College Football: 25 most underappreciated team rivalries of all time

18. Michigan Wolverines vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

When the Notre Dame Fighting Irish played the Michigan Wolverines for the first time, it was the first football game in Notre Dame history. That 1887 meeting is referred to as Michigan — who began playing football at the school in 1879 — teaching Notre Dame how to play football. That’s certainly a unique way for a rivalry to blossom, which adds something unique to the proceedings between the two teams.

Interestingly enough, Notre Dame and Michigan have only played 43 times in the history of their respective programs. However, even with the sporadic meetings before the 1980s and on, there was still always something special between the two teams. The 1936 clash between the then-No. 1 Fighting Irish and the No. 2 Wolverines was the first time that the top two teams in the AP Poll had faced off.

All told, the Wolverines have a 24-17-1 record in this matchup (not including the loss to Notre Dame in 2012 that the Fighting Irish had to vacate). And the selling point has always been two of the most prestigious college football programs ever squaring off, considering that these are two of the winningest teams in the history of the sport.

The rivalry between these two teams has taken some breaks over the years, most recently from 2015 to 2017. That and that it’s only been played 43 times overall makes the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry seem lesser than it is. However, it’s still one of the greatest in the sport that always brings out the best from both schools.