There is no doubt that it is the rivalries that drive the college football landscape with teams competing 24/7, 365 days a year both on and off of the field. These teams battle on the recruiting trails, fight for position within their conferences and ultimately for bragging rights on the national stage. We’ve seen how heated things get even when there isn’t a real, live football game going on as Jim Harbaugh has been fueling the fires this offseason.
The Big Ten has emerged as what many would consider as the second-strongest power conference in college football not only in terms of competing for championships but also in terms of producing NFL talent. Let’s take a look at the four best rivalries in the Big Ten right now.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines
The rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan is one of the best in all of college football regardless of conference and it has been for a long time. “The Game” dates all the way back to 1897 with teams from two states bordering on one another battling with no shortage of storylines. Michigan owns a 58-47-6 all-time record versus Ohio State, but the Buckeyes have won 13 of the last 15 contests between them including each of the last four. The arrival of Jim Harbaugh at Michigan has pushed this rivalry to that next level once again with the Wolverines now seemingly poised to challenge the Buckeyes for supremacy both in the Big Ten as well as on the national stage.
Michigan Wolverines vs. Michigan State Spartans
The two programs have certainly had their highs and lows over the years, but regardless of their standing the rivalry between the Wolverines and Spartans has remained strong. Michigan holds a significant edge with a 68-35-5 all-time record in the series, but Michigan State has been the better team in the Big Ten and more relevant on the national stage as well over the past few years. Harbaugh’s arrival has helped shift the perspective a little bit again with the Wolverines nearly upsetting Mark Dantonio and the Spartans in one of the craziest games ever in college football last season. Now they enter a new season with Michigan State as the Big Ten champions and Michigan looking to unseat them as the in-state animosity continues to burn.
Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin versus Minnesota has long been the premier battle of the Big Ten West as well as the conference’s longest-standing rivalry dating all the way back to 1890. The Badgers and Golden Gophers haven’t played for Paul Bunyan’s Axe since 1948, but they have played one another in every season since 1907 with the rivalry between the two teams raging on. Wisconsin has dominated the matchup over the last couple of decades with 12 straight wins and a 19-2 record since 1995, but Minnesota still holds the edge in the all-time series with a 59-58-8 record. Both programs are expected to contend for a Big Ten West title in 2016 so the Golden Gophers will certainly be looking to make this the year they hit back with a win.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans
Iowa versus Nebraska is a natural rivalry that dates back to 1891, so it certainly deserves an honorable mention here, but it should be no surprise that the final matchup on this list features another combination of the big three from the Big Ten. No Big Ten rivalry has been more relevant over the last decade then the battle between the Buckeyes and Spartans as each team has had to go through the other in order to accomplish their goals every single season. These teams have split the last four meetings with the average win margin only 6.5 points and there is no reason to expect the intensity to fall off even a little bit looking forward to next reason with both teams looking to be in the mix for a Big Ten championship. Michigan is now back on the map but it’s mostly been this rivalry that has dominated all of the headlines in the Big Ten over the last handful of years.
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