Thanksgiving Weekend Offers A Menu Full Of College Football Rivalries

The final week of the college football season comes all too soon. It is a week full of rivalries, many of which date to the 1890s.

While the turkey and trimmings might be devoured by the time the Egg Bowl kicks off Thanksgiving evening, the leftovers are sure to be piled high for the rest of a weekend that offers a menu full of rivalries.

All times are EST

Thursday

Ole Miss at Mississippi State (7:30/ESPN)

The Rebels and Bulldogs, who need to win to become bowl-eligible, first met in 1901 and this year’s matchup will be the 120^th meeting. They have been playing for the Golden Egg Trophy since 1927, an award proposed by an Ole Miss fraternity and at a time when Mississippi State was known as Mississippi A&M College. The Rebels lead the series 64-49-6.

Friday

Oregon State at Oregon (8:30/FOX)

The schools first met in 1894 and will meet Saturday for the 127^th time, including every year since 1945. With Oregon moving to the Big Ten next year, it is uncertain when the teams will play again. They are not scheduled to play in 2024. In a rivalry known as the Civil War for eight decades, the Ducks and Beavers have been playing for the Platypus Trophy since 1959. Oregon, which still has a shot at the CFP, but needs help, leads the all-time series 67-49-10.

Saturday

Ohio State at Michigan (Noon/Fox)

This is the second straight year the teams meet undefeated. The Wolverines won last year, 45-23, and both went to the College Football Playoff where they lost their semifinal matchups. The schools first met in 1897 and this weekend in Ann Arbor will mark the 118^th meeting. The virus in 2020 ruined what was 102 consecutive years of The Game. Michigan leads the series 60-51-6.

Kentucky at Louisville (Noon/ABC)

The schools first met in 1912 and played six times over 13 years with Kentucky winning each game. The series then went 70 years without being played before the Wildcats and Cardinals finally met again in 1994 when they began playing for the Governor’s Cup. They have since played 27 of 28 years with virus-disrupted 2020 being the exception. The Wildcats lead 19-15.

Indiana at Purdue (Noon/BTN)

Alumni groups from both schools wanted to start a tradition in support of a rivalry that was already 34 years in the making. So, in 1925 a bucket was found on a farm in southern Indiana. The Old Oaken Bucket has been played for ever since. Its story, though, dates to 17^th century Massachusetts. The teams first met in 1891 and played every year from 1920 to 2019 before the pandemic got in the way. This will be the 125th meeting with Purdue leading 76-42-6.

Iowa at Nebraska (CBS/Noon)

The schools are playing for the Heroes Trophy, which was introduced in 2011 when Nebraska joined the Big Ten and honors community heroes from both states. Prior to that, most of the games between the teams were played before 1950 with the first meeting taking place in 1891. The Hawkeyes had a seven-game win streak snapped last season. The Cornhuskers lead the series 30-20-3.

Colorado at Utah (3:00/PAC12)

This is a case of a rivalry renewed. The teams met all but three times from the first meeting in 1903 to 1962. They did not meet again until 2011 when both schools joined the Pac-12. Colorado moved from the Big 12 and Utah from the Mountain West. The Rumble in the Rockies will have a new look next year when both schools are in the Big 12. The Utes, who have won six straight and 12 of 14, lead the series 34-32-3.

Alabama at Auburn (3:30/CBS)

The Iron Bowl has seen it all since it was first played in 1893 in Birmingham, which was once known for being the largest producer of iron and steel in the south. The rivalry, which got its nickname in 1964 courtesy of Tigers’ coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan, is known for its dramatic and unforgettable moments, though there was a four-decade (1907-1948) stretch in which the teams did not meet. It has been played every year since 1949. From 1989 to 1999 the game was played at either Legion Field or at Auburn. The 2000 matchup between the teams was the first one in Tuscaloosa in nearly a century. Alabama leads the series 49-37-1.

Arizona at Arizona State (3:30/ESPN)

The Wildcats and Sun Devils will meet for the 98^th time in a series that began in 1899, or 13 years before Arizona achieved statehood. The schools have played for the Territorial Cup since that first meeting, though in 1899 it was awarded to the school with the better record and not because of a head-to-head result. That first year the Cup went to ASU, or what was known as the Territorial Normal School, for having the best record (3-0) in the Arizona Territorial Football League. While the trophy has an interesting history, it has been awarded to the winner only since 2001. Arizona leads the series 50-46-1.

Wisconsin at Minnesota (3:30/FS1)

The Golden Gophers and Badgers have the honor of playing the longest uninterrupted rivalry. In a series that dates to 1890, the teams have played every year since 1927 and this year’s game will be the 133rd. The schools have been playing for Paul Bunyan’s axe since 1948 with the original axe donated to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. From 1930 to 1947 the Slab of Bacon trophy served as the award. After all these years, the series is tied 62-62-8. The Badgers had a recent (2004-17) 14-game win streak.

Northwestern at Illinois (3:30/BTN)

The Sweet Sioux Tomahawk was awarded for 61 years before Illinois did away with Native American imagery. Starting in 2008, the schools have played for the Land of Lincoln Trophy. The rivalry dates to 1892 and, after 116 meetings, the series is a tight 57-54-5 in favor of the Fighting Illini. The teams have played every year since 1927.

Vanderbilt at Tennessee (3:30/SEC)

Both schools are founding members of the SEC (1932) and have been Volunteer State rivals since their first meeting in 1892. The Commodores dominated (19-2-3) the series in its first three decades before the Volunteers took over (71-9-2) for the next 80-plus years, including a stretch of 22 straight wins from 1983 to 2004. The Vols have won the last four and lead the series 79-33-5.

Virginia Tech at Virginia (3:30/ACC)

The rivalry resumes after UVA canceled its last two games of 2022 due to the tragic loss of three players. The teams had met each year since 1970. This year’s game between the Hoos and Hokies will be the 103rd in a series that began in 1895. The teams began playing for the Commonwealth Cup in 1996 with the Hokies winning 22 of 26, including a 20-game win streak, since the trophy was first awarded. Tech leads the series 60-38-5.

Washington State at Washington (4:00/FOX)

With conference realignment resulting in many rivalries going by the board, it was refreshing to see the Apple Cup living on for at least five more years beyond Saturday’s engagement. The Huskies, who are moving to the Big Ten next year, and Cougars first met in 1900 and the Apple Cup has been awarded since 1962. The trophy, initially known as The Big Apple Trophy and donated by the Washington Apple Commission, reflects the state being a major producer of the fruit. From 1934 to 1961, the schools played for the Governor’s Cup. Washington leads 75-33-6 and has won eight of the last nine and 11 of 13.

Florida State at Florida (7:00/ESPN)

First played in 1956, this matchup has often oozed with national championship implications and does so again this year with the undefeated Seminoles at No. 5 in the CFP rankings. The devastating injury sustained by FSU quarterback Jordan Travis last week is the overriding story heading into this Sunshine Showdown. Gators quarterback Graham Mertz is also injured after breaking his collarbone at Mizzou last week. Florida, which needs to win to become eligible, leads the series 37-27-2.

Georgia at Georgia Tech (7:30/ABC)

First played in 1893, “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” is one of the south’s oldest rivalries. It has been a one-sided affair for most of the past two decades with the Bulldogs winning 18 of the last 21 matchups. The schools, which are separated by about 70 miles, played uninterrupted from 1925 to 2019 with the pandemic getting in the way in 2020. While the schools met in 1943 and 1944, Georgia, unlike Tech, was unable to field a competitive team due to WWII and does not count a pair of losses to its rival in those years. Depending on your point of view, the Dawgs lead 70-39-5 or 70-41-5.

Clemson at South Carolina (7:30/SEC)

The teams first played in 1896 and met every year from 1909 to 2019 before conference-only scheduling in 2020 halted the streak. This year marks the 120^th meeting. From the first meeting through 1959, the game was known as the Big Thursday matchup and was played in Columbia during the state fair. The game has been known as the Palmetto Bowl since 2014. Clemson, which had a seven-game win streak snapped last year, leads the series 72-43-4.

North Carolina at North Carolina State (8:00/ACC)

A series that dates to 1894 will be played for the 113^th time Saturday. The Tar Heels and Wolfpack, both charter members of the ACC and separated by all of 25 miles, have played uninterrupted since 1953. Both teams enter this year’s game with 8-3 records. UNC leads the series 68-38-6. The Wolfpack won last year’s game in double overtime, the second time in five years the rivalry went to OT.

Iowa State at Kansas State (8:00/FOX)

The schools first met in 1917 and have played every year since with this season’s meeting marking the 107th. The matchup has been known as “Farmageddon” since 2009 when the first of two games were played at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. The nickname is a nod to the agricultural roots of the two land-grant universities. The rivalry is a tight one thanks to Kansas State’s success in recent decades. The Wildcats have won 12 of the last 16 encounters and 26 of 33 to close the gap on Iowa State, which leads the series 52-50-4.

Cal at UCLA (10:30/ESPN)

The teams have played every year since their first meeting in 1933 and played on a Sunday morning in pandemic-disrupted 2020 to keep the streak alive. The streak of what will be 91 years — the teams played twice during the WWII years of 1942, ‘43 and ‘44 — comes to an end next year when UCLA moves to the Big Ten. The Bruins have won eight of the last 10 and lead the series 58-34-1.