Pete
Fiutak
Q: What’s your favorite
college football rivalry at the moment?
A:
It's always Michigan vs. Ohio State because even when it's bad, it's
important on a national scale. Even this year I'm interested in seeing
if Michigan can lay the foundation for next year, or if it's going to
complete the ugliness of the season.
With that said, right now, for this year and probably this year only,
I'm most interested in the BYU - Utah showdown. Hands down, these two
played the most exciting, heart-stopping two-game series of anyone over
the last few seasons. Utah had BYU beaten last year only to give up a a
4th-and-forever play on the way to a 17-10 loss. Two years ago it was
John Beck's scrambling, last-second pass to Jonny Harline to get the
33-31 win. 11 of the last 12 games between the two have been decided by
a touchdown or less. This year's game won't be any different.
Richard
Cirminiello
Q: What’s your favorite
college football rivalry at the moment?
A: In the
name of full disclosure, I should point out that I generally don’t go
ga-ga over rivalry games if the participants aren’t competitive on a
national level. Army-Navy is the lone exception because the game is a
slice of Americana and has meaning that extends so far beyond four
quarters or the boundaries of the stadium. Maybe this is heresy, but I’m
not that jacked up about the Iron Bowl or Michigan-Ohio State this year
because Auburn and the Wolverines are awful. Although that’s just me,
I’m guessing I’m not alone with this thought.
For me, the best rivalry right now is Oklahoma-Texas. It’s got
everything. The games are always meaningful because the programs are
fantastic and it takes place in October, when both are still frequently
unbeaten and ranked high. There’s talent everywhere and the two
coaches—Bob Stoops and Mack Brown—have been trying to outdo each other
for a decade, a rarity these days in a profession with such high
turnover. Although the Cotton Bowl is a relic, I love the fact that a
neutral field allows half the stadium to be Sooners and the other half
to be Longhorns. Unlike so many of today’s rivalries, many of which have
become passé to those outside the region, you don’t have to be from
Oklahoma or Texas to get roped into this game every October. Crossover
appeal is the sign of a truly great rivalry. The Red River Shootout has
it.
Matthew
Zemek
Q: What’s your favorite
college football rivalry at the moment?
A: At the moment, Texas-Oklahoma.
The two neutral-site border wars have offered quality action,
great storylines, and head coaches who seem to magnify the
moment. This year, Horns-Sooners outdid Florida-Georgia, so
Texas-OU gets the nod as the No. 1 rivalry at this point in
time.
If the question was, "What's your favorite college football
rivalry on an all-time scale?", the answer would necessarily be
different. But that's not the question being asked. You'll have
to send me an e-mail to find out.
Steve Silverman
Q: What’s your favorite
college football rivalry at the moment?
A: Ahh. I smell a trick
question.
Everybody has a rivalry that they
love to watch. I am one of those
Michigan-OSU people. But the way the
question is phrased means I should
jump on to a bandwagon like Fla.-Fla.
State, Auburn-Alabama,
Oklahoma-Texas or Oklahoma-Oklahoma
State. I can obviously see why any
of those rivalries would have more
to offer this year, but appreciating
a rivalry means sticking with it
through thick and thin. This is
obviously a rough year for Michigan,
but a good showing against the
Buckeyes can get the team moving in
the right direction.
That's what happened in 1968.
Michigan had actually had a very
good season and went into Columbus
thinking it had a chance to win.
Instead, Woody Hayes and the
Buckeyes steamrolled them 50-14.
That game was the impetus during Bo
Schembechler's first season. Ohio
State might have been even better in
1969, but Michigan had the answer
when the Buckeyes came to Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines came away with a
24-12 win and that was all it took
to get the program into the fast
lane.
Maybe something memorable will
happen this season. Maybe Michigan
will defy logic and expectations and
upset the Buckeyes. Maybe they will
get steamrolled and wake up with a
head of steam next season. Either
way, this is the rivalry I look
forward to every season.