sport news College Football Games of the Week - Rivalry Week Special: Michigan-Ohio St, ... trends now

sport news College Football Games of the Week - Rivalry Week Special: Michigan-Ohio St, ... trends now
sport news College Football Games of the Week - Rivalry Week Special: Michigan-Ohio St, ... trends now

sport news College Football Games of the Week - Rivalry Week Special: Michigan-Ohio St, ... trends now

There might be no greater irony in American sports than celebrating a holiday where you're thankful for what you have - and then promptly playing the team you hate the most two days later.

That's the case in Week 13 - also known as Rivalry Week, when schools across the country play their most bitter of enemies. Oftentimes, they have major bowl or playoff implications - as some of these matchups especially do.

In recognition of the weekend we all love to hate, DailyMail.com has decided to do a less-deep-divey edition of our Games of the Week, honoring the games that will be the most contentious and could have the biggest impact on the College Football Playoff. 

Welcome to Week 13 of the college football season. Here are the Dailymail.com picks for games to keep an eye on... 

Even games like Georgia (white) vs. Georgia Tech (blue) are important traditions in this sport

Even games like Georgia (white) vs. Georgia Tech (blue) are important traditions in this sport

Honorable Mention: 'America's Game'  Army Black Knights (currently 4-6) v. Navy Midshipmen (4-7)

Saturday, December 10 @ 3:00 (CBS) / Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

This is an honorable mention because it's a great rivalry that occupies a special place in the college football calendar.

Historically, Army-Navy is the final game played of the college football regular season - always the week after the conference championship games.

While neither team is playing well this year - and with the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy already won by Air Force - the pageantry and tradition of this game is worth watching it.

Army's 10th Mountain Division uniform from 2017

Army's 1st Infantry Division uniform from 2018

Army has been producing special uniforms to honor specific divisions ever since 2015

Navy's 'Blue Angels' uniform from the 2017 game

Navy's 'Fly Navy' uniform from the 2021 game

Navy isn't one to be shown up, having produced some absolutely beautiful uniforms as well

For one, both teams release special uniforms for this game each year. Since 2015, Army has honored specific divisions of their unit. Highlights include 2017 tribute to the 10th Mountain Division and 2018's homage to the 1st Infantry Division. 

Meanwhile, Navy has a similar tradition of honoring certain divisions like the Blue Angels, but also general parts of the navy like their air corps or the Marines.

It's a fun, fast game that honors a group of college kids who are about to serve the country - but are enemies for just this one day, fighting for the right to 'sing second'. 

10) 'Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate'  Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-6) @ no. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (11-0)

Saturday @ Noon ET (ESPN) / 'Between the Hedges' Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA 

You can have your El Clasico, your State of Origin, your Old Firm. For my money, there is no better name of a rivalry in sports than 'Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.'

These two teams have hatred that goes beyond the gridiron and strikes you right at your moral compass. 

They can't even call each other's schools by their real names. Each week, Yellow Jackets fans refer to their rivals as 'the University (sic) of Georgia' while Bulldogs supporters call their enemies the 'North Avenue Trade School'.

Hatred remains through the generations: picking up more ammunition for the other through conference realignment, the stealing of bells and cars, and multiple World Wars. While UGA is expected to easily win over Tech, expect the animosity to last all day.

This affair may be more lopsided, but wins are still important for the no. 1 Georgia Bulldogs

This affair may be more lopsided, but wins are still important for the no. 1 Georgia Bulldogs

9) 'The Egg Bowl'  Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-4) @ No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels (8-3)

Thursday at 7:00pm ET (ESPN) / Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS 

If the World Cup or NFL football on Thanksgiving doesn't appeal to you, why not try the Egg Bowl?

It seems someone took all the British jokes about how American football should be called 'hand egg' seriously in Mississippi, because they made a trophy out of it.

This particular golden egg was created out of necessity from a game in 1926, when Ole Miss beat a then-known-as Mississippi A&M Aggies team at A&M's home field. 

Rebels fans tried tearing the goalposts down in a stadium that wasn't theirs, and naturally, Mississippi A&M fans didn't take too kindly to that. Fights ensued, with some Bulldogs fans defending the goalposts with wooden chairs and people chasing after each other.

In an effort to prevent these things from happening in the future, both schools created a trophy that fans could take instead of destroying or stealing property. Hence, the 'Golden Egg' was born and the teams have fought over it ever since. 

A trophy born out of necessity is fought over each year between Ole Miss and Mississippi State

A trophy born out of necessity is fought over each year between Ole Miss and Mississippi State

8) 'The Sunshine Showdown'  Florida Gators (6-5) @ no. 16 Florida State Seminoles (8-3) 

Friday @ 7:30 (ABC) / Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL

Oh how the overhyped have fallen.

In Week 1 of this year, Florida shocked the country by upsetting a No. 7 Utah team in 'The Swamp' - then compounded the shock when the AP Poll shot them up from being unranked to No. 12 in the nation.

Since they last left the rankings via a loss to then-No. 11 Tennessee, the Gators have gone 4-4 under first year head coach Billy Napier. While the expectations were low this season after a mass exodus in the team, to have all the momentum in the world to having none of it is daunting.

Napier can at least recover some good will by knocking off a strong Florida State team which has also been dealing with its fair share of roller coaster rides.

Finishing ranked would be a sign of great progress for the 'Noles under coach Mike Norvell, who entered this season with a simmer of a flame under his hot seat. Now, more people are beginning to believe in him and his team. A win over Florida will surely help his case even more. 

Two very successful teams can see hatred boil over against each other in the Sunshine State

Two very successful teams can see hatred boil over against each other in the Sunshine State

7) 'The Palmetto Bowl'  South Carolina Gamecocks (7-4) @ No. 8 Clemson Tigers (10-1)

Saturday @ 4:00 (FOX) / 'Death Valley' Clemson Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC 

My deepest apologies to the fans of the University of South Carolina for writing them off so easily last week.

But even the most ardent Gamecocks fan can admit that last week's upset over Tennessee was special and unexpected. Prior to last week, the most yards QB Spencer Rattler threw for was 377 in a loss to Arkansas. The most touchdowns he threw were three against Vanderbilt.

So for Rattler to come out of the gates swinging, tossing for 438 yards and six touchdowns is nothing short of a career defining moment.

South Carolina fans hope he can produce something similar against a Clemson team that has nothing serious riding on this game outside of personal pride as they look to the ACC Championship Game. 

Clemson's dominance has defined this rivalry, but last weeks upset gives Gamecock fans hope

Clemson's dominance has defined this rivalry, but last weeks upset gives Gamecock fans hope

6) 'The Iron Bowl'  Auburn Tigers (5-6) @ No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide (9-2)

Saturday @ 4:00 (FOX) / Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL

The last time these two teams met where neither were ranked in the top five was November 24, 2007 when a No. 25 ranked Auburn team edged out Alabama 17-10.

This is normally one of the most important

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