Saturday night reminded us of how good and how important rivalries are to college sports, and it begs the question, which one is the best?
Saturday night in Chapel Hill was a treat for sports fans worldwide.
The arguably best rivalry in all of college sports took center stage as the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils faced off in their annual rivalry game. The game itself was an instant classic.
The back-and-forth action between two of the most storied programs was amazing, and the finish of a three-pointer at the buzzer was something to behold. Carolina escaped with an amazing victory in the 267th meeting between the two teams.
Carolina now leads the series 147-120, and the first matchup was all the way back on Jan 24, 1920.
Saturday night's amazing game begs the question: What is the best rivalry in all of college sports?
Carolina versus Duke in basketball is certainly up there, but there are matchups all across the board that should be considered.
Notre Dame and USC go to battle, Alabama and Auburn in the Iron Bowl is always a spectacle, and some of the lower ones, such as the Holy War in Utah between BYU and the Utes, should always be considered.
All of that is to say that there is none bigger than Ohio State vs. Michigan.
Exclusively in football, the rivalry stands alone. There are not many matchups these days that have actual bad blood, but this one still has it. There have been 119 meetings between the two universities, and the current record split is 61-52-6 in favor of the Buckeyes.
The most recent meeting was so important for Ohio State. They had lost four straight games to the affectionately named "Team Up North" due to some cheating scandals and a couple of just natural butt-kickings.
Ohio State got off the mat in 2025 with a convincing victory over the Wolverines that set up the postseason for Ohio State.
Similar to the Ohio State and Michigan rivalry, the hatred has a hard time traveling to other sports. The hate, in some cases, is manufactured for other sports. Yes, the fans in Columbus will hate the people from Ann Arbor forever and always, but the teams outside of football may not carry that same sentiment.
The same goes for the folks in Chapel Hill and Durham. The hoopers can't stand the sight of the other logo, yet the other sports have just a strong dislike of the other.
The two competitions are very similar, and I'm acknowledging that my take may be biased, but there is no better rivalry than Ohio State versus Michigan.
The day after Thanksgiving, two fanbases that hate each other, two teams that hate each other, postseason implications on the line, and the eyes of the country watching.
There is nothing like it, and that is why it is the best rivalry in sports.