The Deepest Rivalries In College Football

It was the biggest game of the year, what every person wants to win, the championship. The score is tied 24-24 and the Idaho Hawks had the ball on twenty one yard line. It was third down and five and they ran the ball for only two yards and it was fourth down. They went for the field goal and got it. The score was 27-24 and the Texas Rams were ready to receive to it. On the return they ran for twenty yards. With only five seconds left the quarterback, John Halen, threw the ball to James Morgan. Morgan outran the cornerback and with no time left Morgan at the five yard line dropped the ball. The Hawks won, they were the champions.

It is the spring of 1890 and all around students are gathering at Ohio Wesleyan University to watch the battling bishops play a team that has just beginning. That team is The Ohio State football team. Ohio

A united university through sports is often a rarity. College football can be one of the most intense experience in college sports. The passion and energy is nearly impossible to encapsulate into a single feeling. Sports teams and their fans share a bond that cannot be recon with. The colleges with prestigious athletic backgrounds have a numerous alumni who carry pride into every game day. A lot of fans equal a lot of fun, but attending an school with diehard fans is best part of college sports. College football has gained the reputation for becoming the most celebrated sport. The best way to celebrate a college football game is tailgating. Tailgating and college football have become such a tradition that it is hard to see one happening

With his dejected players gathered around him in the locker room, Rockne congratulates them on their performance in the first half and tells them, “ I guess we just can’t expect to win them all” (3). He then recalls what the great All-American running back George Gipp had told him as he laid dying in a hospital bed. What he said next would go down as one of the most famous motivational lines in sports history. Rockne describes how it was Gipp’s final wish for a Notre Dame football team to, “. . . go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper” (5). Using this as a rallying cry, the Irish battled back in the second half and won 12-6. Rockne’s use ethos, pathos, and logos successfully inspired his players to an upset victory and still motivates people to this day.

Walking out onto the opponent’s brightly lit turf field setting up for the kickoff of the second half just gave me the feeling that everybody knows, my hair starts to stand up, butterflies began to flutter in my stomach, and everything seems to slow down. Looking into the stands and seeing that our hometown fans had traveled four hours in order to outdo the home crowd gave me a sense of comfort. Looking into East Jefferson’s stands and seeing that our fans, despite having to travel all the way down south, outnumbered their fans by at least 70 people. I found myself thinking that this meant just as much to our town as it did to our school and team. This feeling would be just the motivation we needed in order to finish this game

The stage was set, an all-out brawl between Notre Dame and Boston College at a frigid eleven degrees. The contest started with a swift Touchdown after a 63 yard drive dominated by passing. Flutie executed what seemed as a perfect drive except for the PAT. Boston’s kicker slipped on the frozen turf and the kick was blocked. ND quickly responded with their own TD and the games’ only completed PAT. After this point it became worse and worse for the BC Eagles. Most of their problems were special teams related. By the half BC was down 19 to 6.

The longest rivalry in the NFL is between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. It all started in 1921 at Wrigley Field when the Chicago Bears (then named the Staleys) beat the Green Bay Packers 20-0. After the game Bear’s player John (Tarzan) Taylor threw a sucker punch at Packer’s Howard (Cub) Buck, and broke his nose, the rivalry was on from there.

“Sunny and 75 with bright blue skies today is a great way to start off the college football season”, says a sports analyst on the tv from a tent in the tailgating section. Walking down the strip peeking through the trees seeing a glimpse of the arena reminded me of a modernized colosseum. Approaching the main entrance greeted by a metal statue and a stadium with a dark shade of brick with countless of doors and glass windows. Many Lovie Smith propaganda is seen around the stadium along with the array of Illinois gear. “Welcome to Memorial stadium, it’s game day for your Fighting Illini”, said the announcer. My stomach dropped for the fact that college football is officially back.

The particular rivalry within this book that relates to Appalachian community is in his Ohio State vs. Michigan: Woody, Bo, and Beyond chapter. This chapter begins explaining the history behind the Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry and “The Game” that began between them in 1897. Gitlin kindly included the origin of the “We don’t give a damn about the whole state of Michigan,” chant by introducing the Ohio State fan who shouted it before a game. “Soon a band in the lobby began laying a tune called ‘The Old Gray Mare,’ to which the fans substituted the new lyrics: ‘Oh, we don’t give a damn for the whole state of Michigan, we’re from O-HI-O.’ A chant was born that would remain a Buckeye put-down of “ that state up north ” for generations,” (Gitlin, 6). Ohio communities have memorized this chant and relate to one another through it. The memorable games between the two during 1969 and 1970 are known by every Ohio State or Michigan fan, player, or community member. In 1969, number one ranked Ohio State lost an upset match against Michigan and sought revenge. So, when the 1970 game came around the Buckeyes were focused and ready to deliver their payback. The Buckeyes rolled over the Wolverines only allowing Michigan 151 yards. This win for the Buckeyes not

Many people associate the fall season with leaves changing colors, decreasing temperatures, and seasonal occasions such as Halloween and Thanksgiving. However, my family and friends think of college football. As I thought about the topic for my paper, it seemed most appropriate to research a hot social topic among college football fans. Which conference is the best college football conference? I think the Southeastern Conference is the best football conference, but since I am a fan of the University of Georgia, an SEC member, I wanted to make sure my thesis was based on historical facts and not blind bias. To do this, I will focus on five areas: Money generated, fan attendance, wins against non conference opponents(Including bowl games), number of national championships won, and number of players on NFL rosters.

The Origins of the fiercest rivalry in all of college football began in Birmingham, Alabama in 1893. At the time, Birmingham was known for its iron production, hence the college match-up was named the “Iron Bowl,” which comes from Birmingham’s historic role in the steel industry. The teams met in Birmingham’s Lakeview Park, with Auburn (then the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama) winning 32-22. Both schools, Alabama and Auburn launched football programs in 1892, Alabama considers this game to be the final one of that season, while Auburn considers it to be the first of the 1893 season. Auburn won the very first game, which took place in February due to the University’s football schedule. The two teams met again in November of the same year, the traditional date for the Iron Bowl, at Montgomery in which Auburn took its

Inside the stadium, is where you can find the greatest time. Michigan stadium is a mecca for college football fans. But it’s not just the football fans that love this stadium. People from all over come to the stadium to have the greatest hot dog ever assembled, “The Wolverine Dog,”. The smell of these hot dogs greets every fan as they walk in. Imagine the greatest smelling food, now multiply that by one million that’s the smell of this hot dog. The grass is as green as an emerald topped off with the Michigan logo in the middle. One-hundred nine-thousand one people fills the blue bleachers that the stadium has every single weekend during

Michigan was playing at 12:00, so the Barnharts turned on their TV at 12:00. At the beginning, the referee told everyone the rules to the game. “If a player cheats, their team will get a penalty.” Everyone in the stadium gasped. The game began. They were playing in Michigan.

The announcer declared the switch which was followed by boos, and murmurings. My temper blazed. In frustration, I threw my helmet to the ground and dropped to the bench. In the second quarter?! I wanted to exclaim, but I knew it wouldn't make any difference. Jack was in. I was out. Instead, I reached for a large bottle of water and guzzled it down quickly.

The team was ready, we had been working extremely hard for the past seven months for this. We were all in great shape and very rested. A few of the returning players were meeting me at my house to carpool to the final game of the state championship tournament. Everyone knew that the hard work had paid off when we won the semi-final game the preceding day.