College football is littered with rivalries. Some are contested and separated by just one game all time. Some are, well, not so close. Below is a look at five of the most one-sided rivalries.
Of course there were some non-scientific restriction when it came to building the list. Notre Dame and Navy, which might the nation’s most lopsided “rivalry game” was not considered. Nor was Ohio State and Illinois, which play annually for the oft-forgotten llibuck Trophy.
Instead, contests considered were well-known rivalries with some form of modern national relevance. The list is subjective, sure, but therein lies the fun.
MORE RIVALRY WEEK: Which rivalry is best? | Big-brother rivalries | Rivalries killed by realignment
THE APPLE CUP
The teams: Washington-Washington State
Series record: Washington leads 70-32-6
Longest Washington win streak: Eight (two times)
Billboard No. 1 song when Washington State last won back-to-back games: "Live Your Life", T.I. featuring Rihanna (Nov. 22, 2008)
Top grossing film at the box office: Yes Man
Notes: Washington has won 14 of the last 20 meetings and holds a healthy edge in the all-time series. The Cougars have never won more than two games in a row against their in-state rivals. Washington enters this year’s game as the No. 6 team in the AP poll, while Washington State carries a No. 23 ranking into the contest.
BEDLAM
The teams: Oklahoma-Oklahoma State
Series record: 85-18-7
Longest Oklahoma win streak: 19
Billboard No. 1 song when Oklahoma State last won back-to-back games: "Lose Yourself", Eminem (Nov. 30, 2002)
Top grossing film at the box office: Die Another Day
Notes: Oklahoma State has never won three straight games against the Sooners and, at one point, lost 19 games in a row to its in-state rivals. The Cowboys have won just two of the last 13 meetings but carry a 9-2 record into this year’s game at OU, which boasts an identical record.
COMMONWEALTH CUP
The teams: Virginia-Virginia Tech
Series record: Virginia Tech leads 55-37-5
Longest Virginia Tech win streak: 12 (current)
Billboard No. 1 song when Virginia last won back-to-back games: "Lately", Divine (Nov. 28, 1998)
Top grossing film at the box office: A Bug's Life
Notes: Rivalries such as BYU and Utah is more lopsided historically but when you add in the fact that Virginia hasn’t beaten its in-state rival since 2003, this series seems like the more aggressive beatdown. The series was actually relatively close historically before Tech went on its current undefeated run. The one-sided nature of this is a modern development, as Virginia won the teams’ first eight meetings.
GAME FOR THE LITTLE BROWN JUG
The Teams: Minnesota-Michigan
Series record: Michigan leads 74-25-3
Longest Michigan winning streak: 16
Billboard No. 1 song when A&M last won back-to-back games: "Sugar Shack", Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs (Oct. 26, 1963)
Top grossing film at the box office: The V.I.Ps
Notes: The trophy, more than anything else, makes this rivalry notable. The little brown jug is one of the sport’s oldest and most famous trophies, which makes it unfortunate that Minnesota almost never gets to have it. The trophy did not become a traveling token until 2001. Since then, Michigan is 11-2 in the game. The Gophers have beaten Michigan just 12 times since 1950.
TEXAS-TEXAS A&M
The teams: Texas-Texas A&M
Series record: 76-37-5
Longest Texas winning streak: 10
Billboard No. 1 song when A&M last won back-to-back games: "Kiss Kiss", Chris Brown Featuring T-Pain (Nov. 23, 2007)
Top grossing film at the box office: Enchanted
Notes: This rivalry, which was once college football’s third longest, became a cold war when A&M left the Big 12 in 2012. It seems likely that the Aggies would have gotten over on the downtrodden Longhorns in recent years if realignment had broken differently. Still, A&M didn’t score a single point in this series until its eighth installment. There are currently no plans for the schools, which last played in 2011, to renew their rivalry. So Texas’ impressive 76-37-5 record against its oldest rival will remain unchanged for the foreseeable future.