College football’s greatest rivalries aren’t just about what happens on the field.
From century-old grudges to Thanksgiving weekend showdowns that split families in half, there are over a dozen games that decide which team owns the state until next fall.
Of our Top 25 rivalries that define college football, 13 are in-state matchups — games where fans live and work alongside their rivals all year and where a single Saturday can shape the mood of an entire state.
These are the rivalries that split coworkers, divide dinner tables and turn holiday gatherings into debates over who will come out on top.
Some carry more than a century of history. Others have produced unforgettable finishes, national championship implications and moments fans still talk about years later.
But they all share one thing: There’s no escaping them.
Ranking these matchups is subjective, and that’s part of the fun. Fans will debate what belongs higher, lower or maybe not on the list at all.
Here’s a closer look at the 13 in-state rivalries from our Top 25, followed by the full list.
No. 2: Alabama vs. Auburn
The Iron Bowl is a statewide obsession known for historic upsets, improbable comebacks and chaotic finishes. Alabama leads 52-37-1 in a series that began in 1893. More than 130 years in, the game still consumes the state every November, cementing its place among the most intense rivalries in the sport.
- First game: 1893
- Series record: Alabama leads 52-37-1
No. 7: Florida State vs. Miami
Few rivalries match the speed and swagger of Florida State-Miami, programs that have combined for eight national titles since 1983. Miami leads 37-33 in a series dating to 1951. When both programs are rolling, the game shapes the national picture — and in the Sunshine State, it never lacks intensity.
- First game: 1951
- Series record: Miami leads 37-33
No. 8: Texas vs. Texas A&M
The Lone Star Showdown returned in 2024 after a 12-season hiatus, and the anticipation has only grown. Two enormous fan bases still argue over which program is the state’s true football power. Texas leads 78-37-5 in a series dating to 1894. The renewed matchup gives both sides fresh material for a debate that never really stopped.
- First game: 1894
- Series record: Texas leads 78-37-5
No. 9: Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State
The Egg Bowl divides the state and slots neatly onto Thanksgiving weekend, when families already have plenty to argue about. Ole Miss leads 67-46-6 in a rivalry dating to 1901. More than a century in, the game still turns holiday tables into small referendums on the season.
- First game: 1901
- Series record: Ole Miss leads 67-46-6
No. 12: UCLA vs. USC
The Crosstown Showdown is a 15-mile Los Angeles rivalry fueled by recruiting battles, conference implications and civic pride. USC leads 53-34-7 since the teams first met in 1929. In a city where fans live and work side by side, the outcome carries far beyond the final whistle.
- First game: 1929
- Series record: USC leads 53-34-7
No. 13: Florida vs. Florida State
The Sunshine Showdown has delivered decades of drama on Thanksgiving weekend, featuring two programs that have combined for six national titles since 1993. Florida leads 39-28-2 in a series that began in 1958. With championship-caliber football in play across much of the rivalry’s history, the game routinely reshapes conversations at both the state and national levels.
- First game: 1958
- Series record: Florida leads 39-28-2
No. 16: Clemson vs. South Carolina
The Palmetto Bowl consumes the state every Thanksgiving weekend. Neighbors, coworkers and family members line up on opposite sides, and the winning fan base gets 12 months of leverage. Clemson leads 74-44-4 in a rivalry that dates to 1896, giving both sides well over a century of history to argue over.
- First game: 1896
- Series record: Clemson leads 74-44-4
No. 19: Michigan vs. Michigan State
Wolverines and Spartans fans are scattered across the state, and their annual meeting has produced some of the Big Ten’s most emotionally charged games. Michigan leads 75-38-5 in a series dating to 1898. With families divided and workplaces split, a single Saturday can shape the mood across Michigan for months.
- First game: 1898
- Series record: Michigan leads 75-38-5
No. 20: Cal vs. Stanford
The Big Game separates two campuses by roughly 50 miles across the San Francisco Bay Area. Stanford leads 65-51-11 in a series dating to 1892 — one of the oldest in the sport. Generations of fans have swapped jokes, traditions and stories ever since, keeping the rivalry firmly woven into Northern California life.
- First game: 1892
- Series record: Stanford leads 65-51-11
No. 22: BYU vs. Utah
The Holy War splits Utah households like few other games. College football loyalties run deep here, and the schools don’t even agree on the starting date — 1896 per Utah, 1922 per BYU. Utah leads either way. The disagreement over history only adds to the arguments the rivalry produces each year.
- First game: 1896 (according to Utah); 1922 (according to BYU)
- Series record: Utah leads 62-37-4 (according to Utah); Utah leads 59-34-4 (according to BYU)
No. 23: Georgia vs. Georgia Tech
Known as Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, this Bulldogs-Yellow Jackets rivalry has run since 1893 between campuses just 70 miles apart. Georgia leads 73-41-5. The Thanksgiving-weekend showdown is a fixture in the Peach State, splitting families and coworkers each fall in a matchup that’s older than most in the sport.
- First game: 1893
- Series record: Georgia leads 73-41-5
No. 24: Washington vs. Washington State
The Apple Cup pits the west side of the state against the east, and Washington pride hangs on every outcome. Washington leads 78-34-6 since the schools first met in 1900. The geographic split fuels a rivalry that carries year-round bragging rights, no matter which side of the state a fan calls home.
- First game: 1900
- Series record: Washington leads 78-34-6
No. 25: Oregon vs. Oregon State
The Ducks and Beavers dropped the Civil War nickname in 2020, but the stakes haven’t changed. Oregon leads the series 70-49-10 in a rivalry that dates to 1894, making it one of the oldest in college football. After a pause on the schedule left fans on both sides waiting, the series is set to resume in 2028 at Oregon State.
- First game: 1894
- Series record: Oregon leads 70-49-10
Top 25
- 1. Michigan-Ohio State
- 2. Alabama-Auburn
- 3. Army-Navy
- 4. Oklahoma-Texas
- 5. Florida-Georgia
- 6. Notre Dame-USC
- 7. Florida State-Miami
- 8. Texas-Texas A&M
- 9. Ole Miss-Mississippi State
- 10. Pittsburgh-West Virginia
- 11. Nebraska-Oklahoma
- 12. UCLA-USC
- 13. Florida-Florida State
- 14. Auburn-Georgia
- 15. Minnesota-Wisconsin
- 16. Clemson-South Carolina
- 17. Alabama-LSU
- 18. Harvard-Yale
- 19. Michigan-Michigan State
- 20. Cal-Stanford
- 21. Kansas-Missouri
- 22. BYU-Utah
- 23. Georgia-Georgia Tech
- 24. Washington-Washington State
- 25. Oregon-Oregon State
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Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.