Not all rivalries are created equally and not all games mean the same thing. When a rivalry can not only decide a spot in the conference championship, but can also effect a spot in the College Football Playoff, that's must see football. Here's a breakdown of the best week's match-ups, as well as all the rivalries for the last week of November, ranked from most best to worst.
1.)
Not only do I have great bias towards this rivalry being the best overall, but once again, it holds a great significance on not only the Big Ten, but the College Football Playoffs. Of the many great moments from Heisman winners Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson for Michigan, to nearly the entirety of the 21st so far for Ohio State.
Urban Meyer has never lost (6-0) to Michigan and the last coach to beat Ohio State was Brady Hoke when the Buckeyes were guided by current Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell. This is Jim Harbaugh's best team he's had and it's put up or shut up. Harbaugh's finally won big games against Wisconsin, Penn State, and the other rival, Michigan State.
The Buckeyes appear to be at their most vulnerable this season after losing to Purdue and nearly to Maryland in overtime. That doesn't mean the Wolverines are going into Columbus and wiping the floor with the Buckeyes, it means that everyone should be in for a treat on Saturday.
2.)
Apple Cup: Washington (8-3) at Washington State (10-1)The Apple Cup is has made its way back to relevance thanks in part to the gun-slinging ways of Gardner Minshew. It's been a disappointing season for the Huskies, but they can play spoiler to the Cougars in their bid to not only win the PAC-12 North, but try and make the College Football Playoff. If you like fireworks be sure to tune in Friday night. Washington has won the last five meetings in the rivalry and are 72-32-6 all-time against Washington State.
3.)
With the Big 12 finally getting the hint after being left out because of their lack of championship game, they have created some late season buzz. Despite West Virginia's let down against Oklahoma State, something Oklahoma nearly experienced as well, the Mountaineers can still appear in the Big 12 Championship game where they could potentially face the Sooners again.
Will Grier (WVU) and Kyler Murray (OK) are both Heisman candidates who lead high scoring offenses, so points should be a plenty on Friday. A win for Oklahoma may also get them one step closer to a spot in the CFP.
4.)
Mountain Division Clincher: Boise State (9-2) at Utah State (10-1)The Aggies and Broncos are both ranked by the College Football Playoff committee, although neither has a chance to make it, but could make an appearance in a New Year's Six Game if things chaos ensues. First they need to win the Mountain half of the Mountain West Conference late Saturday night for a chance to play Fresno State in the Championship game. Boise State has rattled off six straight wins, but Utah State has won 10 straight and barely lost at Michigan State to start the season.
Quarterbacks Jordan Love (UST) and Brett Rypien (Boise St) are worth the watch.
5.)
Sun Belt East Showdown: Troy (9-2) at Appalachian State (8-2)While this may not seem like a sexy match-up, Troy and Appalachian State are two solid football squads. App St gave Penn State a run for their money to open their season and were briefly ranked before having a lapse against the option attack of Georgia Southern. Troy has dropped only a tough opener to Boise State and a lapse against Coastal Carolina. Much like the Big 12, the Sun Belt Conference will have its inaugural championship game. While there's a lot to sort out on the West side, the East will be solved with the outcome of this game sending the winner to the championship.
6.)
Ok, so it will likely be a rout, but the Iron Bowl has provided some great moments, including the classic finish on Auburn's kick-six on a missed field goal. Tua Tagovailoa is a Heisman front runner, but this is his first time starting the Iron Bowl. At the least maybe the Tigers can take a play book from The Citadel to figure out how to at least score against Alabama. The Crimson Tide will look for payback after Auburn nearly derailed their playoff dreams last year.
7.)
The Golden Knights take their 23-game win streak into Tampa in what initially looked to be a big game for both schools. Instead, the Bulls have lost four straight and risk back-to-back losses to UCF in the rivalry. Of course this holds great significance for UCF as they try to convince anyone listening that they belong with Alabama and Clemson. USF leads the series 6-3 since they began meeting regularly since 2005. The game will kickoff on around 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
8.)
Clean Old Fashioned Hate: Georgia Tech (7-4) at Georgia (10-1)The best fight song (Georgia Tech) against one of my favorite live mascots (Georgia), the Ramblin' Wrecks look to knock UGA and the Bulldogs out of the playoff race. Since 2014, the Yellow Jackets and Georgia have alternated wins with the Bulldogs claiming the victory last season. Georgia leads the all-time series 66-41-5.
9.)
This year's Battle of the Bayou is greatly significant for both squads as they have a chance to also appear in the first ever Sun Belt Championship. With both teams at 6-5 and bowl spots quickly filling, the least respected conference may not have the options for a 6-6 team in a bowl game. That being said, a win for the Ragin' Cajuns is an automatic ticket to the championship game, but if the Warhawks win, they'll need some help. ULM lost last week to Arkansas State who currently sits in a three-way tie with the two Louisiana schools. A Warhawks win would have to be paired with a loss by the Red Wolves to Texas State (3-8), otherwise it will be Arkansas State taking on the winner of Troy and Appalachian State. ULM snapped a three-game skid in the series last year, but still trails 27-25 all-time.
10.)
A bowl bid is on the line for two teams that have been a thorn in the side of top tier Big Ten opponents. Purdue successfully knocked off Ohio State while the Hoosiers gave both the Buckeyes and Wolverines fits. Both teams would like to end the others season with a win. The Boilermakers won last year, but before that, IU had rattled off four-straight wins. Purdue leads the series all-time 73-41-6.
11.)
Battle for Tennessee: Tennessee (5-6) at Vanderbilt (5-6)The Commodores have won two straight in the series, but the Volunteers have owned the series all-time 75-32-5. Vanderbilt and Tennessee are both looking to become bowl eligible so don't be surprised if both teams pull out all the stops. Neither team appeared in a bowl game last season.
12.)
Sunshine Showdown: Florida (8-3) at Florida State (5-6)The Seminoles have won five straight and seven of eight meetings against the Gators, but Florida State had to claw and scratch their way back to even having a chance of becoming bowl eligible. The Gators are greatly improved from the team that went 4-7 last year and would love to leave the Seminoles out of a bowl game for the first time since 1981. Florida leads the all-time series 34-26-2.
13.)
The Badgers have won 14 straight in the series, but even with that stunning streak, they only lead the all-time series 60-59-8. The Gophers have played well at times, obliterating Purdue and knocking off Fresno State, but they were also drubbed by Illinois. Wisconsin has also not looked great at times in losses to BYU and Northwestern while having to rally in a three overtime win against Purdue. If Minnesota can stop Jonathan Taylor, they can snap the streak, but that's easier said than done.
14.)
Battle in the Palmetto State:South Carolina(6-4) at Clemson(11-0)A rivalry that at times has been ugly, has shifted heavily towards Clemson after South Carolina won five straight from 2009-13. The Tigers are deeply immersed in the College Football Playoff final four, so the Gamecocks would love to make sure they don't get in. Clemson leads the all-time series 69-42-4.
15.)
Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh: Notre Dame (11-0) at USC (5-6)The Trojans are on the verge of not making a bowl game since their bowl ban from 2010-11 and at risk of finishing with five wins for the first time since 2000. Notre Dame, meanwhile, is trying to stay undefeated in their last game before what they hope is the College Football Playoff Semi-Final. After steamrolling Syracuse, the Irish don't seem ready to be upset, but Clay Helton may be coaching for his job after an embarrassing loss to UCLA last week. Notre Dame leads the series 47-37-5.
16.)
The Sun Devils and Wildcats have both won games they shouldn't have and lost others they could have. Kevin Sumlin (Arizona) and Herm Edwards (Arizona State) will both coach in their first game of the rivalry as they look to build their programs with some in-state bragging rights. The Sun Devils won last year, but the Wildcats hold the series lead at 49-41-1. A win for Arizona State would also give them the satisfaction of handing Arizona a losing season.
17.)
Texas Size Showdown: Baylor (5-6) vs Texas Tech (5-6)This will be last time the two rivals meet at AT&T Stadium in Dallas before switching back to campus sites. It's also a big game in the sense that the winner has a shot at a bowl game while the loser watches from home. The Red Raiders have won the last two meetings while also holding a 38-37-1 edge all-time. Baylor missed a chance at a bowl game last year while Texas Tech is hoping to make it in back-to-back seasons.
18.)
Egg Bowl: Mississippi State (7-4) at Ole Miss (5-6)This game is the bowl game for Ole Miss as they are in the final year of their bowl ban. The Rebels won it last year and overall are 64-44-6, but Nick Fitzgerald and the Bulldogs have other plans in his senior season. Mississippi State is just 2-4 in the last six meetings, but hopes to fix that on Thanksgiving.
19.)
Commonwealth Clash: Virginia (7-4) at Virginia Tech (4-6)The Hokies may hold a 57-37-5 lead all-time in the series, but the Cavaliers have their best shot at snapping the 14 game skid to their in-state rival. Virginia Tech suffered one of the worst losses on the year when they went in to Old Dominion as a ranked team and lost to a back-up quarterback. It's been since 1992 that Virginia Tech failed to make a bowl game and a loss on Friday would solidify that, even if the Hokies add another game.
20.)
It might be the last time Lovie Smith roams the sideline of this rivalry, while Pat Fitzgerald continues to build his legend at Northwestern with the Wildcats making their first appearance in the Big Ten Championship. The Illini hold a slight edge of 55-51-5 in the battle for the Land of Lincoln Trophy, however Northwestern has won the last three meetings.
21.)
Ram-Falcon Showdown: Colorado State (3-8) at Air Force (4-7)As an alternative to Cowboys-Redskins on Thursday, you could always check out the battle for the Ram-Falcon Trophy which Air Force has taken home the last two seasons and three of the past four. The Rams look to chip away at the Falcons 34-21-1 all-time advantage.
22.)
The Wolfpack have won two straight and should win a third although UNLV has been playing much tougher down the stretch. The Rebels shocked San Diego State and lost a lead late to Hawai'i. Nevada has won four straight and are looking to build on their series lead of 27-16.
23.)
A series that has been dominated by the Wolfpack recently shouldn't let up. Winners of the last two and three of four, NCST has been in and out of the rankings while North Carolina has lost to ECU, but did stun the Pitt Panthers. Larry Fedora may not be around for another one of these meetings, so UNC could unleash its whole playbook...and Les Miles son. The Tar Heels still lead the overall series 66-35-6.
24.)
Civil War: Oregon (7-4) at Oregon State (2-9)Another lopsided rivalry as of late, the Ducks have won nine of the last ten meetings, but the Beavers did win in 2016. Winning is not something Oregon State has done a lot of in recent years, but Oregon is not its usual dominating self despite having one of the top projected players in next year's NFL Draft. The Ducks hold a 64-47-10 advantage is the all-time series.
25.)
Battle Line Rivalry: Arkansas (2-9) at Missouri (7-4)One of the newer rivalries that makes sense in the world of college football realignment, Missouri and Arkansas have met every year since 2014 with Missouri holding a big advantage. The Tigers have won three of those four meetings and with Drew Lock throwing against an Arkansas team that was cut up by North Texas and Colorado State, that luck should continue. The Razorbacks are in a dark time currently and the Chad Morris era is not off to a great start.
26.)
Governor's Cup in the Bluegrass: Kentucky(8-3) at Louisville(2-9)Just when the Wildcats had turned their program around to set up a big game at the end of the season, the Cardinals are now the let down in the rivalry. Louisville has already fired Bobby Petrino, while the Wildcats lost out on their chance to win the SEC for the first time since 1976. Louisville has won six of the last seven meetings, but Benny Snell and company look to snap the 15-15 series tie in favor of Kentucky.
27.)
The Other Georgia Rivalry: GA Southern (8-3) at Georgia St(2-9)These two teams have only met four times and it has only come when they joined the FBS and Sun Belt Conference in 2014. Georgia State has won the last three, but the option attack of Georgia Southern has rolled over a ranked opponent in Appalachian State. The Eagles look to give their seniors a good going away present with a win over the Panthers.
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