College football without rivalries would be like the beach without sand.
They're a big reason college football season never ends. Fans go back and forth just as passionately in March and July as they do in September and November.
Thankfully, we're getting two of our most revered rivalries back. Penn State and Pittsburgh will resume their grudge match this season, and Notre Dame and Michigan reportedly are set to renew their rivalry in 2018.
That's a nice start, but why stop there?
Here are five more rivalries that need to be resumed immediately:
Texas vs. Texas A&M
Like petulant children, the powers that be at Texas and Texas A&M have given us all of the silly reasons these two bitter Lone Star State rivals won't play anymore. You know the narrative. Texas doesn't need Texas A&M, and Texas A&M doesn't need Texas now that the two schools are in different conferences. As they so readily point out on the Forty Acres, the Aggies are the ones who left the Big 12 for the SEC. And while that's true, it's shameful that these two behemoths in that state can't find a way to play. The two coaches, Texas'
Charlie Strong and Texas A&M's
Kevin Sumlin, have both been on the record in the last year or so as saying that they would like to see the series renewed. Here's hoping their bosses come to their senses.
Nebraska vs. Oklahoma
Thanksgiving weekend hasn't been the same since the Huskers and Sooners called off their annual clash. Seeing Barry Switzer on the Oklahoma sideline and Tom Osborne on the Nebraska sideline that Friday after Thanksgiving was as much a part of the holiday as turkey and dressing. For 71 consecutive seasons, they slugged it out and in four conferences -- Missouri Valley, Big Six, Big Eight and Big 12. How fitting that the schools' last meeting came in the Big 12 championship game in 2010 -- Nebraska's last year in the league before moving to the
Big Ten. The good news is that the two schools have agreed to play a home-and-home series in 2021-22. We college football junkies won't rest until they agree to play every year.
Kansas vs. Missouri
Here's another bitter and long-standing rivalry gone by the wayside thanks to expansion. We're not supposed to use hate when discussing college football games, but it seems appropriate in this case. The Border War dates back to 1891, and the two schools played 120 times, making it the oldest rivalry west of the Mississippi River. They last met in 2011 in Kansas City with Missouri winning 24-10, and the Tigers then bolted that next year for the SEC. Even though the schools don't play anymore, the rivalry hasn't lost its sting. Take a stroll through the parking lots outside Missouri's Faurot Field on any game day, and you'll see scores of cars with bumper stickers reading, "We Still Hate Kansas."
Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia
Just the name alone beckons for this rivalry to be renewed: The Backyard Brawl. Easily one of the fiercest rivalries along the East Coast, the Pitt-West Virginia series dates all the way back to 1891, but came to an end in 2011 when West Virginia moved from the Big East to the Big 12 in 2012. That next year, Pitt left for the ACC. Only 75 miles separate the two schools (I-79 is the connector), and they played every year from 1943-2011. Every great rivalry includes a few stunning upsets along the way, and perhaps the most famous in this one was a 4-7 Pitt team shocking No. 2 West Virginia 13-9 in 2007 in Morgantown to keep the Mountaineers out of the BCS National Championship game.
Auburn vs. Tennessee
When the SEC expanded in 1992 and split into divisions, one of the most underrated rivalries in all of college football was lost. Auburn and Tennessee played every year from 1956-91, and the series was a dandy with back-and-forth swings, and the game was typically played in September, meaning it set the tone for the SEC race in a lot of years. While the Auburn-Tennessee rivalry never generated the publicity of the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry, the Tigers and Vols combined for seven SEC titles from 1983-90 -- the Vols in 1985, 1989 and 1990 and the Tigers in 1983, 1987, 1988 and 1989. The two schools shared the title in 1989. They still play occasionally as non-divisional foes in the SEC, but it's not like it used to be between these two old rivals when Pat Sullivan, Condredge Holloway, Bo Jackson and Reggie White were doing their thing.