College Football Rivalries

Written by Ben Pogany

If there's one thing that's truly great about college football, its the rivalries. Nothing ignites the fervor like playing that old nemesis across the way. Often stretching back over a century or more, these age-old antagonisms are as deeply rooted in the culture of fandom as cheering for the team itself. With Rivalry Week upon us, here is a look at the most intense and enduring college football rivalries of all time.

Name of Rivalry (if applicable)--Trophy Awarded (if applicable)--Team vs Team (Date of Original Matchup)

The Game--Ohio State vs Michigan (1897) Michigan leads 58-43 (six ties, Ohio State's 2010 vacated win not included)
Iron Bowl--James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy--Alabama vs Auburn (1893) Alabama leads 41-34 (1 tie)
The Game--Harvard vs Yale (1875) Yale leads 65-55 (8 ties)
Army–Navy Game--Army vs Navy (1890) Navy leads 55-49 (7 ties)
Red River Rivalry--Golden Hat--Oklahoma vs Texas (1900) Texas leads 59-42 (5 ties)
Michigan - Notre Dame Rivalry --Michigan vs Notre Dame (1887) Michigan leads 23-15 (1 tie)
Deep South's Oldest Rivalry--Auburn vs Georgia (1892) Auburn leads 54-53 (8 ties)
Florida State-Miami rivalry --Governor's Cup--Florida State vs Miami (1951) Miami leads 31-25
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate-- Governor's Cup--Georgia vs Georgia Tech (1893) Georgia leads 62-39 (5 ties)
Big Game--The Stanford Axe--Stanford vs California (1892) Standford leads 40-33 (3 ties)
Border War--Indian War Drum & Lamar Hunt Trophy--Kansas vs Missouri (1891) Missouri leads 57-54 (9 ties, record is disputed, 56 all is also accepted by some)
Lone Star Showdown--Lone Star Showdown trophy--Texas vs Texas A&M (1894) Texas leads 76-37 (5 ties)
Holy War --BYU vs Utah (1896) Utah leads 54-34 (4 ties)
Saban Bowl--Alabama vs LSU (1895, nicknamed Saban Bowl in 2007 after Nick Saban's departure from LSU to Alabama) Alabama leads 46-25 (5 ties)
Commonwealth Cup--Virginia vs Virginia Tech (1895) Virginia Tech leads 51-37 (5 ties)
Bedlam Series--Bedlam Bell--Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State (1900) Oklahoma leads 82-17 (7 ties)
South's Oldest Rivalry--North Carolina vs Virginia (1892) UNC leads 58-54 (4 ties)
Magnolia Bowl--Magnolia Bowl Trophy--LSU vs Ole Miss (1894) LSU leads 57-39 (4 ties)
Civil War --Platypus Trophy--Oregon vs Oregon State (1894) Oregon leads 59-46 (10 ties)
Duel in the Desert--Territorial Cup--Arizona vs Arizona State (1899) Arizona leads 47-37 (1 tie)
Seminole War Canoe Trophy--Florida vs Miami (1955) Miami leads 28-26
The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party--Okefenokee Oar--Florida vs Georgia (1915) Georgia leads 48-40 (2 ties, Florida asserts a record of 47-40)
Egg Bowl--Golden Egg Trophy--Ole Miss vs Mississippi State (1901) Ole MIss leads 60-41 (6 ties)
Backyard Brawl--Pittsburgh vs West Virginia (1895) Pitt leads 61-40 (3 ties)
Land of Lincoln/Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy--Illinois vs Northwestern (1892, Sioux trophy established in 1945, changed to Land of Lincoln Trophy in 2009) Illinois leads 54-46 (5 ties)
Victory Bell--Duke vs North Carolina (1948) UNC leads 43-20 (1 tie, 2 of UNC's 43 have since been vacated)
Tiger Bowl--Auburn vs LSU (1901) LSU leads 25-20 (1 tie)
Heartland Trophy--Iowa vs Wisconsin (1894) Tied 42-42 (2 ties)
Missouri–Nebraska Rivalry--Victory Bell--Missouri vs Nebraska (1892) Nebraska leads 65-36 (3 ties)
Sunflower Showdown--Governor's Cup--Kansas vs Kansas State (1902) Kansas leads 65-39 (2 ties, record is also disputed to be 64-40)
Sunshine Showdown--Florida vs Florida State (1958) Florida leads 33-20 (2 ties)
Battle of the Brazos--Baylor vs Texas A&M (1899) A&M leads 68-31 (9 ties)
Victory Bell--Cincinnati vs Miami (OH) (1888) Miami leads 59-49 (7 ties)
Battle of the Brothers--Utah vs Utah State (1892) Utah leads 77-28 (4 ties)
The Battle for the Mitten--Paul Bunyan Trophy--Michigan vs Michigan State (1953) Michigan leads 34-22 (2 ties)
Battle of the Palmetto State--Clemson vs South Carolina (1896) Clemson leads 65-39 (4 ties)
Little Brown Jug--Michigan vs Minnesota (1903) Michigan leads 67-22 (3 ties)
Apple Cup--Apple Cup--Washington vs Washington State (1900) Washington leads 66-31 (6 ties)
Indiana–Purdue rivalry--Old Oaken Bucket--Indiana vs Purdue (trophy established in 1925, teams first met in 1891) Purdue leads 70-37 (6 ties)
Old Wagon Wheel--BYU vs Utah State (1948) BYU leads 43-34 (3 ties)
Rio Grande Rivalry--The Maloof Trophy--New Mexico vs New Mexico State (1894) New Mexico leads 66-31 (5 ties)
Holy War --Baylor vs TCU (1899) TCU leads 50-49 (7 ties)
Little Brown Stein--Idaho vs Montana (1903) Idaho leads 55-27 (2 ties)
Southwest Classic --Arkansas vs Texas A&M (1903) Arkansas leads 41-24 (3 ties)
Third Saturday in October--Alabama vs Tennessee (1901) Alabama leads 48-38 (7 ties)
Holy War --Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl and Ireland Trophy--Boston College vs Notre Dame (1975) Notre Dame leads 12-9
Oregon-Washington rivalry--Oregon vs Washington (1900) Washington leads 57-41 (5 ties)
Paul Bunyan's Axe, Slab of Bacon--Minnesota vs Wisconsin (1890) Wisconsin leads 39-35 (3 ties)
Battle for the Rag--Tiger Rag or Victory Flag--LSU vs Tulane (1893) LSU leads 69-22 (7 ties)
Border War--Bronze Boot--Colorado State vs Wyoming (1899) Colorado State leads 55-42 (5 ties)
CMU–WMU Rivalry Trophy--Central Michigan vs Western Michigan (1907) WMU leads 44-36 (2 ties)
Arch Rivalry--Illinois vs Missouri (1896) Missouri leads 17-7
Rocky Mountain Showdown--Centennial Cup--Colorado vs Colorado State (1893) Colorado leads 61-20 (2 ties)
Battle of the Palouse--Idaho vs Washington State (1894) WSU leads 70-18 (3 ties)
Commander-in-Chief's Trophy--Air Force, Army, Navy (1972) Air Force: 18, Navy: 12, Army: 6
Tiger-Sooner Peace Pipe--Oklahoma vs Missouri (1929) Oklahoma leads 57-16 (4 ties)
UCLA-USC rivalry--Victory Bell--UCLA vs USC (1929) USC leads 45-28 (7 ties)
Cy-Hawk Trophy--Iowa vs Iowa State (1977) Iowa leads 39-20
Third Saturday in September--Florida vs Tennessee (1916) Florida leads 22-19
Crab Bowl Classic--Maryland vs Navy (1905) Navy leads 14-7
Battle for the Palladium--The Palladium Trophy--Troy vs Middle Tennessee (1936) Middle Tennessee leads 11-8
Boise State-Idaho rivalry--Governor's Cup--Idaho vs Boise State (1972) Boise State leads 22-17 (1 tie)
Battle for the Schwartzwalder Trophy--Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy--Syracuse vs West Virginia (trophy established in 1993, teams first met in 1945) Syracuse leads 32-27
Houston–Rice rivalry--Bayou Bucket--Houston vs Rice (1971) Houston leads 27-10
Beehive Boot--BYU, Utah, Utah State, and Weber State (1971) BYU leads with 22 boots
Black and Blue Bowl-- Memphis vs Southern Miss (1935) Southern Miss leads 39-21 (1 tie)
Floyd of Rosedale--Iowa vs Minnesota (1891) Minnesota leads 41-34 (2 ties)
Maryland-Penn State rivalry--Maryland vs Penn State (1917) Penn St leads 35-1 (1 tie)
Maryland-Virginia rivalry--Maryland vs Virginia (1919) Maryland leads 42-32 (2 ties)
Battle for the Golden Boot--Golden Boot--Arkansas vs LSU (1901, awarding of Golden Boot since 1996) LSU leads 35-20 (2 ties)
Maryland-West Virginia rivalry--Maryland vs West Virginia (1919) West Virginia leads 25-21 (2 ties)
The Battle of I-10 --Silver Spade--New Mexico State vs UTEP (1935) UTEP leads 52-35 (2 ties)
Battle of I-75--Peace Pipe--Bowling Green vs Toledo (1919) Toledo leads 17-15
Florida Cup--Florida, Florida State, Miami (2002) Miami leads 3-1-1
Fresno State-San José State Rivalry--Fresno State vs San José State (1926) Fresno St leads 39-33 (3 ties)
Governor's Cup--Kentucky vs Louisville (1912) Kentucky leads 14-10
Illibuck--Illinois vs Ohio State (trophy established 1925, teams have met beginning in 1902,) Ohio St leads 62-30 (4 ties, record not including Ohio St's 2010 vacated win)
Notre Dame-USC rivalry--Jeweled Shillelagh--Notre Dame vs USC (1926) Notre Dame leads 43-34 (5 ties)
Keg of Nails--Cincinnati vs Louisville (1929) CIncinnati leads 30-20 (1 tie)
Battle for the Mayor's Cup--Mayor's Cup--Rice vs SMU (1916) SMU leads 47-40 (1 tie)
Legends Trophy--Notre Dame vs Stanford (1988) Notre Dame leads 17-8
Megaphone Trophy--Michigan State vs Notre Dame (1949) Notre Dames leads 32-26-1 since trophy began and 46-28-1 all time
Battle for the Iron Skillet--Iron Skillet--TCU vs SMU (1925) TCU leads 44-40 (7 ties)
Michigan MAC Trophy--Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan (2005) CMU-3, EMU-3, WMU-1
Old Brass Spittoon--Indiana vs Michigan State (1950) Michigan State leads 41-14 (1 tie)
Purdue Cannon--Illinois vs Purdue (1943) Purdue leads 31-27 (2 ties)
Ram-Falcon Trophy--Air Force vs Colorado State (1980) Air Force leads 28-19 (1 tie)
Shillelagh Trophy--Notre Dame vs Purdue (1957) Notre Dame leads 55-26 (2 ties)
Telephone Trophy--Iowa State vs Missouri (1959) Missouri leads 31-18 (3 ties)
Textile Bowl--Clemson vs North Carolina State (trophy awarded since 1981, teams have met beginning in1899) Clemson leads 51-27 (1 tie)
The Battle of the Land Grants--Land Grant Trophy--Michigan State vs Penn State (1993) Penn St leads 13-5
Battle for Nevada--Fremont Cannon--Nevada vs UNLV (1969) Nevada leads 22-15
Shula Bowl--Don Shula Award--Florida Atlantic vs Florida International (2002) Florida Atlantic leads 8-2
O'Rourke–McFadden Trophy--Boston College vs Clemson (trophy established 2008, teams first met in 1940) Clemson leads 10-9 (2 ties)
River City Rivalry--Paddlewheel Trophy--Cincinnati vs Pittsburgh (trophy awarded since 2005, teams played 4 times prior) Ptt leads 8-3
Battle for the Bone--Fresno State vs Louisiana Tech (1986) Fresno St leads 7-4
Battle for the Milk Can--Milk Can--Boise State vs Fresno State (trophy established in 2005, teams first met in 1977) Boise leads 6-1
Wagon Wheel--Akron vs Kent State (1946) Kent St leads 21-19 (1 tie)
Governor's Victory Bell--Minnesota vs Penn State (1993) Penn St leads 8-4
Gansz Trophy--Navy vs SMU--(trophy established in 2009, trams first met in 1930) Navy leads 9-7
Battle for the Bones--The Bones--UAB vs Memphis (1997) UAB leads 10-4
Friends of Coal Bowl--Governor's Cup--West Virginia vs Marshall (trophy established in 2006, teams first met in 1911) West Virginia leads 11-0
Jefferson-Eppes Trophy--Florida State vs Virginia (1995) Florida St leads 14-2