There Is Nothing Quite Like Rivalry Week

Whether in Ann Arbor or Columbus, tensions always run high prior to the Ohio State-Michigan game. (Guardian Liberty Voice)

One of the beautiful things about college football is that it's national yet regional at the same time.

Fans love following the bowl games and the chase for the national title, but inside all of that is the rabid passion of fans who love their teams. No better example of that is on display than this weekend, when most of the really important rivalry games take place.

There's The Egg Bowl. The Apple Cup. The Iron Bowl. The Battle Line Rivalry. The Civil War. The Iron Bowl. The Game. The Palmetto Bowl. The Old Oaken Bucket. Clean, Old Fashioned Hate. The Commonwealth Cup. And on and on and on.

Most of the games feature teams within the same state, so battle lines are drawn either. You're either Auburn or Alabama. Virginia or Virginia Tech. Washington or Washington State. Mississippi or Mississippi State. Clemson or South Carolina.

Sometimes you are next door neighbors -- Ohio State and Michigan. Missouri and Arkansas.

You need not have attended any of the schools, just gained a rooting interest in some fashion. You hate anything to do with the "other team", and sometimes won't even say its name. You laugh in condescension whenever a series becomes one-sided, or feign pity and tell them "you'll get one soon." Then you walk away laughing, maniacally.

Some of us have grown up with it -- Ohio State in my case. While I am not one of those who won't say the word "Michigan," I do loathe (yet respect) the Maize and Blue. I grew to like Bo Schembechler after he left the rivalry, and felt the sting of the John Cooper years and the rebirth of the Jim Tressel years. With Urban Meyer it's been more of the same, and it never really gets old. Do I feel sorry that Michigan has been spinning its wheels for the better part of the last 15 years or so? Of course not. I am from the school that says you can never beat your rival by enough points. So, were I of age, I would have loved Woody Hayes going for two, leading 48-14 in the fourth quarter, in 1968 "because they wouldn't let us go for three."

I have seen enough dream seasons wrecked -- most of the 90s come to mind -- that each OSU victory brings just a bit more joy. And with Jim Harbaugh and his antics, it's even sweeter. I respected Lloyd Carr, even though he whined a lot, because he seemed like a good man and a pretty good coach. I laughed at Brady Hoke, and am currently laughing at Harbaugh and his act, which has to be wearing thin in Ann Arbor, right?

There will come a day -- maybe Saturday -- where Michigan gets a victory and invigorates the rivalry once again. But right now, most Ohio State fans feel the way Michigan fans felt when Cooper was driving the Buckeyes train. But, unlike their northern neighbors, Buckeyes fans will never lie about who their biggest rival is.

As many thrillers as I have witnessed -- in person and on television -- it never loses appeal. The old traditions, superstitions, whatever you want to call them, they take place all week.

It may sound arrogant -- and I won't take shame in that -- in calling this the best rivalry in all of college football, but that points to the regionalism in the sport.

Sensing a pattern here? (Sidez.net)

In the South, nothing holds a candle to the Iron Bowl. Those two HATE each other, and with so much on the line this year you can bet things will be at a fever pitch in Jordan-Hare. I would love to witness this one live, as an outsider, with zero rooting interest. Bo and Bear, Cam and Calvin, all of the big moments. Yeah, it would certainly be something to see.

The Southwest has the Red River Rivalry, one of the few really good ones not played at the end of the season. Knowing quite a few Texas fans, I can tell you that it bothers them more to lose to Oklahoma than does the fact that they are having a .500 season.

It may not get the publicity of the other, but the Apple Cup has always struck me as a cool rivalry. Almost 300 miles separate the teams, yet each fan base loves nothing more than sticking it to the other. I remember Mark Rypien leading the Cougars to victory in 1985 on a frigid day, as well as Mike Leach's first game as coach of WSU, a 31-28 overtime victory after a huge comeback. I also remember watching in 2003, when Washington -- a team I admired due to Don James' presence on the sidelines -- was bad, yet somehow managed to knock off a top 10 WSU team behind the arm of Cody Pickett.

Whether your team is fighting for a spot in the playoff, or having a down year, ending the regular season with a win over your hated foe makes everything better. It can take the sting out of a so-so campaign, especially when you know that they will be stewing about if for 365 days.

And that once-a-year thing, another reason why college football is so much better than the professional variety.

Sure, there are some big-time rivalries in the NFL -- Oakland-Kansas City, Pittsburgh-Cleveland, Dallas-Washington -- but they play twice. So how special can it really be?

You get one shot per season at your rival in college ball, and the build up to the contest is half of the fun.The only bad thing about it? It means the season is nearing its end.

Every fan base believes their rivalry is the best, which is noble. Wrong, but noble.

OSU-Michigan is best, and you can't convince me otherwise.

Of course, if you have tickets and lodging and food and drink at your game, I can become a huge fan for a day. I'll admit that I can be bought.

But there isn't enough money in the world for a fan of their team to go over to the other side, and that's what makes this weekend of college football so great.