College football rivalries are about more than wins and losses.
They’re built on history, geography, tradition and generations of fans who have spent decades arguing over who has the upper hand.
Some are defined by national championship stakes, others by state bragging rights and some by the fact that losing to your biggest rival can ruin an otherwise successful season.
The best rivalries have a way of making everything else disappear for a few hours, with bragging rights, trophies and years of history all riding on the outcome.
With that in mind, we ranked the 25 biggest rivalries in college football.
The Big Ten is well represented, with four rivalries making the Top 25 — including the rivalry ranked No. 1. From a Thanksgiving weekend tradition that has become one of the sport’s signature games to in-state battles and an annual battle for a legendary trophy, each brings its own flavor to the rivalry conversation.
The list is subjective, and that’s part of what makes ranking rivalries so much fun. Fans will undoubtedly disagree over what belongs higher, lower or perhaps not on the list at all.
Here’s a closer look at the four Big Ten rivalries from our Top 25, followed by the full list.
No. 1: Michigan-Ohio State
The rivalry known simply as The Game has become one of college football’s defining annual showdowns. Michigan and Ohio State have been battling since the late 19th century, with conference titles, national championship hopes and generations of bragging rights often hanging in the balance when these rivals get together on Thanksgiving weekend.
- First game: 1897
- Series record: Michigan leads 62-52-6
No. 12: UCLA-USC
The Crosstown Showdown brings the Big Ten rivalry spotlight to Los Angeles, where two programs separated by roughly 15 miles compete for citywide bragging rights. Recruiting battles, conference implications and civic pride have helped make this one of the most recognizable rivalries in college football.
- First game: 1929
- Series record: USC leads 53-34-7
No. 15: Minnesota-Wisconsin
The Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe is one of the oldest rivalries in college football, bringing together neighboring states and generations of fans who have spent more than 130 years arguing over which program owns the border. Both fan bases have a strong argument: The all-time series is tied through 134 meetings.
- First game: 1890
- Series record: 63-63-8
No. 19: Michigan-Michigan State
There may be no more fitting trophy for an in-state rivalry than a four-foot wooden Paul Bunyan standing on a map of Michigan. The prize has been passed between the Wolverines and Spartans since 1953, turning an already intense rivalry dating to the late 1890s into an annual battle for statewide bragging rights.
- First game: 1898
- Series record: Michigan leads 75-38-5
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.