The weekend began with two exciting in-state rivalries on Friday. The first rivalry with much higher playoff implications occurred in Atlanta, Georgia, where number 4 ranked Georgia took on 23 ranked Georgia Tech. Georgia was able to emerge victorious in the bout with a score of 16-9. The win cemented Georgia’s spot in the SEC championship and ended Georgia Tech’s playoff dreams. After a historically good season for Georgia Tech, this close loss was the nail on the coffin for their hopes of making it further than just a bowl game. In the later time slot, the most incredible upset of the weekend occurred in the Texas vs. Texas A&M game. Number 16 ranked Texas was able to defeat their number 3 ranked rival with a score of 27-17, ending the dreams of an undefeated season for Texas A&M. Although the Longhorns had been seen as out of playoff contention, this remarkable win has put them back into conversation. It also led to the favorites for the SEC championship to be knocked out altogether.
On Saturday, the two most famous rivalries in college football took place, along with a very important ranked rivalry between two Tennessee powerhouses. The first rivalry, known as “The Game,” has been the most well known and vicious rivalry in college football since its creation. Michigan and Ohio State are two teams that truly encapsulate the meaning of hatred between rivals. In today’s game in the Big House, Ohio State won convincingly with a score of 27-9. This was Ohio State’s first win in the rivalry since 2019, and was highly celebrated among the program. It also knocked Michigan out of the playoff picture altogether. Due to the very famous nature of this game, it also had a ton of popularity amongst students at Hingham High. In particular, Senior Kris Labbe had some very strong opinions on the outcome of the game and also how it was played. He said, “The Ohio State vs. The Michigan Game was insane! Such a blowout, and the tension between the two teams was so dense a knife could have cut through it.” Another view was seen through freshman Sam Godfrey, about how this game truly embodies the effect of these rivalry games. He described, “‘The Game’ truly exemplifies what football is all about. No matter if Michigan is 4-10 they will always come to play against Ohio State. These games truly mean more to the players.”
Another great rivalry game from Saturday was the battle of two Tennessee schools, the long-standing successful Tennessee and the new up-and-coming Vanderbilt. Due to Tennessee being ranked 19 and Vanderbilt being ranked 14, this game had possible playoff implications. In the end, Vanderbilt had a commanding win over the Volunteers, winning 45-24. This allows Vanderbilt to have a possible chance of making the CFP, while also destroying Tennessee’s chances altogether.
Lastly, another one of the most famous rivalries took place, and it did not disappoint. The “Iron bowl” between Auburn and Alabama has been the most exciting, soul crushing rivalry in the SEC for many years. Many of college football’s most memorable moments have come from this rivalry game including the stellar kick six from Chris Davis in 2013. This year, the game was played with Alabama’s SEC championship on the line. A win was all they needed, and they succeeded by getting a close, 27-20 win over their rival. This game put fans off the edge of their seat and was won by a touchdown by Isaiah Horton in a heart stopping fourth down conversion with 3:50 to go. Alabama’s win not only put them high into the CFP conversation, but also knocked Auburn out of a potential bowl game.
Looking into non-rival outcomes, UCal Berkley upset SMU, knocking them out of ACC championship contention. This win occurred after a missed game tying field goal by the Mustangs, allowing for a 38-35 win for Cal. SMU’s loss cemented 7-5 Duke as a competitor in the ACC championship in a tiebreaker within the conference.
Every year, Rivalry weekend is one to remember, but this one was special. With season-changing upsets, fulfilled dreams, and seasons ending in sadness, tuning into the games this weekend was a privilege.
