5.Florida vs. Florida State
This matchup has taken a backseat to other rivalries due to either Florida State or Florida being down over the last few season. If this were the ‘90s, this would be higher on the list with masterful coaches Spurrier and Bowden squaring off. However, no love is lost in this in-state rivalry. After all, they are the biggest football programs in a football-crazy state like Florida
4. Texas vs. Texas A&M
A game between Texas and Texas A&M has not been played since 2011, when the Longhorns beat the Aggies 27-25.The rivalry was halted when A&M left for the SEC. This does not mean that there is any less hate between fans of the two most prominent universities in Texas. It's a shame that this rivalry spanned over 100 years and has not been played in over a decade, but with Texas coming to the SEC, this great rivalry should be resumed.
3. Michigan vs. Ohio State
“The Game” is the only rivalry on this list that is not an in-state rivalry. It is played between two of the historically best teams in the Big Ten, and this game often decides who will go to the College Football Playoff.While there is hate between these two universities, does it match the hate between schools from the same state? I don't believe so, but the sheer magnitude of this rivalry has to be high on the list.
2. Alabama vs. Auburn
“The Iron Bowl.” This rivalry produces the craziest moments, many of which will forever be remembered.Alabama is a small state, and I think that's perfect for rivalries. You grow up around fans from the other school, making the bitterness even more potent. Southern hospitality will not stop fans wearing orange and blue from looking down on those wearing Crimson.
Harvey Updyke is a famous name in Alabama. A lifelong Alabama fan, he saw a Cam Newton jersey that was placed on the Bear Bryant statue in Alabama. After that, he did the unthinkable, poisoning the famous trees on Toomer's Corner in Auburn. Updyke eventually went to jail for his actions. He went overboard, but if you are involved in a heated rivalry, the thought has inevitably entered your head.
1. Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss
“The Egg Bowl.” This rivalry does not get acclaim from the national media, but that does not mean it should get overlooked. It is the second-oldest rivalry in the SEC, behind only Auburn and Georgia. The Egg Bowl trophy was introduced in 1927 because, in 1926, Ole Miss ended a 13-year losing streak to the Bulldogs. As Ole Miss fans ran onto the field, they were met by MSU fans who were armed with wooden chairs, and those fans defended their school.
As a Mississippi native, I have witnessed how heated, emotional, and downright ugly this rivalry can be. People hear stories about how accurate the hate is, and the stories don't do it justice. Mississippi has no professional team, so you pick your school, and you have a lot of pride in it. With most in-state talent staying in Mississippi, this leads to high school rivals becoming college rivals.
Jeffrey Simmons of Macon, Mississippi, and AJ Brown of Starkville, Mississippi, are prime examples. Both were highly-rated recruits and were separated by only 45 minutes. Simmons and Brown played every year in high school, and when it came time to pick their colleges, they stayed rivals. Simmons elected to go to MSU, and Brown went to Ole Miss. The two became the biggest stars in college football's most heated rivalry.
