Florida football's rivalry games with these two long-time foes are among the SEC's top 10
Florida football's rivalry games with these two long-time foes are among the SEC's top 10
One of the things that makes college football — and collegiate sports as a whole — so special is the rivalry games played between schools with long histories of hating each other.
The Southeastern is home to some of the best of the best when it comes to historical rivalries. With the question of whether the league will stick to its current eight-game SEC schedule or add a ninth looming overhead, USA TODAY Sports writer Blake Toppmeyer took a moment to rank the top 10 rivalry games down in the deep south.
Keep in mind, the SEC has been around since 1932 and many rivalries go back before its founding as members of the erstwhile Southern Conference. Among the current members whose history dates back over a century are the Florida Gators, as well as the Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers.
These three cornerstone programs earned four of the 10 spots in Toppmeyer's rankings, with two of the Gators' rivalry games against the aforementioned schools represented. Ranked fourth is the Florida-Georgia game — which is among the best in the nation even in off years — and the more recently minted rivalry between the Gators and Volunteers, which ranks 10th.
Here's how Toppmeyer rates the SEC's 10 best rivalries — some of which could land on the chopping block if the eight-game schedule persists in perpetuity.
Florida-Georgia rivalry game
"This rivalry touts its own hall of fame dedicated to the series," he notes. "The longtime designation of this rivalry as 'The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party' sums up the vibe for this game played in Jacksonville, Florida."
Florida-Tennessee rivalry game
"This rivalry lacks the tradition of others, but at its crescendo in the 1990s and early 2000s, this September clash charted the course for SEC supremacy," Toppmeyer offers. "The game peaked when it pitted Steve Spurrier against Phillip Fulmer, but, even now, animosity lingers between these fan bases."
Ranking SEC football's top 10 rivalry games
Alabama-Auburn (Iron Bowl) Oklahoma-Texas (Red River) Mississippi-Mississippi State (Egg Bowl) Florida-Georgia Texas-Texas A&M Alabama-LSU Auburn-Georgia Alabama-Tennessee LSU-Mississippi (Magnolia Bowl) Florida-Tennessee
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