Rivalries are at the heart of NCAA football betting season, and it’s so big that ESPN’s “Rivalry Week” is two weeks long. The fact that most of these rivalry games are played late in the season, thus having a possible effect on the polls, makes it even larger.

Ohio State-Michigan (“The Game”)

It doesn’t matter where they are in the rankings, this is always one of the most anticipated games of the season. 2006 may have been the best of their 105 meetings, as the No.1 Buckeyes edged the No.2 Wolverines 42-39 at the “Horseshoe” in Columbus. Last year’s 42-7 romp was Ohio State’s fifth in a row over the Wolverines, who are much more improved now and will look for redemption when the Buckeyes come to the “Big House” on November 21^st.

Florida-Florida State-Miami (“Florida Cup”)

This is up for debate, as Miami and Florida don’t meet every year, but the Gators won the Cup by thrashing their state rivals to the tune of a combined score of 71-18. All three are currently ranked in the top 25 right now, which hasn’t happened in a while. The Seminoles will be looking to break a five-game losing streak when they head to Florida’s “Swamp” on November 28^th, and they’ve already lost a thriller to the Hurricanes to kick off the season. Still, these schools are well known for their vast amount of NFL picks in the draft, so it’s always good to keep an eye on the Sunshine State.

Texas-Oklahoma (“Red River Rivalry”)

As the powers in the Big 12, this already-heated rivalry took a huge turn last year when the Sooners were picked ahead of the Longhorns to meet Florida in the BCS title game, despite losing 45-35 to Texas in Dallas, a neutral site. This year’s meeting is all about revenge for the Longhorns, and if Oklahoma’s defending Heisman winner Sam Bradford can get healthy in time, online betting players will see two of the best quarterbacks in the land go at it for probably the last time when Bradford squares off with Texas’ Colt McCoy. The Longhorns have won three of their last four against the Sooners.

Florida-Georgia (“The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”)

Go back to 2007: Georgia scores its first touchdown, and the entire team celebrates in the end zone. Eventually, the Bulldogs went on to win 42-30 for their second win in nine years over the Gators. Fast forward to last year: with a minute or so left in a 49-10 destruction of the Bulldogs, Florida coach Urban Meyer calls two timeouts to make Georgia counterpart Mark Richt suffer a little longer. This year, it’s on Halloween. This game will be worth the price per head to anyone attending.

Florida-Tennessee (“Third Saturday in September”)

This rivalry has always been heated, but lost a bit of steam. That steam will built up against when Tennessee hired Lane Kiffin, who came in and immediately starting firing verbal shots at Meyer and the Gators. The Vols held their own in a 23-13 loss at Florida last week that everyone expected to be a beatdown, and the two coaches have continued to battle in the media. People are already anxiously waiting to put next year’s game in their sports picks.