Every rivalry game in FBS college football this weekend

Indiana offensive lineman Bray Lynch holds The Old Brass Spittoon Trophy after the Hoosiers beat Michigan State in 2024. | Dale Young-Imagn Images

We are approaching the Third Saturday in October, which in the South means Alabama vs. Tennessee, but the slate is full of rivalry games this weekend. We have a Holy War, Royal Rivalry and Modern Day Hate all going down on Saturday, with teams looking to take home trophies depicting a brass spittoon, a jeweled Irish war weapon and even a rack of ribs.

*All times Eastern

Louisville at Miami, 7:00 pm Friday

This rivalry has only been contested 17 times, with Miami holding a 12-4-1 advantage in the series. In 2023 the two teams began competing for the Schnellenberger Trophy, honoring Howard Schnellenberger, who was a head coach at both programs. This game also factors heavily into recruiting. Louisville has long been a regular player in recruiting in south Florida, and the Cardinals recruited their Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Lamar Jackson from Boynton Beach, Fla., just north of Miami.

Louisville legend Lamar Jackson is a south Florida native, but could not beat his hometown Hurricanes in college. | Heisman Trust-Imagn Images

Nebraska at Minnesota, 8:00 pm Friday

Minnesota and Nebraska have played against each other on the football field going back to 1900, and the rivalry has gone through several periods of intensification. The Golden Gophers dominated the first 60 years of the rivalry, but then Nebraska went on a 16-game win streak between 1963 and 2012. The game has now entered a more evenly-contested era since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten Conference in 2011, though Minnesota is on a current five-game win streak in the series.

Baylor at TCU, noon Saturday

The oldest rivalry in the state of Texas is officially known as the Bluebonnet Battle, but unofficially is referred to as The Revivalry by fans of Baylor and TCU. Saturday will be the 101st meeting between the two schools separated by a 90-mile stretch of I-35. TCU holds a narrow 59-54-7 lead in the series, and the 2024 matchup between these two schools was also close with Baylor emerging victorious 37-34. Saturday’s matchup is set to be another closely-contested contest with TCU currently just a three-point favorite at home.

Michigan State at Indiana, 3:30 pm Saturday

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti (R) will meet Michigan State and head coach Jonathan Smith (L) on Saturday as the recent recipient of a new $90 million contract. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indiana is now ranked No. 3 in the country and has been the talk of college football since upsetting Oregon last Saturday. The Hoosiers will host an old rival in Michigan State this weekend. The Old Brass Spittoon was introduced to the rivalry in 1950 when Michigan State’s class president purchased it from an antique shop for $25. The Spartans have dominated the series, leading 50-19-2, but this is a new era of Indiana football and the Hoosier’s head coach has a new $90 million contract to live up to. 

Texas A&M at Arkansas, 3:30 pm Saturday

An undefeated Texas A&M team travels to Arkansas this Saturday as just a seven-point favorite facing a 2-4 Razorbacks team that recently fired its head coach. The small margin of advantage considering the difference in the two teams’ records this season may be due to the over 120 years of rivalry shared between the programs. Named The Southwest Classic back in 2009, Saturday will be the 82nd meeting between the two SEC programs. Arkansas holds a 42-36-3 series lead.

Old Dominion at James Madison, 3:30 pm Saturday

The Royal Rivalry is so named due to the aristocratic nature of both Virginia-based universities’ mascots, and is contested in 20 different sports. On the football side, this rivalry kicked off in the Football Championship Subdivision level in 2011, and has continued now that both teams play at the Bowl Subdivision level. The winner of Saturday’s contest could have the inside track to the Sun Belt East Division title.

Memphis at UAB, 4:00 pm Saturday

When two teams representing cities with the culinary tradition of Birmingham and Memphis get together, a rack of ribs is a fitting trophy. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When two programs representing cities known for excellent barbeque meet up, playing for a trophy depicting a golden rack of ribs is completely appropriate. The Battle for the Bones originally began on the basketball court, but has continued on the gridiron when UAB started playing Division 1 football back in the 1990s. The No. 22 ranked Tigers are not expected to be pressured much in this game, being installed as a three-touchdown favorite and facing a program that fired its head coach in the last week.

Georgia State at Georgia Southern, 7:00 pm Saturday

The 2025 season has not been particularly fruitful for either Georgia State or Georgia Southern so far, with the two programs combining for just three wins. When the two Peach State programs line up at Paulson Stadium Saturday night, however, you can expect an intense atmosphere fueled by Modern Day Hate to determine which school is the real “GSU.” This is more of a university rivalry than a football one, with the two schools not meeting on the gridiron until 2014.

Tennessee at Alabama, 7:30 pm Saturday

The Alabama-Tennessee rivalry has been played 102 times dating back to 1901 and is known as the Third Saturday in October due to its position on the calendar. The game was first scheduled on the third Saturday in October back in 1928 and was played on that date every year until 1992. Conference scheduling obligations no longer ensure that Alabama and Tennessee meet up on that date every season, but they will this year as a pair of Top 11-ranked ball clubs.

Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar leads the No. 11 ranked Volunteers into Tuscaloosa on the Third Saturday in October in an upset bid of the No. 6 ranked Crimson Tide. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC at Notre Dame, 7:30 pm Saturday

If you are talking about the greatest rivalries in all of college football, then Notre Dame and USC is premier rivalry game this weekend. Regularly ranked as one of the Top 10 rivalries in the sport, the college football world tunes in when the Men of Troy take on the Fighting Irish. This year’s game is especially important for each school as both are right on the cusp of a College Football Playoff bid. Notre Dame is almost a 10-point favorite, and holds a 49-35 lead in the all-time series.

Pittsburgh at Syracuse, 7:30 pm Saturday

This season has seen ups and downs for both Pittsburgh and Syracuse, but both teams will be primed to put their best on the line facing a rival Saturday night. This is one of the longest continually-played rivalry games in the ACC, with the two schools meeting up every year since 1955. The origins of this rivalry go back to 1916 and the game was played at Yankee Stadium in both 1923 and 2023. Saturday’s game will take place in Syracuse at the stadium formerly known as the Carrier Dome.

Utah at BYU, 8:00 pm Saturday

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, left, and Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham will meet up in this year's Holy War leading a pair of Top 25 ranked teams. | Jeff Swinger-Imagn Images

This weekend of rivalry games will close out with the Holy War, an intense intrastate rivalry between two schools with strong ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is also the third game of the day featuring two schools ranked in the Top 25 of the college football rankings. This rivalry goes back to 1896 in football and has been contested 102 times. The series record is disputed by the two programs, but both agree Utah holds the overall lead.

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