Ah, Rivalry Weekend.
Thanksgiving weekend, the final full weekend of the college football season, is the realm of the gridiron giants. The games that divide states and households. The ones that have earned nicknames from Bedlam to the Civil War to the Iron Bowl. Contests played for 364 days of pride and trophies so weird they are downright cute.
Could it get any better than this?
Well, actually, yeah. With a handful of tweaks, it could.
First, is it time to look into moving Michigan-Ohio State? Not immediately, mind you. But with the advent of the Big Ten title game, once all the NCAA restrictions have expired, do we want to see back-to-back Wolverines-Buckeyes matchups? If both win their divisions they could meet twice in seven days, no matter what the outcome of The Game. I'm not offering up an opinion one way or the other here. I'm just curious what people might think about the idea.
But I digress. What we're really here to argue isn't the games that currently reside on this most sacred date of the college football calendar, it's to consider the contests that don't. Those games that are played at other times during the regular season that deserve a place among this time of the truly great rivalries. They are just as divisive, emotional and downright hate-filled as the matchups played at the end of November. But for whatever reason they don't reserve the spot on the calendar that they rightly should.
Some can't be moved because of others. For example, it would be great to see Georgia and Florida play on Rivalry Weekend, but the Dawgs are busy with Georgia Tech and the Gators are a little preoccupied with the Seminoles. But others have no such road blocks.
Here are the top five games missing from Rivalry Weekend.
5. North Carolina Tar Heels vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack
First meeting: 1911
All-time series: UNC, 64-32-6
Last 10: NCSU, 6-4
2012: Oct. 27, UNC 43-35
To read Ryan McGee's full blog post on which five rivalry games should be moved to rivalry weekend, sign up for ESPN Insider.
Ryan McGee | email
ESPN The Magazine, NASCAR- ESPN The Magazine senior writer
- 2-time Sports Emmy winner
- 2010 NMPA Writer of the Year
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Ryan McGee
Ryan McGee is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. While you may know him for his extensive and very popular NASCAR coverage on this site and television, he's also been a constant in the Mag's coverage of college football. Why? Well, to wit:
• He started working in college athletic departments at 16 (Furman, Tennessee). Got his first sideline pass (UNC @ Virginia) when he was 12 and was totally run over by Tar Heels LB Micah Moon.
• His father was a college football official for 36 years (FBS 1981-2009), working 20 bowl games and two national championships.
• Ryan's a member of the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America).
• He's covered college football for ESPN The Magazine for the last five years.
• He's all over college sports -- Ryan authored "The Road To Omaha: Hits, Hopes and History at the College World Series."
Follow Ryan on Twitter: @ESPNMcGee
