1. Penn State vs. Pitt
Did you expect anything else from me for my number one spot? This is a series that should never have ended after the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten - it was one of college football's great rivalries, fierce, competitive, and intriguing - and sadly it won't restart again until Joe Paterno is out of office. Which may not be anytime soon. Fans are still whipped into a frenzy over their old rivals success or failure, and recruiting skirmishes between the 2 schools still dot the Western PA landscape. The truth of the matter is, Penn State has moved on to what it looks at as bigger and better things in the Big Ten, and views their rival to the west as the stepchild of Pennsylvania football. Pitt hasn't done much lately on the field to dispel that sentiment. But Pitt's ire over the Nittany Lions still burns - you can still find anti-PSU t-shirts hung up for sale around Pitt's campus. And you can bet those fires would be stoked again quickly amongst Nittany Lion faithful, especially now that Pitt threatens to emerge as a national player once again. The state legislature has nearly intervened to force the game to happen, and many wish they'd gone all the way and passed it into law. My suggestion - rekindle the traditional Thanksgiving weekend date for these two, guaranteeing that this game would be played in cold, snowy, muddly, classic Pennsylvania football conditions. The Big Ten ends early enough that Penn State would have that date open nearly every year, and the Big East does some funky and creative scheduling, so opening that weekend for Pitt would be easy. Dear Harrisburg: push the bill through!
2. Florida vs. Texas
3 of the last 4 national champions. Storied traditional powers. What should have been last year's title game. Colt McCoy vs. Tim Tebow. Florida speed vs. Texas muscle. The plotlines are endless. And we just might see it next January.
3. Ohio State vs. Alabama
A similar amount of plotlines, dripping with drama here too. Clean cut Tressel vs. Smarmy, Distrustful Saban. Classic old time powers who are back on top. Brute strength vs. Brute strength. Shadows of the Bear and Woody. Think of the intrigue this one would carry if it appeared on the early September calendar.
4. Boise State vs. Utah
The BCS headhunters square off in a showdown to see who is the real mid-major head honcho.
5. North Carolina vs. Kansas
Here's a guaranteed revenue generator for ESPN: in early November, when the college basketball season starts, bring these two schools together for a made-for-TV football/basketball doubleheader. Bring a bevy of ESPN talent to Lawrence or Chapel Hill for a full-court press of coverage. Play the football game on ESPN at noon, then give everyone a change to recharge for a few hours before a 7pm nightcap of two of the most storied college basketball programs around. With Butch Davis pushing the Tar Heel football program forward, joining the work Mark Mangino has done in making Kansas an top-25 program, this scenario could net games matching top-25 teams in both sports, in the same place, on the same day. It's a tailgaters dream. Then turn around and do it again next year at the home of the other team. Can't miss.
6. Duke vs. Stanford
Same as above, only with a quiz bowl stuck in the middle.
7. Penn State vs. South Carolina
True story: when I was a kid I used to simulate football games in my backyard, by myself - playing ballcarrier, tackler, QB, receiver, TV announcer, all at the same time. Very strange, I know. But for some reason, one game I'd routinely play was Penn State and South Carolina. And in my fantasy of this game it was always played in a driving rainstorm. On one fateful day my grandmother was in town taking care of my brother and I, and I managed to convince her to let me go outside in one of those all-day, soaking rains (one of those things you can get away with with grandma's, while you'd never slip it past mom); and for 2 hours I played a full simulation. It was glorious. Penn State won 24-20. I probably got sick the next day, but I'd lived the dream. And that's why Penn State vs. South Carolina make this list. Spurrier vs. Paterno ain't a bad coaching collision either.
8. South Carolina vs. Florida State
Speaking of coaching collisions, Bowden vs. Spurrier renewed would draw a few eyes.
9. Georgia vs. Oklahoma
Another titanic major program showdown that would rack up the pregame headlines.
10. Nebraska vs. Georgia Tech
This would be fun just for the confused and longing looks on the faces of Cornhusker fans as Paul Johnson's old-school triple option attack ran all over Memorial Stadium. Would Big Red backers mistakenly start cheering for the Yellow Jackets as they wax eloquently to one another about the glory days of Rogers, Frazier, and Coach Osborne?
11. Florida vs. the Oakland Raiders
The Raiders have been the most pathetic team in the NFL over the past several years, and I'm sure Tim Tebow would love a crack at taking down a pro team. He's conquered just about everything else a college player can conquer during a 4 year career. And the Gators are absolutely loaded with NFL talent all across the roster. You have to admit, you'd at least be a little interested in how this one would play out.
12. USC vs. LSU
The last of the matchups of the major powers of the day, and a fight over which is the top abbreviated name school.
13. Tennessee vs. Texas A&M
Two once-proud programs with loyal, zealous fan bases go at it in a battle to move past mediocrity and into relevancy again.
14. West Virginia vs. Michigan
You knew this one would make the list somewhere. Imagine the environment in Morgantown if the Wolverines came to town. Furniture stores would pack up and leave the week before in preparation for the coming storm.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the College All-Stars
Way back in football yesteryear, the Super Bowl champion would annually play a team of college all-stars in a gimmicky exhibition. That was, until the Steelers of the 70's closed the tradition down by stomping on the poor kids (actually, the rising value of the NFL player and concern for safety probably did more to end it). Wouldn't it be fitting if the Steelers, the current NFL champion, re-opened this dusty old door? And wouldn't it be a much better barometer of NFL readiness and a much better draft evaluation metric than the current crop of senior bowls and college all-star games, which no one but Mel Kiper wannabes and football-starved couch potatoes watch?
Next week: I delve into the world of college basketball for 2 weeks with my best shot at bracketology, expect it up on Selection Sunday.
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