College Football: Top 15 rivalry games we’d like to see return in 2020

20. Utah vs. Utah State

While Utah has resumed their series against BYU, they have not played their in-state rivals since the 2015 season. Utah has played Utah State in the Battle of Brothers a total of 112 times which exceeds their 100-game Holy War against BYU. Utah owns the all-time record against Utah State, 79-29-4 with no further meetings currently scheduled.

19. Auburn vs. Georgia Tech

It’s likely the majority of college football fans have forgotten the times when the SEC included original founders Georgia Tech and Tulane who left in 1964 and 1965, respectively. Tech, once one of the SEC’s strongest programs, continues to play Georgia in the last week of the regular season but has lost many of their former souther rivalries.

With 92 appearances, Auburn is Georgia Tech’s second most common opponent and the rivalry remains one of the longest played in the history of the game. While Auburn leads the series 47-41-4, the Yellow Jackets have won the last two. The two schools played annually for a short time after Tech left the SEC, but have not played since 2005.

With Auburn playing North Carolina and Tech scheduling a future series with Alabama, there could be room on each program’s schedule to play again.

18. Nebraska vs. Kansas 

Nebraska’s departure from the Big 12 to the Big Ten resulted in the end of several long-time rivalries. Nebraska’s annual rivalry with Kansas was even more lopsided than most of their former Big 12 rivals with Nebraska owning a 91-23-3 record over the 117 game history of the rivalry.

While the contest ended in 2010 after being played annually for 105 years straight, the border rivals would be an intriguing 2020 matchup.

Second-year Kansas head coach Les Miles is generating legitimate buzz around the Jayhawks’ program in the first time in what feels like forever after being a long-time basement dweller.

Meanwhile, Nebraska’s third year head coach, Scott Frost continues his attempt at rebuilding the once glorious Nebraska program. The rivalry may not be as competitive, but with a long history and big personalities, a 2020 matchup could be one of the most interesting in the series history.

17. Missouri vs. Oklahoma

Nebraska’s departure from the Big 12 wasn’t the only major hit the conference took in the past decade. Missouri’s decision to leave for the SEC brought the end of several long running match-ups including the 96 game series between the Tigers and Sooners. Missouri and Oklahoma have been fighting over the Tiger-Sooner Peace Pipe since 1940 with Oklahoma owning the series record at 67-24-5.

While the Sooners have historically dominated the old rivalry, the two schools faced off in impactful conference games in the late 2000s. While the schools were in opposite Big 12 divisions, they faced off in back-to-back conference championship games in 2007 and 2008. Oklahoma upset a No. 1-ranked Missouri team on the way to the 2007 national championship, knocking the Tigers entirely out of the BCS where they were replaced by rival Kansas.

While Oklahoma dominated the Tigers in the 2008 Big 12 championship, Missouri got revenge in 2010 defeating a then No. 1 ranked Sooners team in Columbia.

16. Nebraska vs. Missouri

Nebraska ended another former Big 12 rivalry with over 100 appearances due to their move to the Big Ten after the 2010 season. The Cornhuskers and Tigers played each other 104 times in a battle for the Victory Bell with Nebraska owning the all-time series at 65-36-3.

The rivalry was competitive until Nebraska went on a 24-game winning streak beginning in 1979 which eventually ended in 2005.

The most iconic game between the two occurred in the 1997 season when No. 2 Nebraska, led by Scott Frost, came back down seven with a minute left in the forth by scoring a touchdown on the final play of regulation through a deflected and kicked ball caught in the end zone. Nebraska went on to win in overtime finishing the season ranked No. 1 and splitting the national title with Michigan.