College football coaches and the rivals who helped them to glory

One of the qualities that makes college football so special is the fact that regional rivalries have been built for over 100 years, and every time the two schools meet on the gridiron, it can become an all-out war. When a head coach struggles in other areas but dominates their biggest rival, the fanbase is always willing to give them another chance, while those who fall short in their rivalry quickly find themselves in hot water with the fans.

Ryan Day's early struggles against Michigan landed him in hot water with the Buckeyes faithful, and if it was up to the fans, he likely would've been fired before he brought the National Title back to Columbus. Rivalry Games are incredibly meaningful for fan bases, and losing is not an option long-term.

Over the history of college football, there have been several fanbases who could pencil in a rivalry game win on the calendar, and likely never have to worry about losing.

The 10 rivalries dominated by a legendary head coach

Nick Saban Vs Tennessee (16-1)

Every year, the Third Saturday in October matchup came with a ton of excitement, but the rivalry during Nick Saban's tenure was wildly one-sided in favor of the Crimson Tide. Arguably more impressive than all the National Championship wins is the fact that Nick Saban almost went his entire career without losing to the Vols.

Phillip Fulmer, Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley, Butch Jones, and Jeremy Pruitt all came and went before Josh Heupel was able to snap the streak in his second season. Any time that a fanbase is so excited to finally win that they rip down the goalposts and throw them into the Tennessee River, you know just how much you owned a rivalry.

Urban Meyer vs Michigan (7-0)

The Game was at its peak with Urban Meyer leading Ohio State and Jim Harbaugh leading his alma mater. The issue for the Wolverines was that even Harbaugh's arrival in Ann Arbor didn't help improve their fate, as the former Buckeyes head coach went 7-0 in The Game. Considering how close this rivalry has been in other eras, and how Ryan Day has struggled against the Wolverines, the fact that Meyer dominated Michigan for 7 years is remarkable.

Steve Spurrier Vs Georgia (11-1 at Florida)

Going 1-2 as the quarterback of the Florida Gators against Georgia certainly left a chip on Steve Spurrier's shoulder that he carried into his coaching career. Steve Spurrier posted an 11-1 record against Georgia while he was the head coach of the Gators, and the 11-1 mark doesn't even tell the full story of the dominance.

In the 12 matchups, Steve Spurrier's Gators outscored Georgia by 23.4 points per game, including running the score up as high as 47-7 in 1996. The Bulldogs would eventually get their revenge when Spurrier returned to college football at South Carolina, but the Head Ball Coach dominated his rival while at Florida.

Steve Spurrier Vs Kentucky (12-0 at Florida) (6-1 at South Carolina)

The only team that Steve Spurrier dominated more than Georgia during his time at Florida was the Kentucky Wildcats. The wins were to be expected, as Florida was ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll in every matchup while the Wildcats were never ranked in the Top 25. Adding to the dominance was the fact that Spurrier added another 6 wins to his resume against Kentucky when he took the South Carolina job, but he did suffer a loss in 2010.

Bill Snyder vs Kansas (23-4)

The easiest way to endear yourself to the fanbase as a coach is by dominating your biggest rivals. For over a quarter century, Bill Snyder did just that at Kansas State as he dominated the Sunflower Showdown with a 21-4 record against Kansas. The most impressive part of Snyder's record is the fact that after losing hi
}"s 3 of his first 4 games against the Jayhawks, he was able to rip off a 22-1 record to close out his career.

Kirby Smart Vs Georgia Tech (8-1)

When Georgia Tech won the first edition of Clean Old-Fashioned Hate of the Kirby Smart era, they likely weren't prepared for the run the Bulldogs were about to go on. The Bulldogs have picked up 8 straight wins over the Yellow Jackets, helping build Kirby Smart's program into one of the biggest powers in the sport. Brent Key has the Yellow Jackets trending in the right direction, but everyone in college football knows it takes near-perfection to beat Smart.

Barry Switzer Vs Oklahoma State (15-1)

Winning 3 National Championships for Oklahoma is Barry Switzer's legacy in college football, but he'll also be remembered for his dominance against Oklahoma State. Switzer dominated the Bedlam rivalry with a 15-1 record. Over the 16 games, Switzer's teams had an average margin of victory of 21.6 points as the games themselves were dominated along the way.

Bud Wilkinson Vs Oklahoma State (17-0)

If Oklahoma State fans hated Barry Switzer's dominance, then the level of hatred for Bud Wilkinson is on another level. Wilkinson led the Oklahoma Sooners to 17 straight wins in Bedlam before retiring from coaching at just 47 years old. The average score of the games was 34.4-6.5, with the Sooners scoring 40+ points 5 times while posting 3 shutouts.

Jim Tressel vs Michigan (9-1)

Before Urban Meyer dominated The Game to perfection, Jim Tressel gave him the blueprint to dominate the rivalry. From 2001-2010, Ohio State dominated the game with a 9-1 record while outscoring the Wolverines by an average of 10+ points per game. Tressel's success helped the Buckeyes win the 2002 National Championship, while the win in 2006 set the Buckeyes up for the National Championship Game, where they'd lose to their future head coach, Urban Meyer.

Urban Meyer Vs Florida State (5-1)

Speaking of Urban Meyer's time at Florida, he was just as good at winning rivalry games during his time in Gainesville. Meyer ripped off 5 straight wins over the Seminoles to start his Florida tenure with a 24.8-point margin of victory. Meyer's time in Gainesville will always be marked by losing his regular-season finale to the Seminoles, but his dominance in The Sunshine Showdown built Florida into a superpower.

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