There's no better rivalry in sports than the Iron Bowl. It's obviously going to top the list of fiercest rivalries in the SEC, but this is a league that has a penchant for high-drama matchups.
It's tough to beat the pageantry of college football to begin with. But when you get two teams on the field at the same time that despise one another, there's simply nothing else like it.
The SEC has plenty of high-stakes matchups that have produced memorable moments, with many, many more to come. Let's take a look at the Top 10:
Alabama-Auburn and the Top 10 SEC football rivalries
10. Tennessee-Kentucky
All-Time Record: Tennessee 85-26-9
This might be higher if they kept the "Battle of the Beer Barrel" name. But these two programs still have a high disdain for each other. The biggest problem is that Kentucky just hasn't been all that competitive. The Wildcats have only topped the Volunteers three times since 1984. Perhaps a confident Will Stein can change that.
9. LSU-Ole Miss (Magnolia Bowl)
All-Time Record: LSU 64-43-4
There's a lot of history to the Magnolia Bowl, and while it hasn't felt the same in the last couple of decades, it's starting to pick up steam again. With Lane Kiffin jumping from Ole Miss to LSU before last season's College Football Playoff, this one has the potential to be as intense as any college football game over the next few seasons.
8. Alabama-LSU (Saban Bowl)
All-Time Record: Alabama 58-27-5
This was never really a rivalry until Nick Saban arrived at Alabama in 2007, but for the ensuing nearly two decades, it was one of the biggest games in college football every single season. Historically, Alabama has dominated. Even under Saban and with most games considered a "toss-up" coming in, the Crimson Tide won 13 of 18 meetings. They've won 15 of the last 20 now, with Kalen DeBoer going 2-0 against the Tigers.
7. Auburn-Georgia (The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry)
All-Time Record: Georgia 66-56-8
This one has lost a bit of luster in recent years because Georgia has reeled off a nine-game winning streak. But before the Kirby Smart era in Athens, this game had been effectively a toss-up every single year. With a history that dates back to the 19th century, it's one of college football's most historic rivalries.
6. Texas-Texas A&M (The Lone Star Showdown)
All-Time Record: Texas 78-37-5
Like LSU-Ole Miss, the Lone Star Showdown has a chance to really jump up in the rankings in the coming years. With Texas joining the SEC, this rivalry has been reinvigorated as one of the fiercest in college football. The problem is they took a 13-year break from 2011-2024. They lose points for that.
5. Florida-Georgia (World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party)
All-Time Record: Georgia 58-44-2
Call it what you want, but in this house, Florida vs. Georgia will always be known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. This matchup has produced plenty of classic matchups, but Georgia has dominated in recent years. The Bulldogs have won five in a row, and eight of the last nine.
4. Alabama-Tennessee (The Third Saturday in October)
All-Time Record: Alabama 60-40-7
There was a period of time when there was no bigger rivalry in the SEC, not even the Iron Bowl. The reason this is No. 4 now is because of Nick Saban. Alabama reeled off a dominant stretch during the Saban era, winning 15 straight from 2007 to 2021. The pair have split the last four meetings, however, with a few memorable games that have reinvigorated one of the nation's most heated battles.
3. Ole Miss-Mississippi State (The Egg Bowl)
All-Time Record: Ole Miss 67-47-6
There may not be a rivalry that better encapsulates college football than The Egg Bowl. Rarely has this game had the stakes of some of the others on this list, but that has not prevented it from being one of the most heated and hotly contested games every single year.
2. Texas-Oklahoma (Red River Rivalry)
All-Time Record: Texas 67-52-5
The pageantry that comes with this matchup every year at the Texas State Fair is hard to beat. It's one of the few that is better served playing at a neutral site than on campus. This series has been back-and-forth for a long time, with no team reeling off more than three straight wins in the series since the early 1990s. Throw the records out the door when these two sides meet; it's always a toss-up game.
1. Alabama-Auburn (The Iron Bowl)
All-Time Record: Alabama 52-37-1
With due respect to other great rivalries, nothing can stack up to the Iron Bowl. From the hatred and animosity among fan bases who share the same state to the drama on the field that has led to some of the greatest games in college football history. From the Kick Six to 4th and 31, you never know what's going to transpire when these two teams meet in late November.
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