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College Football Rivalries: Top 5 Rivalry Games That Need To Be Renewed

By Patrick Schmidt

Sep 6, 2014; South Bend, IN, USA; The Michigan Wolverines and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish face off at the line of scrimmage in the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 31-0. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 6, 2014; South Bend, IN, USA; The Michigan Wolverines and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish face off at the line of scrimmage in the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 31-0. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 13, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel and team members take the field before the game against the UCF Knights at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel and team members take the field before the game against the UCF Knights at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Kansas Jayhawks – Missouri Tigers

Total Meetings: 120
Series Record: Missouri leads: 57-54-9 or 56–55–9
First Meeting: October 31, 1891
Last Meeting: November 26, 2011
Longest KU Win Streak: 5 (1930-1934)
Longest MO Win Streak: 5 (1938-1942)

The football rivalry began in 1891 but the rivalry between the states began 40 years earlier during the Civil War when Missouri attempted to influence whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free state or a slave state like Missouri was at the time. A period known as Bleeding Kansas followed and was marked by violence, towns being burned and a number of deaths in political upheaval.

Nov 8, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Michael Cummings (14) throws a pass against the Iowa State Cyclones in the second half at Memorial Stadium. Kansas won the game 34-14. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Michael Cummings (14) throws a pass against the Iowa State Cyclones in the second half at Memorial Stadium. Kansas won the game 34-14. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

In fact, the mascots for both schools were derived from the Civil War era. The term “Jayhawkers” is what troops from Kansas called themselves and Tigers was the name of the militia unit that protected Columbia, MO.

So this rivalry is deep-seeded among the people of Kansas and Missouri that predates the football rivalry that was among the longest in college football before it ended after the 2011 game when Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC.

The rivalry had many notable games, including the 1911 game that is credited as the birth of the homecoming game, but the 2007 game between No. 2 Kansas and No. 3 Missouri may be the best.

Prior to the game, No. 1 LSU lost the day before so the winner of the game would be the new No. 1 team in the nation. The Tigers were led by quarterback Chase Daniel and won 36-28 to finish the regular season ranked No. 1 in the BCS.

In addition, this rivalry was one of the best in college basketball and is greatly missed in both sports and considering the historical ties to the two programs and the people in Kansas and Missouri, neither team has a current rival that approaches anything remotely close to the Border War.

Next: Backyard Brawl

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