What designates a true college football rivalry is not the Victory Bell, ax, milk can, the Boot, or the foolish bucket. The key to the rivalry is not the week-long pageantry, vitriol, coach-speak or the media blitz.
When is most important, is that both teams and their fans must be “all- in” for there to be a true rivalry.
kAm{6E’D =@@< 4=@D6=J 2E E9:D 7C@> 2 72?D A6CDA64E:G6]k^Am
kAmxD q2J=@C 2?5 z2?D2D $E2E6 2 C:G2=CJ :7 E96 4:E:K6?D @7 |2?92EE2?[ z2?D2D 2C6 4@>A=6E6=J F?2H2C6nk^Am
kAmqFE 3J 56762E:?8 %6I2D %649 E9:D H66<6?5 2?5 E96 (:=542ED ?6IE H66<6?5[ J@F 42? AF?49 E96 q62CD’ E:4<6E :?E@ E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kAm*@F 42? 3@@< E92E AC65:4E:@?]k^Am
kAmx H2D DEF??65 E96 A2DE EH@ H66<D H:E9 E96 4@>A=6E6 F?6IA64E65 D9FE@FED 3J pC<2?D2D @G6C {$& 2?5 |:DD:DD:AA:]k^Am
kAm(2E49:?8 E96 #2K@C324< A=2J6CD CFD9 E96 7:6=5 C6>:?565 >6 @7 H:=5 3@2CD CFD9:?8 E@H2C5D 2 >F5 9@=6]k^Am
kAm|J 7:CDE E9@F89E H2D E92E !:88=J (:88=J @776C65 E96 H:??:?8 E62> 7C66 324@?]k^Am
kAm%CFE9 36 <?@H?[ 362E:?8 {$& 2?5 86EE:?8 E96 EC@A9J 42==65 “%96 q@@E” 42FD65 E96 DE2>A656]k^Am
kAm(92E H6 56E6C>:?6 2D ECF6 C:G2=C:6D :D 2=D@ 3C62E9:?8 @C82?:D>D[ 3FE 3642FD6 @7 E96 4@?76C6?46D C62=:8?:?8[ E96 92E6 C6=2E:@?D9:AD 92G6 366? A:C2E65 7@C E96 =:<6D @7 %6I2D\%6I2D pU2>Aj|[ |:DD@FC:\z2?D2D[ 2?5 }63C2D<2\~<=29@>2]k^Am
kAm%9:D 27764E65 E96 q:8 `a 2?5 :E ;FDE D66>D F?72:C]k^Am
kAm#6>6>36C E96 “w@=J (2C” 36EH66? &E29 2?5 qC:892> *@F?8n p7E6C &E29 56762E65 q*& :? a__c[ E96 D92CA6DE\ E@?8F65 4@?56>?2E:@? A@DE6C H2D C6G62=65 2?5 :E D2:5 “(96C6’D *@FC v@5 }@Hn”k^Am
kAm(9:49 =625D 36 5:C64E=J :?E@ H9J x’> HC:E:?8 E9:D 4@=F>? :? E96 7:CDE A=246]k^Am
kAmpD H6 46=63C2E6 E9:D 9@=:52J D62D@? 42==65 %92?<D8:G:?8[ H6 >FDE >2<6 DFC6 @FC AC:@C:E:6D 2C6 :? =:?6 2?5 E92E >62?D 8@C8:?8 J@FCD6=7 H:E9 E96 762DE @7 4@==686 7@@E32== C:G2=C:6D]k^Am
kAm$@ =6E’D EFC? FA E96 962E[ 5:86DE @FC 7@@5 2?5 =@@< 2E H92E “%6== :E =:<6 :E :D” 4@?D:56CD E96 36DE C:G2=C:6D :? 4@==686 7@@E32== 2D E96J 6I:DE E@52J]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m`] pF3FC? GD] p=232>2 W}@G] ah[ %FD42=@@D2Xk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm|J 8@@5 7C:6?5D[ E96C6 C62==J :D?’E 2 4=@D6 D64@?5]k^Am
kAm%96 xC@? q@H= @776CD E96 4@>A=6E6 A24<286[ 7F==\DA64ECF> C:G2=CJ E92E 4@G6CD E96 82>FE @7 56DA:423=6 3692G:@C[ :?4C65:3=6 5C2>2[ 9F>@?8@FD $tr DE2<6D 2?5 E@A\=6G6= 4@>A6E:E:@?]k^Am
kAm~?=J E96 xC@? q@H= 4@F=5 4C62E6 2 w2CG6J &A5J<6]k^Am
kAmw:D 8@2= H2D E@ DE:C FA EC@F3=6[ H9:49 96 244@>A=:D965 2?5 C646:G65 2 H9@AA:?8 “p” 7@C p=232>2 72? 7@C 9:D 677@CED]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8ma] |:DD:DD:AA: $E2E6 GD] |:DD:DD:AA: W}@G] ah[ ~I7@C5Xk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 t88 q@H= H2D @?46 E96 82>6 J@F H2E4965 H:E9 E96 G@=F>6 EFC?65 5@H? H9:=6 J@F 762DE65 @? =67E@G6CD]k^Am
kAm}@E E9:D J62Cj :? 724E[ E9:D 82>6 DE:== 92D A=2J@77 :>A=:42E:@?D 7@C |:DD:DD:AA: $E2E6[ 2?5 E92E’D ?@ J@=<]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mb] }@EC6 s2>6 GD]&$r W}@G] ah[ {@D p?86=6DXk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmq@E9 E62>D 2C6 EC625:?8 H2E6C 2?5 @? 2 4@==:D:@? 4@FCD6 7@C H92E 4@F=5 36 2 7:G6\=@DD D62D@?]k^Am
kAmxE’D DE:== 2 DE@C:65 C:G2=CJ H:E9 3@E9 D49@@=D 8@:?8 27E6C 2 =@E @7 E96 D2>6 DEF56?E\2E9=6E6D 6249 J62C]k^Am
kAmp H:? 7@C 6:E96C E62> H:== 36 2 9F86 3@@DE 7@C >@C2=6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mc] ~C68@? GD] ~C68@? $E2E6 W}@G] ah[ r@CG2==:DXk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmx? D:>A=6 E6C>D[ r@CG2==:D :D E96 A=246 H96C6 E62>D H:E9 =@7EJ 5C62>D @7 H:??:?8 492>A:@?D9:AD 8@ E@ 5:6]k^Am
kAm~C68@? $E2E6 2=H2JD 7:?5D 2 H2J E@ 56DEC@J 9@=:52J 5C62>D]k^Am
kAm}@E6D @? 2 D4@C642C5ik^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m&AD6E AC65:4E:@?k^DEC@?8m – u=@C:52 56762ED u=@C:52 $E2E6 2?5 D6?5D (:== |FD492>A :?E@ E96 DF?D6E H:E9 2 (x}]k^Am
kAmw2AAJ %92?<D8:G:?8 E@ 6G6CJ@?6]k^Am
kAm&?E:= ?6IE E:>6 …k^Am
kAmk6>m|6J6CD :D 2 DA@CED 4@=F>?:DE 7@C %96 ~FE=@@<] *@F 42? 7@==@H 9:> @? %H:EE6C 2E o3CF46>6J6CD``]k^6>mk^Am
