[Hornacek]

Most people, if they even know anyone from Michigan or Ohio, know that it is UM-OSU HANDS DOWN. There is no other rivalry that has been this heated between two very good teams (thats the important part) for almost a century. Sure, Red Sox-Yankees is hot right now, but what can you legitimately say was its biggest point between Bucky Dent and the late 90s? That's 20 years of ennui. Moreover, they never met in the playoffs until the Wild Card system was in place anyways.

Same with Duke-Carolina. Before Coach K, Duke basketball was nothing. Coach K is an amazing coach (and this is hard for me to say, having been born in Chapel Hill), and he constructed that program into one of the best of all time. Before the 80s and Coach K, Dean Smith would completely own Duke every year.

Individual rivalries also eventually succumb to the test of time, as players retire and their competitive fires dim.

Only consistent programs can have this continued rivalry. In pro sports, parity is nearly destroying any chance of long-lasting greatness and dynasties. Only in college sports, via recruiting and history, can these dominant year-in year-out programs continue to exist.

I'm confident that if Michigan-Ohio State was transplanted from the quiet and underrated Midwest to the East Coast, it wouldn't even be close.

That being said, GO BLUE!