College Football: 25 most underappreciated team rivalries of all time

College football fans have little problem giving love to the biggest rivalries in the sport, but others deserve more appreciation and love than they get.

To put it simply, there is no shortage of things that make college football great. From watching young men mature, develop and simply grow, to spending Saturdays posted up in front of the television watching the great competition, to having pride in a school, to many, many more. Also in that category is the rivalries that play out year after year and provide an extra jolt of entertainment for fans.

A great college football rivalry is hard to beat. While the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, Real Madrid C.F. and FC Barcelona and other professional rivals are always great, there’s something palpably different and better about two schools whose players and fans are genuinely invested in the worst interest of another school’s team. And seeing that play out on the field is even better.

College football rivalries are everywhere, not just the big games you hear about.

When you look at the greatest college football rivalries throughout the country, the heavy-hitters are abundantly obvious. The Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn, The Game between Ohio State and Michigan, the Army-Navy game, and plenty of others are annual events that fans simply must tune into — even if you aren’t a fan of one of the teams playing.

While those all-time great rivalries should never be glossed over and deserve the shine that they get due to their quality and history, they aren’t the only rivalries that deserve talking about. Some rivalries do get glossed over or at least don’t get talked about as much as they should. These are the unsung heroes of college football rivalries.

Looking back at things like history, memorability, and overall quality, many college football rivalries need more love than they get. With that in mind, let’s dive into the 25 most underappreciated rivalries in college football.