Rivals Rivalry Week Survey: Recruits on top national rivalries
Many of our favorite rivalries have blossomed because of how much people value bragging rights. Those bragging rights are also valuable tools on the recruiting trail. The Rivals.com team surveyed many recruits across the country to see which rivalry is their favorite.
1. MICHIGAN-OHIO STATE (33 percent of recruits surveyed)
Notable recruit quotes
-"Really needs no explanation."
-"It is a true hate for the other team and there are always fights and a lot of passion and I love that aspect of the game."
-"The greatest rivalry of all time. So many great athletes each year."
-“I feel the Ohio State and Michigan rivalry is the biggest due to the fact that both teams actually truly dislike each other.”
-“The players that have played in that game and the coaches and the traditions there, nothing comes close to it.”
-“At Ohio State you can see the hatred for Michigan and vice versa. It's kind of cool. They hate each other so much and you know the game is always going to be good.”
2. AUBURN/ALABAMA (23 percent of recruits surveyed)
Notable recruit quotes
-"It runs the deepest to me and it's the one I will always watch, probably until I die. It's always a good game."
-"Alabama and Auburn just because it's between the two SEC powerhouses and it's always the last rivalry game of the season."
-"Alabama and Auburn has to be one of the biggest rivalries in college football history. Two great programs with competitive athletes that find ways to win ball games consistently."
-“Alabama and Auburn is the best rivalry. They are the only two schools in that state. When they play each other it's always energetic, it’s always special, and everybody's really pumped up.”
3. MIAMI/FLORIDA STATE (14 percent of recruits surveyed)
Notable recruit quotes
-"Miami and Florida State is the best rivalry no doubt. When you talk rivalry it's a real rivalry. A lot of these schools just playing a role but those two teams live and breathe the rivalry."
-"Miami and Florida State because that's an old rivalry game that's been around for a long time.”
-"It's been the best rivalry since before I was even born. They always come with that fire and the game is always intense and close."
4. USC/UCLA (Nine percent of recruits surveyed)
Notable recruit quotes
-"The history behind the USC and UCLA rivalry is like no other."
-"It’s a huge rivalry and it has been back and forth in recent years."
