National Championship Rivalries

[EvilVodka]

When I was growing up, I became a fan of Florida State, and the Miami-FSU rivalry from 87-94 usually meant the winner would play for the National Championship...later, as Miami declined, and Spurrier got the Gators rolling, Florida-FSU usually had huge National Championship implications...these rivalries seem kind of rare though...

Lately, LSU-Florida usually puts the winner on course for the National Championship...though this game is huge, it doesn't really have the feel of a true rivalry...

Texas-Oklahoma is becoming a rivalry that puts a team in the Championship...even though last year the winner got shut out lol

Ohio State-Michigan in 2006 was huge, but that was just 1 year...

[ZOOMBAG]

When I was growing up, I became a fan of Florida State, and the Miami-FSU rivalry from 87-94 usually meant the winner would play for the National Championship...later, as Miami declined, and Spurrier got the Gators rolling, Florida-FSU usually had huge National Championship implications...these rivalries seem kind of rare though...

Lately, LSU-Florida usually puts the winner on course for the National Championship...though this game is huge, it doesn't really have the feel of a true rivalry...

Texas-Oklahoma is becoming a rivalry that puts a team in the Championship...even though last year the winner got shut out lol

Ohio State-Michigan in 2006 was huge, but that was just 1 year...

There are no lasting, intense National rivalries in college football. USC-Notre Dame or Army-Navy are about as close as it gets. The rest are purely regional or local. Sometimes they matter on the National stage so long as both teams are in the hunt for the BCS title game, but once one or the other goes through a down cycle the rivalry loses national interest and shifts to the next one.

[jeff4bucks]

There are no lasting, intense National rivalries in college football. USC-Notre Dame or Army-Navy are about as close as it gets. The rest are purely regional or local. Sometimes they matter on the National stage so long as both teams are in the hunt for the BCS title game, but once one or the other goes through a down cycle the rivalry loses national interest and shifts to the next one.


that is true. USC/ND and Army/Navy are very strong national rivalries. OSU /Michigan is also a national rivaliry, to an extent, because of their huge alumni, but, as with most rivalries, they go through cycles.2006 was one year that both were on top. Right now, OSU is dominating, back in the 90s, UM dominated. same thing with Alabama/Auburn, etc. The rivalries that EV mentioned were great, but short lived. FSU/Miami, ND/Miami, UF/FSU, etc....

[Jim]

There are no lasting, intense National rivalries in college football. USC-Notre Dame or Army-Navy are about as close as it gets. The rest are purely regional or local. Sometimes they matter on the National stage so long as both teams are in the hunt for the BCS title game, but once one or the other goes through a down cycle the rivalry loses national interest and shifts to the next one.

"National Championship" rivalries can't be established because there are no teams that will meet consistenetly in the season. But that may not be the actual intent of EV's post. I think he was referring to the winner of the rivalry game being in position for a shot at the trophy.

Clearly Florida State vs. Miami was a major decider. Usually Notre Dame or USC either makes it on their own but a loss in this game would prevent that surging (now upset) team from getting the nod. This has happened to the Irish on more than one occasion when losing the USC game.

Ohio State vs. Michigan, Oklahoma vs. Texas, Florida vs. Florida State, Miami vs. Florida State, Notre Dame vs. USC have to still rate very high. Yes, FSU vs. Miami or Florida not recently but certainly on several occasions in the past 20 years. OU and Nebraska used to decide the Big 8. On several occasions Nebraska would play an opponent who, by beating the Huskers in the bowl game, won the national title (pre-BCS).