The 15 Greatest Rivalry Games in College Football History

Study up on the best for this weekend's rivalry match-ups.

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Complex Original

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If there's one reason why college football will always beat out the NFL, it's the rivalries. Sure, there are some good, hard-fought match-ups in the NFL, like the ones between the Steelers and the Ravens or Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but the year-to-year consistency of these games pales in comparison to that which we expect between two college sides. With collegiate rivalries, you can always be certain that, no matter the stakes or the records of the teams involved, every single player is going to come out onto the field with their heart on their sleeve, ready to play. You can never count out the underdog in games like these, with the prestige of the match-ups alone being motivation enough for every kid involved to bring their A-game. Yes, Baltimore and Pittsburgh have given us some great memories this past decade, but we'll still take the Iron Bowl or a Michigan-Ohio State game over them any day. 

But out of all these rivalry games, what are some of the best that have ever been played? What are the instant classics like the 1966 Michigan State-Notre Dame game or the 1991 Miami-Florida State Wide Right incident? Which one of these was actually "The Game of the Century?" To prepare yourself for all the upcoming rivalry tilts this weekend, check out The 15 Greatest Rivalry Games in College Football History and find which games have become unforgettable in the halls of college football history. Will any of tomorrow's games be able to live up to this standard? 

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15. 1982 Cal vs. Stanford

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14. 1985 Alabama vs. Auburn

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13. 2008 Oklahoma vs. Texas

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12. 1994 Florida vs. Florida State

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11. 2010 Alabama vs. Auburn

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10. 1978 USC vs. Notre Dame

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9. 1926 Army vs. Navy

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8. 1969 Arkansas vs. Texas

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7. 1966 Michigan State vs. Notre Dame

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6. 1991 Florida State vs. Miami

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5. 2006 Ohio State vs. Michigan

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4. 2005 Notre Dame vs. USC

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3. 1967 USC vs. UCLA

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2. 1969 Michigan vs. Ohio State

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1. 1987 Miami vs. Florida State

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