There is a reason college football schedule-makers dial up rivalry games for the final week of the season. In many cases, these are the most intriguing matchups of the year. Of course this weekend doesn't feature every college football rivalry, some have already taken place, but it's a solid slate nonetheless.
While some rivalry games are close year in and year out, a few have been completely one-sided of late. Which FBS squads have dominant streaks against their biggest foes? Let's get to it.[divider]
6 Games: Utah over BYU
Utah running back Bubba Poole shakes off a BYU defender during last season's Holy War (BYU Athletics).
The Holy War has gone the way of Kyle Whittingham's Utes for six straight years. Utah and BYU met on Sept. 10 of this season, with Utah barely keeping it going in a 20-19 win. BYU has put up a valiant fight, falling by a touchdown or less in five of the last six meetings.
Winning is all that matters though, and the Cougars will have to wait until 2017 for their next shot. [divider]
7 Games: Stanford over Cal, Florida State over Miami, Kansas State over Kansas
Stanford seems like it has the most "big games" in college football, with noted rivalries against Cal, USC and Notre Dame. It may have lost some hype over the years, but "The Big Game," refers to the Cardinal facing its in-state counterpart in Cal, and Stanford has taken care of business of late. On Saturday, David Shaw's squad knocked off the Bears once again, 45-31, and even though it was scheduled the week before rivalry weekend, it's still significant. Stanford's victory marked their seventh-straight win over Cal, so the streak remains alive.
Both Florida State and Kansas State have also won the last seven meetings over their respective rivals. In the Sunshine State, the tide has shifted in favor of Jimbo Fisher and the Seminoles in a big way. There was a span from 2000-2004 where Miami was the class of college football, steam rolling every team in their path, including their bitter rival. But FSU has been the powerhouse as of late, and even in a down year, managed to sneak past Miami 20-19 on Oct. 8 of this season.
The Wildcats running the table against the Jayhawks isn't as surprising. Kansas football hasn't been relevant for a while, while Kansas State has been consistently strong. Shoot, Bill Self's hoops team has won 18 NCAA tournament games since 2009. The Kansas football team has won just 13 times in the same span. Bill Snyder will try to will his team over Kansas to make it eight-straight on Saturday, but watch out, the Jayhawks are coming off an emotional win over Texas. Could the streak be broken? [divider]
8 Games: Oregon over Oregon State
After watching Oregon struggle so mightily this season, it's almost crazy to think the Ducks have toppled Oregon State the last eight times in the "Civil War." The Beavers have been sub-par as of late, and while Oregon has been shaky, this might continue on Saturday. Oregon State enters the game with a 3-9 record, while Oregon is just a step better at 4-7. This might not be the most entertaining game of the weekend, but Mark Helfrich's group understands the importance of keeping the streak alive. [divider]
12 Games: Virginia Tech over Virginia
The Virginia Tech football team hoists former head coach Frank Beamer after his final win against Virginia. (VT Athletics).
Legendary Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer has the Virginia game circled on his calendar every season. These two fan bases truly despise one another, and the Hokies have made a statement winning the last 12 meetings. With Beamer now watching from the luxury of his recliner, first-year Hokies' head coach Justin Fuente will look to carry on the tradition this Saturday.
This one has a little extra meaning in 2016. If Virginia Tech wins, it clinches the ACC Coastal Division and advances to the conference title game. If Virginia wins, the streak is broken and the Cavaliers' bitter rival doesn't get a shot at the ACC trophy. UVA's struggles have continued in Bronco Mendenhall's first season, but in this game, anything can happen. [divider]
14 Games: Navy over Army
Navy owns a 14-game win streak over Army, the biggest streak between college football rivals. Let's be honest, these aren't Power Five programs, but the tradition and pageantry associated with these two programs makes it one of the premiere rivalries in all of sports.
How has Navy dominated for so long? It's hard to tell. These two schools recruit similar players, scrapping for blue-collar guys with ambitions to serve their country after hanging up their cleats.
I attended my first Army/Navy game two seasons ago. I've been to hundreds of college and professional games, watching various sports, and have never seen anything quite like it. There's a perfect balance of respect and hate, and for now, Navy remains on top.[divider]
Honorable mentions: Alabama has knocked off Tennessee the last 10 times, but most consider the rivalry against Auburn to be stronger. Ohio State has beat Michigan 11 of the last 12 times, but the lone victory for the Wolverines came in 2011, so there isn't a significant streak.