tired than the last, but—despite the low score—the 1966 game between Michigan State and Notre Dame may have lived up to the hype. Because if it wasn't the "greatest" rivalry game ever played, it was certainly one of the more fascinating ones. How often do you ever see a team not try and score when the game is tied, and the ball is in their hands on the final drive? Placed at their own 30-yard line with 1:10 to play, the Fighting Irish opted to do just that, choosing to run the clock out instead of trying to get into field goal position and take the win.
It was a strategic move by Notre Dame head coach, Ara Parseghian, though somewhat cowardly as well. The two teams, both undefeated, were the highest ranked schools in the country, with Notre Dame having the edge over MSU. So, knowing that a tie would preserve their no. 1 ranking, Parseghian decided not to risk turning the ball over, and simply took the 10-10 result. In the end, his shrewdness was rewarded, as the voters kept Notre Dame atop the AP poll, and had them split the national championship trophy with Michigan State.
6. 1991 Florida State vs. Miami
Date: 11/16/1991
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Result: 17-16, Miami
There are two sports teams for which the words "Wide Right" are absolutely nightmare-inducing: the Buffalo Bills and the Florida State Seminoles. With Buffalo, that means Scott Norwood missing the game-winning field goal in Super Bowl XXV. For the Noles, it's a series of heartbreaking losses to their rival, the Miami Hurricanes, each one more demoralizing than the last. However, the original "Wide Right" moment came in 1991, when the no. 1 ranked Seminoles hosted the no. 2 Hurricanes in a late-season game between two of the year's best. At the time, FSU was on a 16-game winning streak, while the Canes had a 14-game roll of their own going so, needless to say, these two teams were peaking. With the Seminoles, you had a high-flying offense that had been averaging 41 PPG leading up into their game with Miami, while the Hurricanes defense had only given up 58 points all season.
In the end, it was that same defense, and certainly a bit of luck, that carried the Canes to victory. Leading 17-16 with 29 seconds left to play, the Miami D had let the Noles advance to the 17-yard line, knocking on the door of another score. However, looking at a third-and-nine with no timeouts left, FSU coach Bobby Bowden elected to kick the field goal right away instead of taking another shot at the endzone. Sending out Gerry Thomas to hit a 34-yard chip shot, Bowden—and plenty of other spectators—likely thought that the Seminoles had the game locked up.
However, Thomas only proved to us that absolutely no kick is a sure thing. His attempt inexplicably sailed right, giving the Hurricanes the upset, and sinking FSU's title hopes for another year. Replacing the Seminoles for the top spot in the polls, the Canes would stay in that slot for the remainder of the year, eventually beating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl to take home their fourth national championship.
5. 2006 Ohio State vs. Michigan
Date: 11/18/2006
Location: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)
Result: 42-39, Ohio State
The 21st century is young, but even in the next 87 years, it'll probably still be difficult to find a rivalry game as good as this one. The 2006 Michigan-Ohio State match-up had it all. With the Buckeyes slotted at no. 1 in all the major polls, and the Wolverines at no. 2, it was—and still is—the only time in the rivalry's history that the two teams both came into the game undefeated, and so highly ranked. And while both teams had been known for their tough defenses all season, this one would end being about offensive firepower, as the Troy Smith-led Buckeyes pulled out a three-point victory over Chad Henne's Wolverines.
Indeed, even with solid performances from Henne (267 yards, 2 TDs, no INTs) and Michigan running back Mike Hart (142 yards, 3 TDs), they weren't enough to outshine the spectacular Troy Smith, who posted 316 yards passing to go along with four touchdowns on the day. In the process, Smith carried his Buckeyes to the BCS National Championship Game against Florida that year, and earned himself the Heisman trophy as well. Though the Buckeyes would get spanked by the Gators, they could at least take solace in the fact that, when the stakes were at their highest, they came out on top against their biggest rival.
4. 2005 Notre Dame vs. USC
Date: 10/15/2005
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, Ind.)
Result: 34-31, Notre Dame
Year after year, Notre Dame is one of the most regularly hyped-up programs in the country, and that isn't just because of Lou Holtz. The school has an untouchable mystique, stemming from decades of success that have made it one of the winningest football teams of all time. However, in the 21st century, the results have been decidely more mixed for the Golden Domers, with South Bend fans having to endure a number of up-and-down years under Ty Willingham, Charlie Weis, and Brian Kelly, as well as the George O'Leary debacle.
But for a couple years there under Charlie Weis, things were going pretty great for the ND faithful. Weis had managed to make Brady Quinn look like the next Tom Brady, and in his first year at the helm for Notre Dame, he led the Fighting Irish to a 9-2 record and a Fiesta Bowl berth. However, in his premiere season, Weis also had the misfortune of running into one of the greatest juggernauts in college football history: the Pete Carroll-led USC Trojans. With Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush headlining the team at the time, and Notre Dame now rejuvenated the 2005 edition of the rivalry was finally able to deliver in a way that had been missing for years.
The game was a thriller that saw the two teams evenly matched until the very end. But down 31-28, with just over two minutes in the game, the Trojans knew that they had to make it to the end zone. As Leinart and Bush manuevered their way down the field to Notre Dame's two-yard line, time was ticking away, and a confusion with the game clock even prompted the Notre Dame students to storm the field before the official result had been decided.
After the refs put the time back on the clock, the Trojans were left with just seven seconds to make a play. Instead of kicking the field goal to tie, Pete Carroll—in true Pete Carroll fashion—told Matt Leinart to fake a call for a spike. Keeping the ball instead, and receiving quite a bit of help from Bush, Leinart found his way past the goal line, and sewed up the win for SC. Watch that video of the Trojan's final drive all the way, through. Bush went beast mode to make sure that Leinart got in. That's what you call teamwork.
3. 1967 USC vs. UCLA
Date: 11/18/1967
Location: The Coliseum (Los Angeles)
Result: 21-20, USC
With USC ranked no. 4, and UCLA sitting as the top team in the country, the annual, crosstown match-up of Los Angeles' two football powerhouses was sure to be as good as ever when they took to the field in 1967. Led by the eventual Heisman winner, Gary Beban, at quarterback, the Bruins had only suffered one winless game the entire season, tying the Oregon State Beavers earlier in the year. On the other side, the USC Trojans were led by the famous, future All-Pro workhorse, OJ Simpson. Likewise, USC had fallen to Oregon State prior to their game with the Bruins.
Despite these outcomes, though, both teams were looking at a Rose Bowl bid, or possibly a national championship, if they came out with a victory. For three quarters, the intensity of the action reflected the stakes. Field goals were blocked, Beban played through injury, and the two teams were tied at 14 as time began to tick away in the fourth quarter.
Of course, Simpson would be the one to save Troy in the end. After a touchdown and a missed PAT by UCLA put the Bruins up 20-14, an explosive 64-yard run from Simpson gave the Trojans the slim lead that would ultimately be the difference. Beban, too sore from his bruised ribs to move, rendered the Bruins ineffective for the remainder of the game, and USC held on for the upset.
2. 1969 Michigan vs. Ohio State
Date: 11/22/1969
Location: The Big House (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Result: 24-12, Michigan
The annual Michigan-Ohio State game is regularly referred to as college football's finest rivalry, and one of the best in all of sports. Having squared off for over a century, the hate between these two schools is very real, with Michigan holding the all-time edge in the series at 58–44–6. Though the rivalry has been around for decades, it didn't quite reach its peak until Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes took over at Michigan and OSU, respectively. Fierce competitors who had once walked the same sideline together (Schembechler served as an assistant under Hayes at OSU from 1958-1962), their match-ups from 1969-1978 became known as "The Ten-Year War," and have largely come to define the rivalry as we know it today.
And though they played a number of classic games throughout this period, it's easy to make the argument that their first head-to-head was actually their best. One of the all-time upsets for the rivalry, the first Schembechler-Hayes fight saw the twelfth-ranked Wolverines pull off an unexpected victory over the top-ranked Buckeyes, stopping their national title hopes in their tracks.
Favored by 17 points going in, Ohio State's defeat was anything but expected. The team had been recognized as the best in college football the entire season, and was even hailed as one of the greatest teams of all time. Prior to the Michigan game, OSU had never trailed in a game that year, given up more than 21 points, or scored less than 34 points. Their closest margin of victory was 27 points.
So how did Ohio State lose? It's has a lot to do with the fact that, in a rivalry like this, nothing that happened before has to do with what will happen on gameday. In their victory, Michigan forced seven Buckeye turnovers, and kept Ohio State completely scoreless for the second half, giving their new boss, Bo, a crucial victory over his old mentor. The Wolverines went on to the Rose Bowl, where they fell to USC by a score of 10-3, but at the point everything else was gravy. It didn't matter if they won or not, the only thing that counted was that Ohio State had lost.
1. 1987 Miami vs. Florida State
Date: 10/3/1987
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium ( Tallahassee, Fla.)
Result: 26-25, Miami
You don't become a legendary coach if you aren't willing to take a few risks to get there, and no one knows that better than former Florida State head honcho, Bobby Bowden. Though Bowden led his Seminoles to two national championships and 33 winning seasons during his time in Tallahassee, he was also bound to make a few questionable decisions here and there along the way. Case in point: the 1987 Florida State-Miami game, when the Seminoles fell to the Canes after failing to convert on a questionable two-point play at the end.
Let's get a little bit of background info in here first, though. Coming into the game, Miami was ranked no. 3, while Florida State sat in the four spot. Even more importantly, this game featured over 60 players who would go on to play in the NFL. That is an absolutely gaudy number. And these guys weren't scrubs, either. You had Deion Sanders out there, matched-up against Michael Irvin, Bennie Blades and more. In college football, this was as good as it got.
However, despite all the talent, there had to be a winner, and there had to be a loser. Though the Seminoles led for much of the game, a second half comeback mounted by Miami tied the game 19-19 in the fourth quarter, and eventually gave them the lead with 2:22 left to play. Though FSU was able to make it to the end zone, there was a crucial decision to be made: kick the extra point, and end with a tie, or go for two and try for the win.
Maybe it was the fact that his kicker had already missed an extra point on the day, or maybe it was because his players begged him to do it, but whatever the case, Bowden wanted the win, and he decided to go for it. Unfortunately for the Noles, the Hurricanes defense just wasn't having it, as they held strong to earn the victory for Miami. It's probably a decision that, to this day, Bowden would love to have back, but, if there's one thing that we're certain that Bowden has learned by now, it's this: "In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets."