College Football Rivalry Week: Here’s What You Need To Know
There are Tuesday college football games this week. This can only mean one thing. In Thanksgiving football tradition, it’s officially rivalry week, and one of the most critical stretches of the college football season.
Let’s start in order. On November 21, both Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan play. However, they will not play each other (Bowling Green at WM, EM at Buffalo).
On Thanksgiving Day we have the always exciting Egg Bowl. #13 Ole Miss will play at Mississippi State. This is a prime time 7:30pm kickoff on ESPN. Regardless of standings and record, this is one of the best rivalries in the NCAA.
Friday
Then, the day after Thanksgiving features 13 key matchups. This includes a few other inter-state heavy-weight battles. Namely, Texas Tech will travel to Austin to take on the Longhorns. Then, for the nightcap, we have #11 Oregon State playing at #6 Oregon at 8:30 pm. The Ducks need to win this game to stay in the playoff race.
Saturday
You might as well nurse your turkey hangover for a few days this year because on Saturday, there are big-time college football games for 12 hours straight. What’s unique here is the main event kicks off the day. While this is not an instate rivalry, Ohio State vs. Michigan is the most heated rivalry in the Big Ten and perhaps all of college football. This year, the stakes are higher than ever, with #2 Ohio State playing at #3 Michigan (without head coach Jim Harbaugh) at 12 pm. This, too, has major playoff seeding implications. Still, after the conclusion of this game, there is no reason to get off the couch. Here are some other notable Saturday matchups.
- UConn at UMass
- Colorado at Utah
- Alabama at Auburn
- Arizona at Arizona State
- Vanderbilt at Tennessee
- Virginia Tech at Virginia
- Georgia at Georgia Tech
- Clemson at South Carolina
- Florida State at Florida
- Notre Dame at Stanford
- Washington State at Washington
- North Carolina at North Carolina State
- California at UCLA
All of the major players in this college football season have significant games this Thanksgiving week. Many of the results will impact what happens next. In fact, certain teams have the opportunity to play “spoiler” while others will have the chance to knock off the team standing in their way. Regardless, college football rivalry week is upon us, and we have a lot to be thankful for.
Ranking The 5 Best Thanksgiving Football Game Traditions
4. The Local High School Game
When you come home from college for the holiday the first public appearance you can’t wait to make is at your alma matter high school game. Often this matchup is against a local rival or bordering town. The game might even be one-sided but it signifies being home, roaming your old stomping grounds, and seeing people you haven’t connected with in long time. Maybe you don’t even pay attention to the game, but it is still the place to be in town.
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3. The Egg Bowl - Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State
In certain college markets, college football reigns king. Granted there is no NFL team in the state, but nonetheless, certain games mean more than others regardless of your record. Ole Miss vs. Mississippi is one of them. This has become one of college football’s great traditions where these two major programs face off on Thanksgiving Day. They switch each year who serves as the host. Bragging rights and massive amounts of pride are on the line. This year, the game takes place in Starkville (Miss. State) at David Wade Stadium. It has a lot to live up to, with last year’s battle being a 24-22 game, that saw the Bulldogs beat the Rebels (both with a 8-4 record).
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#1. The Backyard Game That You Play In
Much of this feature focuses on high-profile games that include professional players. Nowadays, even some college players are branded as millionaire entertainers and influencers. However, that traditional pick-up game you play within your own community takes our number one spot. Whether you are returning to the town you grew up with to play an annual game of two-hand-touch, or forming a new game in town you just moved to, there’s something unspoken and special about neighborhood Thanksgiving football game. You hop a rusty fence wearing an oversized jersey down to your knees. Either your teams are set way in advance or they are spur-of-the-moment, decided by a quick game of rock, paper, scissors. Then, you’re either covered in dirt or sliding all over the grass because you wore sneakers. You never know who is going to win, but you do know, you will be laughing from start to finish.
