Top 100 College Football Best Rivalries -The Athletic

[madbamahater]

According to most Alabastard fans, Tennessee is their most hated and biggest rival. The wins/losses back that up until the Saban era when the Vols were absolute trash by Vol standards. Still, no team has beaten them more than Tennessee.

 

[madbamahater]

Outside of these few, no one really cares nationally.

UT/BAMA
UGA/UF
OH ST/MI
TX/OK
AUB/BAMA
UGA/AUB
ND/USC
OLE MISS/MISS ST
LSU/UF
UT/UGA
MIA/FSU
ARMY/NAVY

**LSU/BAMA is no slouch
LSU/AUB is no slouch


Not many more get the whole nation to tune in each and every year.

 

[jarnol32]

Minnesota Wisconsin in the top ten. Smdh….

 

[05_never_again]

The last 20 years have ruined the UT-Bama series. I want to say UT was maybe 5-6 wins from evening up the series at 50/50 through 2004 ish. You could really say the same about FL and Georgia - I think we had more wins than both through the early 2000s. The post Fulmer, pre Heupel era really tarnished our legacy and ruined several head to head series.

I think it was overrated even before then, actually. The last 20 years (minus the last 3 years) certainly degraded it further, but it also was not a great series from the mid 90s until the mid 2000s or for most of the 1960s and 1970s. When you look back at it historically, there just aren't all that many games where both teams are good.

The AP Poll started (I think) in 1936, so we've played 88 games in the Poll era. Of those 88 games, only 24 of those games have been played with both teams ranked.

 

[OffTackleVol]

According to most Alabastard fans, Tennessee is their most hated and biggest rival. The wins/losses back that up until the Saban era when the Vols were absolute trash by Vol standards. Still, no team has beaten them more than Tennessee.

And no other team has beaten the tea-baggers, tree-killers, and sucker-punchers 7 games in a row, 9 of 10, and 10 of 12.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

I agree and I swear nobody talked about the iron bowl until the 2010's. Now I'm 31...but it seemed to gain singinficant mystique during that period.

The Michigan-OSU rivalry is more vicious to me. Even if you talk to some 20 year old girl that doesn't care about sports they'll still talk about how much they hate OH/MI as a state and that amplifies if they're fans.

Something about AU/AL fans living in the same state, takes some of juics from it. They are typically friends and family. It's not the same as if I go to Alabama wearing orange. They HATE us. We are others and for some old bammers they hate us more than Auburn.

Yes on the AU/Bama rivalry. Living in Tide Land now that rivalry is only intense for the week they play although neither side wishes the other any success during the season. TN is more hated than AU by the old timers. The younger Tide fans didn't see it as a rivalry during the Saban yrs, understandably, but now that we have won 2 of last 3 it is coming back.

It's always best when all Tide fans are hating TN because it means we are beating them.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

Yes on the AU/Bama rivalry. Living in Tide Land now that rivalry is only intense for the week they play although neither side wishes the other any success during the season. TN is more hated than AU by the old timers. The younger Tide fans didn't see it as a rivalry during the Saban yrs, understandably, but now that we have won 2 of last 3 it is coming back.

It's always best when all Tide fans are hating TN because it means we are beating them.

I'm ready to see the vitriol after we beat them down there in Tuscaloser

 

[jarnol32]

Minnesota Wisconsin in the top ten. Smdh….

 

[BearBryant]

#80- Tennessee - Vandy
What to know: The in-state aspect and total number of games put this series in the top 80. But if both teams weren’t located in Tennessee, it might not crack the top 100. From 1965 to 2004, Tennessee was 37-2-1. The series has become more competitive in recent years with Vandy winning five of 13 to give it some more flavor.

1. In true rivalry fashion, the teams can’t agree on the total number of games. Vandy lists 119 while Tennessee has 118. It all stems from Vanderbilt counting a 76-0 win against Tennessee in 1918, while the Vols suspended varsity football in 1917-18 during World War I and fielded two unofficial teams.
2. Vandy won 18 of the first 22 games, which also included two ties. The Vols have compiled a 79-14-2 mark since 1928.
3. Separated by 180 miles along I-40 from Knoxville to Nashville, the teams have played 65 times on the season’s final weekend.

Biggest game: Both clinched bowl bids by their 1982 finale, but Vanderbilt was seeking its first home win against Tennessee since 1964. Commodores QB Whit Taylor was brilliant in passing for 391 yards and engineering a 28-21 win. Vanderbilt fans stormed the field and tore down the goal posts. The next time Vandy beat Tennessee at home was in 2012, 30 years later.

#75- Tennessee - Kentucky
What to know: Results matter in rivalries, but so do proximity, longevity and other factors. There’s a sizzle between the fan bases that belies Tennessee’s lopsided advantage. It spills over to other sports, too.

1. They once competed annually for the Beer Barrel from 1925-97. Painted orange on one side, blue on the other with white separating the colors, it was started by Kentucky students who labeled it “ice water” because of Prohibition at the time. It was discontinued after a fatal alcohol-related car accident involving Kentucky players in 1998.
2. The win disparity (59) ranks ninth among power-conference series and second in SEC history behind Alabama-Mississippi State (71).
3. The Vols and Wildcats are tied for third among SEC programs in games played. Only Auburn-Georgia (129) and Ole Miss-Mississippi State (121) have competed more often.

Biggest game: The hammer-vs.-nail history doesn’t leave much for great games, but their 2007 edition was a classic. The Wildcats featured one of their best teams and Tennessee was in position to claim the SEC East crown with a win. Kentucky QB Andre’ Woodson threw six TDs to erase a 17-point deficit. Trailing 52-50 in the fourth OT, Woodson’s 2-point run fell short and the Vols — behind QB Eric Ainge’s seven TDs — held on.

#53- Tennessee - Georgia
What to know: After they had little shared history before the SEC expanded to 12 teams, this has become one of the league’s most important series. Depending on how often they play in the future, it could soar into a top-30 rivalry or fall back.

1. Barely 200 miles separates Athens from Knoxville, but the teams rarely faced one another before they were paired in the SEC East in 1992. They didn’t even play from 1937-68 and after that met just eight times until divisional play began.
2. The Bulldogs and Vols have still met 19 times as ranked opponents. That’s tied for 20th among FBS series.
3. The teams claim a combined 13 national titles (Georgia 7, Tennessee 6) but they met in only four of those seasons, all from 1980 onward.

Biggest game: In the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in Sanford Stadium history, the top-ranked defending national champion Bulldogs and second-ranked Vols met while 8-0 in 2022. Georgia’s all-world defense produced six sacks and held Tennessee’s high-flying offense to 289 yards in a 27-13 rout. The Bulldogs later won their second straight national title.

#36- Tennessee - Florida
What to know: Tennessee and Florida barely resonated for either fan base until they were forced to play one another every year in the SEC East. Once they did, the series sizzled and became the SEC’s most competitive rivalry in the 1990s. It doesn’t measure up when compared alongside these teams’ historical feuds, but it’s on the map.

1. From 1916-89, they played only 19 times. Since then, they have played 35 consecutive years and both teams were ranked in the AP poll in 22.
2. Most of their meetings have taken place in September to set the tone in many SEC seasons. Ten times from 1990-2002, both teams were ranked in the top 10.
3. No rivalry was livelier when Peyton Manning led the Vols and Steve Spurrier coached the Gators in the mid-1990s. After four straight series wins, which relegated Tennessee to the Citrus Bowl three times, Spurrier told a room of supporters before their 1997 meeting that “You can’t spell ‘Citrus’ without U-T.”

Biggest game: After five straight top-15 losses to the Gators, No. 6 Tennessee hosted No. 2 Florida in 1998. The Vols picked up a 20-17 OT win when Florida’s game-tying attempt said wide left. The win propelled Tennessee to the first BCS championship.

#11- Tennessee - Alabama
What to know: For more than a century, Alabama-Tennessee has been the SEC’s signature border-state clash. The Crimson Tide and Vols rank first and third in SEC winning percentage and conference titles, respectively. Tennessee’s program woes during Alabama’s unprecedented run under Nick Saban knocks this back a few notches, but it’s still a quintessential SEC rivalry.

1. Christened as the “Third Saturday in October” since 1939, Tennessee and Alabama largely have stayed true to moniker, even as the SEC has taken more control over the schedule. Since 1998, their series frequently has drifted to the month’s fourth Saturday but they haven’t played outside of October since 1913.
2. The teams have competed every season since 1928 except in 1943 amid WWII. It ranks third among Tennessee’s most-played series behind Kentucky and Vanderbilt, and for Alabama, it’s one game behind Mississippi State.
3. The programs have both been ranked in 24 contests with Alabama holding a 13-10-1 advantage. Eleven were top-10 battles. At least one team was ranked in 48 other games.

Biggest game: The rivals entered their 2022 matchup unbeaten for the first time since 1989. The No. 6 Vols built a 28-10 lead, then No. 3 Alabama stormed back and took a 49-42 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Tennessee tied the score on Jalin Hyatt’s fifth touchdown catch. After getting the ball back with 15 seconds left, the Vols picked up a pair of chunk plays, then kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired for a 52-49 victory.

Top 10-

10- Minnesota - Wisconsin
9- UF- FSU
8- OSU - Penn St.
7- Miami - FSU
6- Nebraska - Oklahoma
5- Notre Dame - USC
4- Army - Navy
3- Oklahoma - Texas
2- Bama - Auburn
1- Michigan - OSU

what a joke

 

[Tin Man]

Minnesota Wisconsin in the top ten. Smdh….

That one has a deep history, but went a long time lacking relevance. Probably, its current relevance could be questioned despite the resurgence of both programs.

 

[Volizona]

According to most Alabastard fans, Tennessee is their most hated and biggest rival. The wins/losses back that up until the Saban era when the Vols were absolute trash by Vol standards. Still, no team has beaten them more than Tennessee.

Right. As stated before we were getting close to 50/50 with Bama towards the end of Fulmers tenure. The next 15 years / Saban era ruined the rivalry results

 

[jarnol32]

That one has a deep history, but went a long time lacking relevance. Probably, its current relevance could be questioned despite the resurgence of both programs.

What resurgence? The fact that both teams may be fringe top 25 teams every other year?

 

[Tin Man]

What resurgence? The fact that both teams may be fringe top 25 teams every other year?

Both were powerhouses at one time in their history. Each has risen from doldrums deeper than UT's recent dark period to achieving winning records, upsetting conference foes that had long help mastery over them, and receiving bowl invitations. That fits the definition of resurgence. One does not have to rise to the pinnacles of college football to improve the competitiveness and record of one's program.

Wisconsin had a 30-year period during which the highlight for fans was the Badger Band pregame, halftime, and postgame shows. You didn't miss 'em. If you had to go to the bathroom, you did it during the game. Since 1993, Wisconsin has gone bowling every year but 3 and played in the Rose Bowl 6 times.

Minnesota has had a couple of long periods of irrelevance, the most recent being in the 80s and 90s. Glen Mason gave them life in the early 00s, while Jerry Kill, Tracy Claeys, and P. J. Fleck have brought them bowling every year but 3 since 2011.

 

[hUTch2002]

I agree and I swear nobody talked about the iron bowl until the 2010's. Now I'm 31...but it seemed to gain singinficant mystique during that period.

The Michigan-OSU rivalry is more vicious to me. Even if you talk to some 20 year old girl that doesn't care about sports they'll still talk about how much they hate OH/MI as a state and that amplifies if they're fans.

Something about AU/AL fans living in the same state, takes some of juics from it. They are typically friends and family. It's not the same as if I go to Alabama wearing orange. They HATE us. We are others and for some old bammers they hate us more than Auburn.

You must not spend much time in Alabama. The Iron Bowl is HUGE and they absolutely do hate each other. Some of those idiots kill each other over that game. I agree that it’s behind OSU Michigan but it’s not something that just popped up 15 years ago. You’re 31 so you just started paying more attention the.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

You must not spend much time in Alabama. The Iron Bowl is HUGE and they absolutely do hate each other. Some of those idiots kill each other over that game. I agree that it’s behind OSU Michigan but it’s not something that just popped up 15 years ago. You’re 31 so you just started paying more attention the.

I also remember anytime I met Bama fans as a kid they just seemed to hate Tennessee more idk.

 

[hUTch2002]

I also remember anytime I met Bama fans as a kid they just seemed to hate Tennessee more idk.

Fair. Some of the older ones might feel that way but the Iron Bowl is definitely a huge deal down there. I agree with Yankee though. I’d go Army Navy 1st. Then probably UM OSU then Iron Bowl. I loved the old rivalry games though. I used to love watching games like Colorado Nebraska, the Backyard Brawl, the Civil War and more. It just seemed like it was more important back then. In today’s free agency world, people just seem to not care as much about a particular school.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

With all due respect to UM and tOSU nothing tops the Auburn-UAT rivalry.

Bama and Auburn went over 40 years without playing. That has to knock it down a bit.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

Outside of these few, no one really cares nationally.

UT/BAMA
UGA/UF
OH ST/MI
TX/OK
AUB/BAMA
UGA/AUB
ND/USC
OLE MISS/MISS ST
LSU/UF
UT/UGA
MIA/FSU
ARMY/NAVY

**LSU/BAMA is no slouch
LSU/AUB is no slouch


Not many more get the whole nation to tune in each and every year.

Nobody cares about Tennessee-Georgia nationally. It’s been very rare that both were great at the same time, and Georgia has utterly dominated that rivalry in recent memory. Tennessee-Florida has more cache.