The Ultimate Guide to College Football’s 2025 Rivalry Week: CFP implications, heated feuds and more

For everything that's changed about college football just in the past few years alone — conferences, schedules, TV deals, playoff formats — rivalries remain the sport's lifeblood, the essence of what keeps millions of us coming back year after year. And no matter what other nonsense might be coming down the pike, nothing will ever be able to tarnish the magic of two very special words: Rivalry Week.

That most wonderful time of the year is here again, where deep-seated, age-old rivalries from coast-to-coast get packed in to just a few days around the Thanksgiving holiday. Cannons and eggs and canoes will be up for grabs, and hey, maybe even a College Football Playoff spot or two. There's a downright dizzying amount of football to keep track of this weekend, so to help you make sure you don't miss a thing, we've created a handy guide to the best of what Rivalry Week has to over.

Want more rivalries? Explore FanSided’s Rivalry Week Hub, our interactive deep dive into the traditions, history and moments that define college football’s fiercest matchups.

No. 7 Ole Miss at Mississippi State

• Rivalry nickname: The Egg Bowl
• Trophy: The Golden Egg
• Date: Friday, Nov. 28
• How to watch: Noon ET on ABC
• All-time record: Ole Miss leads 66–46–6

In 1926, Ole Miss snapped Mississippi State's (well, then Mississippi A&M) 13-game winning streak in Starkville and touched off an on-field brawl in which State fans defended their goalposts with furniture. In order to calm things down a bit, both sides thought a trophy might in be in order, and thus the Golden Egg was born.

Nearly a full century later, not much has changed in one of the saltiest rivalries in the country. It's also one of the most unpredictable, a game in which that adage about throwing out the records actually does prove pretty true. A win would more or less guarantee the Rebels their first-ever berth in the College Football Playoff; then again, you know the Bulldogs would love nothing less than the spoil the party for the ivory tower snobs up in Oxford. Considering how close State has come to a variety of upsets already this year, don't rule it out.

No. 5 Georgia at No. 16 Georgia Tech

• Rivalry nickname: Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate
• Trophy: The Governor's Cup
• Date: Friday, Nov. 28
• How to watch: 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC
• All-time record: Georgia leads 72-41–5

This rivalry runs so deep that it even determined each team's color scheme: Georgia once wore gold, black and crimson in the late 19th century, but after Tech stole the gold for their own unis as a shot at their rival, Bulldogs coach Charles Herty dropped it for good.

Granted, UGA has gotten more than its fair share of revenge in what's been a largely one-sided rivalry through the years. But the Yellow Jackets nearly stung the Dawgs in Athens in an instant classic last season; can QB Haynes King finish the job this time and cement his Heisman candidacy? Rarely has this game had more at stake than it does this year — with both teams needing a win to feel good about their spot in the Playoff.

No. 2 Indiana at Purdue

• Rivalry nickname: The Old Oaken Bucket
• Date: Friday, Nov. 28
• How to watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock
• All-time record: Purdue leads 77–43–6

We won't lie: This game is liable to get pretty ugly, given how badly Purdue has struggled in year one under Barry Odom and how rudely the Hoosiers have treated the lower class of the Big Ten this season. But this rivalry is still worth your attention regardless, not just because of how much these in-state rivals love to beat each other but also because of one of college football's most cherished treausres: the Old Oaken Bucket.

Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. It dates all the way back to 1925, when the Chicago chapters of each school's alumni associations met to decide on a suitable trophy. What became of that meeting is quite possibly the funniest resolution in American history, which stipulated "an old oaken bucket as the most typical Hoosier form of trophy, that the bucket should be taken from some well in Indiana, and that a chain to be made of bronze block "I" and "P" letters should be provided for the bucket." In case you needed a reminder that this is the greatest sport on Earth.

No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 10 Texas

• Rivalry nickname: The Lone Star Showdown
• Date: Friday, Nov. 28
• How to watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC
• All-time record: Texas leads 77–37–5

These are the two oldest public institutions in Texas, a relationship that dates back to the aftermath of the Civil War. (To hear an Aggie fan tell it, UT used their fancy-pants political connections in Austin to weasel their way into more funding when the school was founded in the late 19th century.) Generations of Texans have been defined by this rivalry, one that holds within it all the conflicts and contradictions of normal life.

And now it's back and better than ever in the SEC, with the Horns hoping to spoil their arch rival's bid for a perfect regular season. Arch Manning vs. Marcel Reed. Steve Sarkisian vs. Mike Elko. The hot-shot flagship against the rugged, blue-collar ag school. This is a battle for the soul of the most football-crazy state in the nation, and against that backdrop, conference and CFP considerations pale in comparison.

No. 1 Ohio State at No. 18 Michigan

• Rivalry nickname: The Game
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
• How to watch: 12 p.m. ET on FOX
• All-time record: Michigan: 62–51–6

Only one rivalry on this list is so charged with history and hatred that it requires only two, generic words to tell everyone exactly what you mean: The Game. Ohio State may be the defending national champs, undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country. But they've also lost four in a row to the Team Up North, and until Ryan Day gets that particular monkey off his back, there will always be a segment of Buckeye fans who hold him at arm's length.

Will this be the year? On paper, it would appear so, but then again we also thought that last season. Michigan true freshman Bryce Underwood gets his first introduction to the rivalry and would love nothing more than to run the winning streak to five, while Buckeye stars Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith are looking for Heisman moments.

Clemson at South Carolina

• Rivalry nickname: The Palmetto Bowl
• Trophy: The Palmetto Trophy
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
• How to watch: 12 p.m. ET on the SEC Network
• All-time record: Clemson leads, 73–44–4

Neither team are where they expected to be at this point in the season, but when these two fan bases get together, you can throw everything else out the window. This series has been played almost without fail since 1896 (the 2020 COVID-shortened season the lone exception), and contains all the hostility you might expect between the state's two biggest institutions separated by just 132 miles.

It also contains two potential NFL Draft picks at quarterback, with South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers looking to push himself further up into the first round with a win over Clemson's Cade Klubnik. A win would give either Shane Beamer or Dabo Swinney some much-needed momentum heading into an uncomfortable offseason; a loss ... well, let's just say some seats might get hot.

No. 4 Alabama at Auburn

• Rivalry nickname: The Iron Bowl
• Trophy: Foy–ODK Sportsmanship Trophy
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
• How to watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC
• All-time record: Alabama leads 51–37–1

The Iron Bowl likely doesn't need a whole lot of introduction at this point, but we'll try anyway. From Bear Bryant to Cam Newton, the Kick Six to the Milroe Miracle, this game has consistently delivered some of the most memorable moments in college football history. So while it might be easy enough to overlook this year's edition, especially given that Auburn is playing out the string after firing Hugh Freeze, you can never take for granted a win at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Plus, there's a ton on the line for the Tide, who are looking to get back to the College Football Playoff for the first time in the Kalen DeBoer era. Auburn has loved to play spoiler in this series over the years, and the environment will be awfully hostile. If DeBoer loses, the cries of "he ain't no Saban" will only get louder.

No. 8 Oregon at Washington

• Rivalry nickname: The Cascade Clash
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
• How to watch: 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS
• All-time record: Washington leads 63–49–5

Most of the rivalries on this list come from in-state feuds, or at least a border war. But it's to both Oregon's and Washington's credit that the Cascade Clash needed no such real-life underpinnings; these teams just decided a long time ago that they really, really didn't like each other, and that hatred has carried them through the decades.

Of course, it helps that there's been no shortage of iconic plays and attempted subterfuge over the years. This year's game may not reach the heights we saw in 2023, when the two played a pair of thrillers in both the regular season and the Pac-12 Championship Game, but we should still be in for a heck of a game on Saturday. Oregon needs a win to solidify its Playoff spot, while Washington QB Demond Williams is one of the most electrifying players in the country when he gets going in space.

No. 14 Vanderbilt at No. 23 Tennessee

• Rivalry nickname: None
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
• How to watch: 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
• All-time record: Tennessee leads 79–32–5

Tennessee has long dominated this rivalry, including wins in each of the last six meetings. But the roles are reversed this year: Now it's the Commodores, led by QB Diego Pavia, who enter as the favorites, needing a win to keep themselves alive for a CFP spot. Tennessee would love nothing more than to play spoiler for their Southern Ivy brethren, and you could make the case that this is the most anticipated entry in this rivalry ever: Somehow, despite meeting 118 times, these two teams have never met when both were ranked.

Florida State at Florida

• Rivalry nickname:  The Sunshine Showdown
• Trophy: Makala Trophy (and the Florida Cup)
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
• How to watch: 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
• All-time record: Florida leads 38–28–2

This one looked a lot juicier over the summer, when both the Gators and the Noles were ranked and looking for big bounce-back seasons. Now, one of them has already lost their head coach, and Florida State might follow suit with Mike Norvell if they can't beat their in-state rival.

But while the stakes may not be as national as expected, these are still two programs and fan bases who really, really don't like each other. Can Norvell save his job? And can Florida put on an audition for Lane Kiffin or anyone else who might be interested in moving to Gainesville? It might be ugly, but it sure will be spirited.

North Carolina at NC State

• Rivalry nickname: The Tobacco Road Rivalry
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
• How to watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on the ACC Network
• All-time record: UNC leads 68–40–6

Bill Belichick's season-long acclimation to college football now reaches its senior seminar, as the Heels head to Raleigh to take on the hated Wolfpack. This is the Platonic ideal of the in-state rivalry, pitting the well-heeled, urbane flagship with its wine-and-cheese clientele (UNC) against the more rough-and-tumble state school down the road (NC State). Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren plays that part to the hilt, making this rivalry a top priority for his program in recent years — State has won four in a row entering Saturday — and you know he and his fan base would love nothing more than to make it five against a Hall of Fame carpetbagger like Belichick.

UCLA at No. 17 USC

• Rivalry nickname:  None
• Trophy: Victory Bell
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
• How to watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• All-time record: USC leads 51–34–7

For sheer aesthetic value, it's hard to beat UCLA and USC going powder blue on red and gold at the L.A. Coliseum. The game itself hasn't always lived up to the uniforms, but these are still two proud programs with a ton of history between them — there were whole decades where the Pac-12 race ran through this rivalry.

And there will still be plenty to play for in this year's edition. UCLA is facing an existential crisis after the firing of Deshaun Foster, and a win over the crosstown rival would go a long way toward reviving interest in the program and nudging it into the future. USC, meanwhile, is still looking to establish itself in the top tier of the Big Ten under Lincoln Riley; lose here, to this of all UCLA teams, and it might be time to have some very uncomfortable conversations.

Virginia Tech at No. 19 Virginia

• Rivalry nickname: The Commonwealth Cup
• Trophy: Commonwealth Cup
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
• How to watch: 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
• All-time record: Virginia Tech leads 62–38–5

This has to be the year, right? Virginia Tech has won four in a row, 19 of 20 and 23 of the last 25 games in this series dating back to the 20th century, as Frank Beamer's ascendence flipped the rivalry on its head. If UVA can't reverse that trend here, it might never happen for the Hoos.

Virginia is in the midst of a remarkable turnaround season under Tony Elliott, while Tech fired Brent Pry and is playing out the string before its new era can well and truly begin. This game will be in Charlottesville, no less, as if the ACC and CFP implications here weren't enough for UVA.

Kentucky at No. 20 Louisville

• Rivalry nickname: Battle of the Bluegrass
• Trophy: Governor's Cup
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
• How to watch: 12 p.m. ET on the ACC Network
• All-time record: Kentucky leads 19–16

On paper this wouldn't seem to be much of a contest, but Mark Stoops has loved nothing more than thumbing his nose at his in-state rival during his time at Kentucky, winning five of the last six in this series. Making it six of seven would get the Cats to a very unlikely six wins and bowl eligibility, quite possibly enough for Stoops to keep his job (at least for one more year). But if this high-powered Louisville offense turns this into a romp, Big Blue Nation might be all out of patience.

Wisconsin at Minnesota

• Rivalry nickname: None
• Trophy: Paul Bunyan's Axe
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
• How to watch: 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1
• All-time record: Tied 63–63–8

This is the longest continuously played rivalry in FBS, going on 118 games and counting through the 2024 season. In terms of national relevance, there's not a lot to be found here: Wisconsin feels about ready to fire Luke Fickell, while Minnesota is wrapping up another fine but certainly not great season under PJ Fleck. Still, any time you can highlight a game in which the winner gets to parade around a literal axe, you simply have to do it.

College football rivalry week schedule