College Football's Best Rivalries Betting Info

The fabric of college football is wrapped in its traditions and many of its colorful rivalries that make college football such a great sport. This upcoming week, many of the more historic matchups will take place yet again this holiday weekend starting Thanksgiving night.

On Thursday night, No. 3 Texas and Texas A&M will hookup for their annual battle. These archrivals have always had a “big brother, little brother” relationship, with the Aggies trying to outdo Texas. Years ago these two schools set up a program that awarded points to every athletic competition, be it men’s or women’s sports, which were totaled at the end of the year and a winner was announced. Texas has won this competition every year. The home team is 5-6, but 8-2-1 against the spread. Texas is still in the BCS hunt and will be looking to chew up the Aggies like a leftover turkey leg.

On Friday afternoon, there is no game that has loyalties running deeper than Alabama and Auburn. This is a regionalized affair that is important to every Alabamian. In a state that has had a century-old love affair with college football, this one is about 60 minutes of football determining bragging rights in Alabama for the next 364 days. The losers have only "next year" to cling to because the scores of other games during the season really do not matter.

The game is known as the Iron Bowl because its birthplace is in Birmingham, which was built around huge iron ore deposits in the Alabama hill country. What is truly unusual about this historic rivalry is it was not played for 41 years from 1907-1948. The universities had reached an impasse in 1907, with unfair officiating being one of the charges, and neither side could come to an agreement, thus no game was played in that time period. The 1950’s saw Auburn’s Shug Jordan dominate the Crimson Tide, until Paul “Bear” Bryant returned and eventually the series turned to Alabama’s favor. Bryant teams went on to crush the Tigers for years before losing in his final game in the series. Shortly thereafter, “The Bear” announced his retirement and two months later he passed away. The names like Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, Bo Jackson and Shaun Alexander are all part of the lore along with the infamous kicker Van Kiffen, who made what became known as “The Kick” in 1985. Kiffen drilled a 52-yard field goal with just seconds left to give Alabama a 25-23 triumph.

No.2 Alabama can’t afford a misstep if it expects to keep national championship hopes alive. The Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 39-33-1 and will face a vengeful Auburn squad who was embarrassed 36-0 last season, the most lop-sided margin in the series since 1962. This will be Tigers coach Gene Chizik’s first real involvement in this rivalry, rest assured he’s heard about its importance since his hiring. Auburn can shatter most of the dreams of Alabama if they could win for the seventh time (4-3 ATS) in the last eight years. The home team however is a dismal 5-9 against the spread.

The action really picks up on Saturday with the Egg Bowl rivalry, as Mississippi heads over to Starkville to renew unpleasantries with the Bulldogs. This match-up is best described as a “family feud” as read in William Barner’s book on the history of the rivalry. Back in the old days, fans would break out into fights before, during and after the games. In 1926, the fighting got so ugly after the first Ole Miss victory in 13 years that officials came up with the concept of the Golden Egg Trophy, awarded to the winner in a formal ceremony each year. It was supposed to cut down on such ugliness, instead the fans just fought outside the stadium as opposed to in it. The Rebels have carried the action most of the last decade, being an underdog just once 2001. Ole Miss has won five of last seven and is 7-2-1 ATS in last 10 contests.

A regionalized rivalry known as the “Border War” between Kansas and Missouri will once again have great meaning to the combatants. This will be the third consecutive year they will meet in neutral Kansas City (19 of the first 20 games were played in K.C.). Surprisingly this is the second oldest rivalry in D-1 (FBS), with the winner earning The Indian War Drum. The underdog is 9-5 ATS the last 14 years, which includes the Jayhawks 40-37 upset as 15-point dogs last year. The all-time series record is a dead heat after all these years at 54-54, with 9 ties.

The “Bedlam Game” will be played in Norman this season, when the Oklahoma State Cowboys arrive. It’s hard to almost call this a rivalry since Oklahoma leads with an all-time record of 79-16-7. Billionaire Boone Pickens is doing his best to change all that, upgrading the facilities in Stillwater to be better than any in the Big 12 and among the best in the country. Unfortunately, he can’t buy the Cowboys many victories since his increased involvement in his alma mater. The home team is 8-2-1 ATS in the last 11 fracases.

The battle of Palmetto State is a heated rivalry with origins back to the 1880’s, concerning historic tensions regarding their respective charters. The two institutions are separated by just over 125 miles, holding the longest uninterrupted series in the South and the third longest uninterrupted series overall, having been played every year since 1909. The meeting has a strange ritual dating back to early 1900’s and is carried on today. Without going into all the long details, South Carolina and Clemson University bring a made-up symbol about the other and burns it on Friday night before the big encounter. The 2004 game is the most recent contest etched in the minds of the schools and people across the country, when both teams started brawling at the conclusion of Clemson’s 29-7 victory. Each team had won a total of six games that year and was technically bowl eligible. However, both schools elected to forfeit their postseason opportunity because of the shameful nature of the fight. This series typifies as much as any the frenzied excitement, with the visitor 15-5 ATS in the last 20 meetings. How Clemson approaches this battle will be intriguing, with more important game against Georgia Tech next for ACC title.

Georgia and Georgia Tech can best be explained by book Bill Cromartie penned – Clean, Good Old Fashion Hate. These teams can’t even agree on the number of games they have competed on the gridiron. Georgia Tech’s records show two more then Georgia’s, as the Bulldogs do not acknowledge the games played in 1943-44, since many of their players were in World War II. Georgia has a 20-game edge in the series after the Yellow Jackets thrilling 45-42 upset last year in Athens. That was coach Mark Richt’s first loss (7-1, 5-1-1 ATS) in this encounter, raising the visitors record to 9-2 ATS since 1998.

Always of significance is the BYU and Utah conflict, known as the “Holy War”. The term Holy War, rather than denoting a war between religions, refers to the intensity of the competitors. Both teams have 9-2 record and the fierceness of these battles in Provo and Salt Lake City is legendary in these parts. These conflicts are annually very close. Only twice in the last 12 years has a game been decided by more than a touchdown. The underdog is a top quality 12-4 ATS.

Florida State and Florida is all about protecting the home turf as demonstrated by 15-6 ATS record in which some of the best athletes in college football have played in this battle. Florida has had the better of it in recent years with five consecutive wins and like most years, the outcome has national implications.

College Football Game Day Write-Ups

It’s been forever it seems since the fourth Saturday in November wasn’t about the importance of a Michigan-Ohio State conflict, but like you money be safer in your pocket than in a bank, it is true. The Penn State and Michigan State contest has larger implications in the Big Ten to end this season. The “Holy War” is bigger than ever with Utah trying to close the door on perfect season and nab another BCS berth against hated rival BYU. Though Saturday’s meeting will not decide the Big East champion, both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati control their own destiny, with the winner having a huge leg up.

Nothing stirs the college football soul of a Midwesterner in late in November like an Ohio State and Michigan matchup. The long history, the true hatred of the two schools for one another arouses the passion of any true college football fan. This year will have an oddly different feel, like nothing in decades. This is Michigan’s bowl game, as they won’t be playing in the post-season for the first time since 1975, having their first eight-loss season in school history (129 years). Click here to continue.

College Football Biggest Rivalries – Part 1

One of the many great aspects of college football is the end of the season when the most bitter of rivalries get together to renew those emotions from the past. This is the game that mostly involves in-state or neighboring state universities that stir the emotion of every player and alumni alike. Because of proximity, many fans either attended these schools or were cultured by their parents to develop an affiliation with the beloved institution of hirer learning. The passion runs deep in these situations and this becomes an emotional encounter that is a tipping point, often for one calendar year when the next game is played and the drama unfolds all over again.

ESPN in recent years did a study with fan participation about what is the greatest rivalry in sports. The winner was the Ohio State-Michigan game, which has tremendous importance on a national scale.

Virtually every year the Ohio State-Michigan game has an impact on the national landscape, the Big Ten Conference championship, which lead to who plays in the Rose Bowl, except for recent BCS history. Like most great rivalries, the hate for the other school and team is genuine. A Michigan hat or T-shirt in Columbus is as welcome as bubonic plague, with the same being true of Buckeye gear in Ann Arbor. Considering these two Big Ten teams meet the last game of the regular season, it is nothing short of remarkable that at least one team has been unbeaten an amazing 22 times.

The level of play has been as good as any series played in college football. Starting with the days of Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler in 1969, at least one team has been ranked in every year but 1987, covering 41 years. The series had a few games of importance throughout the decades; however it heated up in earnest when former Ohio State assistant Schembechler became the Michigan coach. The games played between these two fiery and combative coaches are the stuff of legend in college football annals, each defining the man. There meetings were referred to as the “Ten Year War”. Each coach took his team to the Rose Bowl five times. Hayes went 1-4, Schembechler went 0-5, and neither record should come as a surprise. After coaching against each other, they and their teams were spent. Hayes to his dying day said the best team he ever coached was the 1969 squad. They were number one, 8-0 having allowed only 69 points. Ohio State hadn't scored fewer than 34 points in any game, and had scored more than 60 twice. But first year Michigan coach Bo Schembechler had played and coached under Woody and made it his obsession to defeat the man he respected. Ohio State players would say then and years later, it was as if Michigan had there playbook and were in the huddle for every call, because they were perfectly positioned for every offensive play and knew what plays to call against the best defense in the country. Michigan pulled the upset at home 24-12 and the war began.

When something is this big and important it shapes people’s lives. John Cooper had one of the most successful runs as coach in Ohio State history; unfortunately his legacy is he was 2-10-1 against the hated Wolverines. The man that was sought out to replace Cooper was Jim Tressel, who had built his reputation at Youngstown State, capturing four national champions and playing for two others. Upon being hired he endeared himself to the Columbus faithful by saying his first priority was beating Michigan. He has kept is word and is 6-1 against Michigan, covering the spread five times.

As sports wagering has come more into the mainstream existence over the years, this contest has annually drawn huge amounts of money on both sides. With two strong population bases, it easy to understand why this game would have a large following of bets placed. In years prior, before internet gambling was available as a consumer choice, except for Las Vegas, all the action was localized to bookies. Depending on the state or city it was not unusual for the actual line to be off 3-4 points in either direction, as the Buckeye and Wolverine faithful were loading up in support of their beloved team. Though this season has been nothing short of a disaster in Michigan with 3-8 record, a good chunk of the ill-will new coach Rich Rodriguez has brought upon himself can be erased by upsetting the Buckeyes.

In the past 15 seasons, the favorite is 11-4 and 10-5 ATS. The home team has enjoyed similar success in winning and is 9-6 against the oddsmakers.

In 1970 a local judge in Columbus dismissed a charge of obscenity against a defendant arrested for wearing a T-shirt that said, "F--- Michigan" because the message "accurately expressed" local feelings about the university and the state.

While this game will still draw oodles of attention, there are others that have great significance in regional pockets.

Of great significance is this year BYU and Utah conflict, known as the “Holy War”. The term Holy War, rather than denoting a war between religions, refers to the intensity of the competitors. A win by Utes might mean a return to the Holy Grail, a BCS bowl bid for completing a 12-0 season. Besides the fierceness of the battle, these conflicts are annually close. Only once in the last 11 years has a game been decided by more than a touchdown, which was Utah’s last unbeaten season in 2004. The underdog is an amazing 13-2 against the number.

Out West, Washington and Washington State have been meeting as cross-state rivals since 1900. Their have been a few interruptions over the years, however the 101st meeting might be marked in infamy for how dreadful each team actually is. It’s not every year two of the worst teams in college football matchup and it’s a rivalry game. Washington State is the only team to post a win, beating FCS Portland State. In 1962 this matchup became known as the “Apple Cup” game, with the state well known for producing those tasty treats. The visitor is 5-1 ATS in the last six contests, with Washington leading 64-30-6 all-time, in what can only be described as the Rotten Apple Cup in 2008.

The Stanford- Cal matchup is known as the “Big Game” in the Bay Area and in true fashion with these eccentric universities, the first meeting was held March 19, 1892 (not exactly football season) at San Francisco's Haight Street grounds with Stanford emerging victorious 14-10. They play for the Stanford Axe, with the Cardinal leading the series 55-44-11. With You Tube, this rivalry will live on for generations, being able to view “The Play”, in which four Cal players lateraled the ball five times on a kickoff return with four seconds left on the clock and Kevin Moen (who was the first and last ball carrier) ran through the Stanford band to the most improbable win ever. The Bears are the home team this season, with the visitor 12-4 ATS since 1992. One of the many great aspects of college football is the end of the season when the most bitter of rivalries get together to renew those emotions from the past. This is the game that mostly involves in-state or neighboring state universities that stir the emotion of every player and alumni alike. Because of proximity, many fans either attended these schools or were cultured by their parents to develop an affiliation with the beloved institution of hirer learning. The passion runs deep in these situations and this becomes an emotional encounter that is a tipping point, often for one calendar year when the next game is played and the drama unfolds all over again.