It's that time of year again. The leaves are changing colors, my bank account is shrinking, and college football is back in action. The college football atmosphere is hands down one of the most exciting sports venues in the world. College kids and alumni at southern institutions will camp out for days before a big rivalry game on Saturday afternoon. Here is a short list of five highly contested college football matchups.
5. USC - Notre Dame (ND leads 45-36-5)
Since Notre Dame football does not belong to any conference, they get to pick their schedule every year. USC and Notre Dame have a total of 86 ultra competitive meetings since the first matchup in the early 1920s. At this time, Notre Dame had become a powerhouse beating perennial all-star teams like Yale and Army. The Rose Bowl committee, trying to gain National attention in the football world, persistently tried to persuade Notre Dame to play a Pac-12 team, according to UND historians. USC was more than willing to take a chance at beating the Fighting Irish, and it has turned into a yearly occurrence.
4. Miami - Florida St. (Miami leads 31-28)
Although some may argue Florida - Florida St. should be here, I like the Miami - Florida St. matchup because they have the same amount of meetings, but a more even matchup. The 
battle for the Florida Cup has probably produced the most NFL players of this countdown. This bitter rivalry has included the classic "Wide Right" matchup in 1991 when Florida St. place kicker Gerry Thomas missed a a field goal to the right with less than a minute to go, according to espn.go.com. Although Miami hasn't been competitive as they once were, the highly ranked recruits they bring in yearly will eventually bring this game back to a must-see watch every year.
3. Army - Navy (Navy leads 59-49-7)
The Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen represent their respective military academies in the final college football game every year for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. This is a severely intense matchup because the winner obtains bragging rights of the American armed forces. Because of the large crowds the game brings in, the game has only occurred on the campus of either school 6 out of the total 115 matchups. There is even a website didicated to the rivalry http://www.phillylovesarmynavy.com/RIVALRY-HISTORY. A variety of cities
have hosted the game including New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Navy has put a beating on Army over the last several years with a 13-game active win streak.2. Auburn - Alabama (Alabama leads 43-35-1)
The classic Iron Bowl is a highly contested battle between two premier SEC schools in Alabama and Auburn. According to Inquisitr.com, it was coined the term "Iron Bowl" in 1980 due to Birmingham, Alabama's prominence in the iron and steel business. College football fans of this generation will never forget Chris Davis' 109-yard missed field goal return for a touchdown to beat Alabama in the 2013 matchup. With a second remaining, Alabama lined up for a game-winning 57 yard field goal. It was freshman kicker Adam Griffith's fourth missed field goal of the game and resulted in a BCS Championship birth for Auburn. It was even deemed "Play of the Year" at the 2014 ESPY Awards.
1. Michigan - Ohio State (Michigan leads 58-46-6)
Late November every season, most rivalry games are in session. You might be busy during some of the times, but this is the one game you can't miss. Nicknamed simply "The Game," the Wolverines of Michigan lineup against the Ohio State Buckeyes for a hard-hitting Big 10 event. The combined domination of their conference usually means this game will determine who wins or plays in the Big 10 Conference Championship. Legendary coaches such as Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler have commanded the sidelines for years. Although Ohio State has won the last 3, the team teams have strikingly similar overall team statistics.
Stats found at http://buckeyefansonly.com/thegame.html
There's nothing better on a crisp Fall afternoon than watching the Grey and Scarlet combat the Maze and Blue for 60 minutes. A new coaching rivalry will commence this season as Urban Meyer will go head to head with Jim Harbaugh. Only time will tell which coach's legacy will stand above the other.
