Not all that long ago, college football fans couldn't wait for the early season showdown between Florida and Tennessee. Think back just 10 years as the Gators and Vols traded victories in tight thrillers.
But Florida goes into this weekend as a 29-1/2-point favorite over Tennessee. It's no longer one of the top games on Florida's schedule and one of the better games of the season -- it might not even be the best game of the weekend. So here's some famous rivalries that have lost a bit of luster simply because one team has started dominating.
-- Florida-Tennessee
From 1998-2004, the Gators and Vols played seven times with Tennessee holding a 4-3 edge. Five of the seven games were settled by four points or fewer, four decided in overtime or the final minute of regulation. In 2001, Tennessee won in Gainesville for the first time in 30 years. For that short spell, it was as good of a rivalry as any in the land. Then two things happened. The Gators got really good, and the Vols got really mediocre. The result: Florida has won four straight, including the past two by a combined 89-26
.
-- Oklahoma-Nebraska
These teams met 26 times from 1969-93. In 15 of those games, both teams were ranked in the top 10 when they met, including two times when they were ranked Nos. 1 and 2. In that span, Oklahoma won 14 times, while Nebraska won 12. Because of the Big 12 schedule, they don't play every year anymore, and that's just as well. Nebraska is no longer a powerhouse, while Oklahoma has turned into one under coach Bob Stoops. The Sooners have won four straight in the rivalry and five of the past six. Last year, the Sooners clobbered the Cornhuskers 62-28.
-- Ohio State-Michigan
Some make the argument that this is the greatest rivalry in college football. The reputation grew during the Woody Hayes-Bo Schembechler years when Michigan went 5-4-1 in the 1970s. But, lately, Ohio State has dominated. The Buckeyes have won five in a row and seven of eight. Last year's game was a thorough 42-7 Ohio State victory, and it wouldn't be surprising to see a similar score this November in Ann Arbor.
-- Harvard-Yale
These teams first met in 1875 and Yale dominated the early years, winning 10 of the first 12 meetings. Then from 1948-2000, no school won more than three in a row. But now the power has shifted to Harvard. The Crimson has won seven of the past eight, although some have been close.
-- USC-UCLA
The teams have taken turns controlling the series since they started playing in 1929. These days, the pendulum has swung to USC. The Trojans have become one of the nation's best and have won nine of the past 10 meetings, by scores such as 66-19, 52-21, 47-22 and 27-0. But UCLA's lone win in that stretch -- 13-9 in 2006 -- ruined USC's national championship hopes. Still, the Trojans have become king of Los Angeles.
-- Cal-Stanford
This rivalry, which dates to 1892, is known as the Big Game. Its most famous moment was when the band stormed the field during Cal's kickoff return to win in 1982. When Stanford won in 2001, it was its seventh consecutive victory in the rivalry. Since then, Cal has won six of the seven meetings by an average margin of 21 points.
-- USC-Notre Dame
Two legendary programs whose rivalry dates to 1926 and one that is close overall (Notre Dame holds a 42-33-5 advantage), but the teams have exchanged dominance. USC is the top dog for now. While Notre Dame has slipped under coach Charlie Weis, the Trojans have won seven in a row, and only one of the games has been close. The past two seasons, USC has won by scores of 38-3 and 38-0. Throw out USC's 34-31 victory in 2005 and the average score of this series since 2002 is USC 42, Notre Dame 11.
-- Florida-Florida State
From 1989-2003, this was one of the best rivalries, especially during the years when Steve Spurrier was at Florida going against FSU legend Bobby Bowden. FSU won 11 times, Florida won five times, and then there was FSU's famous rally from a 31-3 deficit to forge a 31-31 in 1994. UF's current streak started in Tallahassee in 2004 -- Ron Zook's final regular-season game as Gators coach -- and Urban Meyer has won by scores of 34-7, 21-14, 45-12 and 45-15.
-- Army-Navy
Still one of the special days in college football, although both teams have fallen from national prominence. The academies first met in 1890, and, overall, the rivalry is close. Navy owns a 53-49-7 advantage. But the Midshipmen have turned it into a one-sided rout. Navy has won seven in a row and nine of the past 10, including the past two meetings by a combined 72-3.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)
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