The Athletic released a list of the Top-100 rivalries in college football, and Michigan vs. Ohio State was at No. 1. The Wolverines had four other rivalry games on the list as well:
We are about 50 days away from the Michigan Wolverines hitting the football field for the first time in 2025, which means we are officially in the dog days of summer. I don’t know about you, but I am getting a little antsy for the fall and for college football to return.
But we still have a ways to go, and what better way to fill the time than to debate some of the greatest games in the history of college football. On Monday, The Athletic released its list of the Top-100 college football rivalries, and you already know what’s at No. 1 — Michigan vs. Ohio State, otherwise known as The Game.
Here is what they had to say about it:
Arguably, Michigan-Ohio State football is the greatest rivalry in American sports. It unquestionably holds that status in college athletics. Their co-dependence deepens the intensity, both in victory and in defeat. There’s history from the territorial conflict over Toledo in 1835-36 that led to Ohioans referring to Michiganders as “Wolverines.” There’s proximity, prominence, moments, stakes, frequency and longevity. There is nothing like it.
One cannot name every great moment in this series, but there’s the 10-year war (1969-78) between Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, the 1950 Snow Bowl, the Buckeyes losing four years in a row while ranked No. 2 (2021-24) and Hayes going for a 2-point conversion while up 48-14 in 1968. Then there’s “The Spot” in 2016, flag-planting in 2024 and “Tiebreaker” in 1973. That’s just a start.
No teams have engaged in as many ranked matchups (49), top-10 clashes (26) or top-5 showdowns (13). Michigan owns a 23-22-4 advantage in ranked duels, the teams are tied in top-10 showdowns (12-12-2) and Ohio State has the edge in top-five (7-5-1) matchups. At least one team has been ranked in 79 of 88 games since the AP poll debuted in 1936.
The teams have met in the regular-season finale every year since 1943, save for 2020 when Michigan’s high COVID-19 numbers forced a cancellation. Michigan-Ohio State has aired 68 times on TV, including the past 57 seasons.
There’s no question Michigan vs. Ohio State should be viewed as the No. 1 rivalry in college football. Hell, The Athletic even alluded to it being one of the best rivalries in American sports — and I agree. The hatred runs incredibly deep for both sides. Families are torn apart each and every Thanksgiving weekend not because someone overcooked the turkey or forgot to bring the pumpkin pie, but because of this game. There’s truly nothing quite like this rivalry in college football.
The Game wasn’t the only Michigan rivalry to make the list. Michigan vs. Minnesota checks in at No. 51 on the list. Meanwhile, Michigan vs. Penn State is at No. 47, even though I personally don’t view PSU as a rival. My opinion — you can’t have a game with a trophy like the Little Brown Jug (which has been going on since 1892!) be below a game that only started because Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1990, nearly 100 years after the inaugural Little Brown Jug game.
Additionally, Michigan vs. Notre Dame is a bit low, in my opinion, at No. 18. Perhaps this would be higher if the Irish hadn’t backed out of the series back in 2019 and these two schools still played each other every year.
Finally, the battle for in-state bragging rights, Michigan vs. Michigan State, is at No. 16. I would personally be okay if this game ceased to exist, but I may be in the minority on this one. I absolutely loathe this game and greatly look forward to it being in the rearview mirror every fall, regardless if Michigan wins or not.
Just in case you were interested, here is a quick rundown of the Top-10:
- Michigan-Ohio State
- Alabama-Auburn
- Texas-Oklahoma
- Army-Navy
- USC-Notre Dame
- Nebraska-Oklahoma
- Miami-Florida State
- Ohio State-Penn State
- Florida-Florida State
- Wisconsin-Minnesota (One of three games on this list where the overall series is tied…pretty cool fact)
Are any of these rivalries too high? Too low? Is Penn State even a rival to Michigan? (I think Michigan vs. the NCAA is a bigger rivalry at this point than Michigan vs. PSU). Let us know what you think down in the comments!