Welcome to that most glorious time of the year, when we gather with family, stuff ourselves with food and then ungather from that same family, angrily stomping off to our own private corners of the house because we refused to endure the treasonous slander that our supposed loved ones just spoke about a place and a people that they damn well know we hold near and dear to our hearts.
Thanksgiving? No. Rivalry Week!
When teams play the latest edition of games in which they have competed for a century or more. When schools fight for cups and buckets and other brass mementos that look like they came from the back shelf of a junktique store. When thousands of people pay hundreds of dollars to sit in the snow and lose their voices as they watch all that happen. And during this high holiest of college football weeks, that makes all the sense in the world.
But what really makes a rivalry a rivalry? What factors combine to take an annual game to a whole different level of intensity and fun? As it turns out, there are many to consider, and we’ve documented a few here.
So what’s the best and strangest of Rivalry Week? Grab a turkey leg, read on and find out.
Jump to:
Bad blood | Geography | Tradition
Iconic plays | Bizarre moments
Title implications | Bands and game-day atmosphere
Trophies and game names
Contents
BAD BLOOD
Florida State-Florida
0:27
Florida and Florida State players nearly break out into a scuffle on the field prior to their heated rivalry match.
There’s the Choke at Doak, 1994. First, the setup. Earlier that year, multiple Florida State football players went on a shopping spree at Foot Locker, paid for by an agent in violation of NCAA rules, leading to one of the all-time great quips from Florida coach Steve Spurrier.
“You know what FSU stands for, don’t you? Free Shoes University,” Spurrier said. Needless to say, those connected to Florida State were not amused.
Then, the game. Florida held a 31-3 lead after three quarters. Easy going from there, right?…
