CFB Multiverse: 2024 Rivalry Weekend Chaos
Some data and context around some of the craziest Rivalry shenanigans we've ever seen.
The 2024 season’s Week 14 slate of games will go down as one of the most legendary college football weekend’s of all time.
One of the biggest gripes of CFB fans throughout the Realignment Wars and overall commercialization of college football it’s all killing rivalries. And even if that may be true in the long term, this season’s Rivalry Week loudly declared, “Not Today Satan!”
The definition of rivalry, even during Rivalry Week, varies but I picked the eight games with the highest profiles to analyze this year. An honorable mention was Purdue vs. Indiana. But eight is a solid number and nine feels unlucky. Also the Hoosiers shut the Boilermakers out 66-0 and I think everyone involved has agreed to acknowledge but quickly move past that situation.
Plug: Check out my full Notre Dame vs. USC review over at One Foot Down.
Game 1: Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State
The game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State is the Magnolia State’s biggest in-state CFB rivalry. The two schools are about 104 miles apart, with Mississippi State being located in Starkville and Ole Miss sitting in Oxford to the north.
Ole Miss leads the overall series 65-47 and they added another victory, bringing the record to 66-47. They won the 2024 matchup 26-14 and are now on a +2 win streak in the series. Mississippi State pulled off a +2 win in 2022 and +1 win in 2019 but Ole Miss pulled out their most decisive win of the most recent six-season period.
Game 2: Georgia vs. Georgia Tech
Georgia and Georgia Tech are only 79 miles apart but haven’t played in the same conference since 1963. But they provided us with a game for the ages on Friday night.
The Bulldogs beat the Yellowjackets 44-42 in a game that went through eight overtimes. Georgia now leads the series 72-41 but with Georgia Tech obviously being more competitive. Between 2022 and 2018, they lost most of their games by 20+ points but they shrunk the margin down to -8 in 2023 and -2 this year.
Game 3: Michigan vs. Ohio State
The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry isn’t an in-state one but you couldn’t tell by it’s cultural profile. The two schools are about 189 miles apart with Ann Arbor hugging the Detroit metro and Columbus being Ohio’s capitol.
The Wolverines dealt their 4th blow to the Buckeyes with a slim, 13-10 victory. They now lead the series 62-51. I’ve never really understood either of these fan bases but I kind of feel Ohio State’s frustrations. They beat Michigan +23 in 2018 and +29 in 2019. The -22 loss in 2022 was the Buckeye’s worst in recent history but at least they’ve kept things close the last couple games.
Game 4: Tennessee v. Vanderbilt
The University of Tennessee gets to carry the state name but Vanderbilt is located in the capitol, Nashville, 180 miles to the west.
It’s been one of the more lopsided series that can be considered a big-time rivalry. Going into 2024, the Volunteers were ahead 80-33 and with their 36-23 win, they’re now up to 81 victories. But it’s been an incredible year for Vandy and I’d argue that beating one Alabama win is worth at least 15 Tennessee losses.
Game 5: South Carolina vs. Clemson
Clemson is located about 132 miles northwest of the University of South Carolina.
It’s been pretty underwhelming season for the Clemson Tigers and it got worse with their 14-17 loss to the Gamecocks. Clemson still leads the rivalry, now 73-44 but their dominance has gotten sketchy. In 2021, 2019 and 2018, they won by 20+points. But the Tigers lost in 2022 by -1, bounced back with a +9 victory last season and dropped again to -3 this season.
The win helps the Gamecock’s make a case for the CFP amidst the SEC dumpster fire. And the ACC is such a dumpster fire that somehow even with this loss Clemson still finds its way into the ACC Championship.
Game 6: Arizona vs. Arizona State
Arizona State is 107 miles north of the University of Arizona. Arizona is the state’s flagship university but Arizona State is closest to the capitol, Phoenix.
Arizona came into 2024 leading the series 51-45 but Arizona State inched up to 46 with a +42 win. This year’s game snapped a 2-game winning streak for the Wildcats. But the outcomes have been all over the place in recent series history. Arizona won +36 in 2023 but Arizona State pulled out a +23 win in 2021 and a +63 win in 2020. Of the big college football rivalries, this has been the one with some of the most parity over the long term.
Game 7: Florida vs. Florida State
Florida and Florida State are two of college football’s highest-profile blueblood but they didn’t start their rivalry series until 1958. The two campuses are 152 miles with Florida State sitting in the state’s capitol.
The rivalry has been relatively close and before this year Florida led 37-28. The Gators were able to turn around a 2-game losing streak. And in a big way. They beat the Seminoles 31-11. It’s returned the series to an earlier form. Florida beat Florida State by +23 in 2019 and +27 in 2018.
Game 8: Texas vs. Texas A&M
The Lone Star Showdown returned for the first time in 13 years. The Aggies made the jump to the SEC back in 2011 but with Texas’ entry this year the in-state rivalry has been reincarnated. The University of Texas sits in Austin, about 107 miles southwest of College Station.
It ended up being pretty anticlimactic. The Longhorns extended their series lead to 77-37 with their 17-7 win over A&M. And it’s an unoriginal take but unfortunately relevant that the Aggies only points came off a 93-yard pick-six. I go to great lengths to stay on the good side of but ideally off the radar for either of the fan bases. So I’ll just wrap this up.
It was a great weekend for college football.