The 13 Most Lopsided Rivalries In College Football History

There are a ton of reasons college football is as beloved as it is, and I’d argue one of the biggest factors is the heated rivalries between schools that can stretch back more than 100 years.

The nature of a rivalry means it’s usually pretty hard to have one if one of the parties involved isn’t able to hold their own on a consistent basis.

With that said, there are a number of college football rivalries that feature plenty of bad blood even though one school has managed to get the upper hand in the vast majority of cases.

Alabama vs. Mississippi State

Alabama: 86–18–3 (.817 winning percentage)

You’d be hard-pressed to find many schools with more active rivalries than Alabama, and while the Battle for Highway 82 might not get as much hype as the Crimson Tide’s beef with Auburn, Tennessee, LSU, or Ole Miss, none of them have faced off against them as frequently as Mississippi State.

However, the Bulldogs have not exactly held their own in a rivalry stretching back to 1896, as they once lost 22 games in a row and are currently in the midst of a 16-game skid.

Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State

Oklahoma: 91–20–7 (.800 winning percentage)

The first installment of the “Bedlam Series” took place in 1904 and saw Oklahoma walk away with a 75-0  win (which remains the largest margin of victory in the history of the rivalry).

That marked the start of an 11-game winning streak for the Sooners where the Cowboys were held scoreless in eight of those contests, and while this remains a highly-awaited showdown, Oklahoma State is firmly the little brother.

Tennessee vs. Kentucky

Tennessee: 82–26–9 (.793 winning percentage)

This is one of the oldest rivalries on this list, as these two teams faced off for the first time all the way back in 1893.

Kentucky secured a 56-0 victory in that inaugural matchup, but it’s been largely downhill from there for a Wildcats squad that once had to endure a 26-game losing streak between 1985 and 2000.

Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt

Tennessee: 78–32–5 (.700 winning percentage)

The Volunteers once again have the decisive upper hand in a rivalry that stretches even back longer than the one with Kentucky, as Tennessee and Vanderbilt met for the first time in 1892.

Vanderbilt won 11 of the first 12 contests (there was a tie during that run), but things took a turn for the worse midway through Prohibition and Tennessee has never really looked back.

Washington vs. Washington State

Washington: 76–34–6 (.681 winning percentage)

The Apple Cup that lends its name to this rivalry was first presented in 1963, but the two teams have been facing off on a regular basis since the start of the 20th century.

The Huskies and the Cougars have played each other a grand total of 116 times, but the fact that Washington State has never been able to win more than two consecutive games really tells you all you need to know about the balance of power here.

LSU vs. Mississippi State

LSU: 75–36–3 (.674 winning percentage)

2024 marks the first time these two schools haven’t faced off against each other since 1943, although it’s really been close to a century when you consider the Bulldogs didn’t suit up that season due to WWII.

That’s probably not a huge loss for Mississippi State, as they probably would have added yet another L to the column based on how both schools are looking this season.

UNC vs. Wake Forest

UNC: 72–36–2 (.663 winning percentage)

This rivalry kicked off all the way back in 1888 with the absolute barnburner that saw Wake Forest come away with the 6-4 victory.

The Demon Deacons won three of the first four games, but the Tar Heels bounced back with a 17-game winning streak that remains the longest in the history of the rivalry and have been the team to beat ever since.

USC vs. Stanford

USC: 65–34–3 (.652 winning percentage)

These two schools were somewhat evenly matched over the first few decades of a rivalry that began in 1905, but USC notched a 12-game winning streak that began in 1958 and followed up that run where they went 14-0-1 between 1976 and 1990 to take a commanding lead.

Michigan vs. Michigan State

Michigan: 73–38–5 (.651 winning percentage)

This is probably the fiercest rivalry on this list (even though Michigan reserves the bulk of its enmity for Ohio State), but the Spartans haven’t really held their own in The Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.

Michigan State was able to emerge as the dominant team in the 1950s and 60s, but the Wolverines have been the more talented squad for the bulk of a rivalry that stretches back to 1898.

Purdue vs. Indiana

Purdue: 77–42–6 (.640 winning percentage)

The Hoosiers and the Boilermakers hail from Basketball Schools, but they also have plenty of history on the gridiron.

This rivalry kicked off in 1891 and began with Purdue going on a six-game winning streak, and the Boilermakers really pulled ahead by going unbeaten in 14 contests between 1948 and 1961.

It seems like Indiana is a shoo-in to take back the Old Oaken Bucket based on how both teams have looked this season, but it’s still going to be a drop in the bucket based on their history.

UNC vs. NC State

UNC: 68–39–6 (.629 winning percentage)

The Tar Heels may not be in top form as things currently stand, but they once again reign supreme in a rivalry between two teams based in North Carolina.

The Wolfpack have managed to make up some lost ground since the start of the new millennium, but they still have plenty of work to do when it comes to evening things up.

Georgia vs. Georgia Tech

Georgia: 71–41–5 (.628 winning percentage)

There’s nothing like some Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, although by this point, one team is directing the majority of it at a rival that barely considers them a worthy foe.

Georgia Tech does hold the longest winning streak at eight games, but based on the current state of each program, it seems like there’s a pretty good chance the Bulldogs are going to end up topping that number in the midst of an ongoing six-game run.

Clemson vs. South Carolina

Clemson: 73–43–4 (.625 winning percentage)

Clemson went 13-3-1  against South Carolina after this series began in 1896, and their opponents have never really been able to claw back.

South Carolina did manage to rattle off a five-game winning streak between 2009 and 2014, but the Tigers quickly took the win out of their sails by responding with a seven-game run of their own.