College Football’s Biggest Rivalries And Historical ATS Records

The pageantry and excitement around college football rivalries makes a Grammy Awards red carpet look like a junior high fashion show. NCAA football fans love a good rivalry and so do bettors. These games get elevated to a whole new level when two teams with a long history face off.

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Here at Odds Shark, we decided to look into what we consider the top college football rivalries of all time. We’ll explore how each side has fared against the spread so you can handicap future rivalry bets. We couldn’t cover all the rivalries in college football because there are too many to count.

What Is A Spread Bet For College Football?

This is a bet that requires you to decide not how a team will win or lose but by how many points they’ll win or lose by. For instance, Alabama could be a 17.5-point favorite against LSU in their upcoming college football rivalry weekend game. This means that ‘Bama would need to beat Louisiana State by 18 or more points to cover. In order for LSU to cover, they’d have to win the game outright or not lose by more than 17.

When you see ATS in college football betting, it means “against the spread,” which is a stat that shows you how a squad has performed in the past.

Now, without further ado, here are the most exciting rivalries in college football history:

Florida State vs Miami

The Sunshine State is known for its manatees, oranges and Florida Man’s antics. It’s also where the FSU Seminoles have been taking on the Miami Hurricanes since October 5, 1951. These teams have met a total of 65 times (as of 2020) with the ‘Canes leading the series 35-30.

Florida vs Georgia

Since November 6, 1915, the University of Florida Gators and the University of Georgia Bulldogs have been fighting it out on the field. The largest victory came in 1942 when Georgia held Florida to a big fat nothing, beating them by 75 points.

Notre Dame vs USC

As of December 4, 1926, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have been a thorn in the side of the USC Trojans. The opposite is also true as USC has spoiled ND’s title hopes in 1938, 1964, 1970 and 1980. The Irish have maintained the lead at 47-36-5 (as of 2019), with their largest margin of victory being 51 points.

Army vs Navy

Ever wonder what people did on November 29, 1890? They watched the Black Knights take on the Midshipmen. There was no internet back in the day, so either you watched a college football game or drank tea – or something. We weren’t there. Also, instant replay made its American debut at the 1963 meeting of these two teams. Ever wonder what people did before instant replay? Probably drank tea.

Michigan vs Ohio State

On October 16, 1897, the Michigan Wolverines trounced the Ohio State Buckeyes by 34 points. Thus, one of the Big Ten’s major rivalry games was born. The Game, as it is called, has featured an array of future NFLers like Ted Ginn Jr., and top-tier coaches like Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh.

When conference realignment threatened to ruin the future of this college football game, fans bombarded the commissioner and athletic directors of both schools with emails until the rivalry was protected.

Alabama vs LSU

The Alabama Crimson Tide have met the Louisiana State University Tigers 85 times since November 18, 1895. The current head coaches of the teams played themselves in the 2009 true story The Blind Side, where they tried to recruit offensive lineman Michael Oher. At the real-life time of recruitment, Nick Saban was working for LSU and Ed Orgeron for Ole Miss. At the time of the filming and the movie’s release, Saban was working for ‘Bama, creating a very awkward scene for the team’s fans as they watched him pretend to persuade Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw’s adopted son to play for the Tigers.

Indiana vs Purdue

It’s fair to say that the Hoosiers and the Boilermakers hate each other, and since November 14, 1891, they’ve met up 122 times. This rivalry actually has a trophy, The Old Oaken Bucket, which takes its name from a poem.

Iowa vs Iowa State

Another rivalry with a trophy, this one has more excitement than Bernie Sanders at the Iowa caucus. The Cyclones and the Hawkeyes have been facing off since October 1, 1984, in the corn state – which is actually not Iowa’s nickname, but it should be.

Minnesota vs Wisconsin

There really was nothing to do back in the day. Either you played football or you watched football in person. If you were lucky enough to attend the November 15, 1890, game between these Midwest rivals, you were probably very cold. And congratulations on your excellent health!

Anyway, the Golden Gophers and the Badgers have met 130 times (as of 2020). They used to play for the Slab of Bacon trophy, but it mysteriously disappeared after the 1943 game – probably because someone was hungry. Now they play for Paul Bunyan’s Axe – not a real axe. That would be dangerous. Almost as dangerous as former Minnesota running back Marion Barber III as he rushed for 35 career touchdowns.

Clemson vs South Carolina

Dubbed the Palmetto Bowl since 2014, the Clemson Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks have been rivals since they first battled it out on November 12, 1896. In real life, although a gamecock is a rooster that has been bred and trained to fight, it would not stand a chance against a tiger. Sorry, little fowl.

Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State

The Big 12 Conference is home to the Bedlam Series where on November 6, 1904, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State became official rivals. The Cowboys and Sooners have met 115 times as of 2020 with Oklahoma leading the series 90-18-7.

Penn State vs Pitt

Pennsylvania is home to the Penn State vs Pitt rivalry that dates back to November 6, 1893. It’s also home to Hersheypark where you can eat chocolate and ride roller-coasters. We do not recommend doing both at the same time.

Washington vs Washington State

The two largest universities in the Evergreen State have been locked in a battle since November 30, 1900. The Huskies and the Cougars, both Pac-12 members, have played 112 times (as of 2019) for the Apple Cup. Apples are the state fruit, hence the trophy. It’s better than the other thing Washington is known for, which is serial killers.

California vs Stanford

You think the Raiders and 49ers have a hostile relationship? That’s nothing compared to the Cal-Stanford Big Game – not the big game which is the national championship. As of 2018, the Golden Bears and Cardinal have played 123 times. That’s 109 more times than their NFL Bay Area counterparts.

Honorable Mentions

College football is one of the best sports to bet on. If you refer to this page while handicapping your college football rivalry games, you’re on your way to making smart college football picks.