The Ohio state Buckeyes - Michigan Wolverines, Texas Longhorns - Oklahoma Sooners, and Florida Gators - LSU Tigers rivalries didn't just happen overnight. It took decades to turn their annual meetings into something historical. They all have key ingredients that make these battles ever so important when these teams collide.
Starting a College Football Rivalry
It's not as complicated as you may think. You can easily turn any game into a rivalry, if you have the right components.
First you have to pick your poison. Choose a team that's really good, and has a history of being consistently at the top of the rankings. Who cares if your program is prone to losing seasons, and not making bowl games and championships? Your team can be one of the worst teams in all of football, but you can still make a rivalry work. Here's how.
Keep it in your Conference or Division
Try and keep your rivalry in your own division or conference. A large part of making a rivalry work is playing spoiler to the other team's bid at a perfect season, or, winning the conference or division title. By keeping your rivalry within these parameters you can assure an annual meeting, and the possibility of either an upset, or, ruining your opponent's season or momentum.
Look at the Oregon State Beavers and the Oregon Ducks in the NCAA football Pac-10 Conference. In 2008, the Ducks spoiled the Beavers chances at making it to the Rose Bowl by upsetting Oregon State. The Beavers had to settle with a Sun Bowl bid instead. The win also pushed Oregon State to third place in the Pac-10, and propelled Oregon to second.
Off-Field Antics: Prank Calls and Prank Messages
You have picked your rival, now it's time to spice things up a bit off the field before the big game. Getting player contacts is pretty easy, especially in this day and age. Facebook, Twitter, and even phone numbers are accessible to everyone.
The LSU Tigers have made it a habit to bombard Florida Gators coaches and players with hate text messages, prank phone calls, and spam mail to disrupt their focus away from the big game.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but either way it's worth trying.
Remember, the Internet is a gold mine of information. Use it to your advantage.
Your fans are a part of your team just as much as a star quarterback, or an explosive running back. Fans help make a rivalry big, and will do anything to support their team and give them an edge over a hated rival.
Schedule Availability: The Later in the Season the Better
At first you may think that putting off this meeting until later in the year is a bad idea, considering your team would have to go through almost an entire season before the big game. But, it's not. Yes, your team will be banged up from a rugged schedule, however, so will your rivals.
Consider this scenario.
It's late October or any time in November, and the big rivalry game is due up. Your rival is ahead of you in the standings and is either on course for a National Championship berth, or, a big bowl game. Because you've scheduled your game late in the season, you are now in another big spoiler position. A huge upset will knock your rival out of National Championship talk, and bowl game bids.
Make sure that when you're putting your schedule together in the offseason you fill up the first half of the schedule with other games. Leave the last couple of weeks open for your rival. This will make the rivalry game much more important. Timing is everything in a rivalry. Remember, it's all about being the spoiler.
Even if you don't win the game, but keep it close, you have the ability to ruin your rival's season. Pretend that this is the last game of the season and play like it's the end of the world.
The Biggest College Football Rivalry: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines
On November 20th, 2004, the heavily favored, seventh-ranked Michigan Wolverines played their annual game against Big Ten rivals Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. Michigan was being talked about in National Championship conversations around the league if they were able to thump Ohio State and win the Big Ten title. However, the unranked Ohio State Buckeyes brought their "A" game, and thwarted the Wolverines' chances at the BCS title, winning the game 37-21.
Sure, it was a bitter feeling for the Buckeyes that they weren't heading to the BCS Championship that season, or even a big bowl game, but, the satisfaction of being the spoiler to the Wolverines' season was greater than any title they could have won that year.
Rivalries are all about bragging rights. You can't just say you're better than another team. Prove your worth on the field and smash your rival into the turf whenever you meet. Even though rivalries are usually fueled by a hatred for another school or team, just remember, they're supposed to be fun too.
