On the other hand, the rivalry means much more today than it did in 99-00 because both teams are much improved. I mean, even Auburn fans might have difficulty selling out their field if Paul Hackett coached their team.

Sandman: Part of your problem was that you were in Northridge, do people in the San Fernando Valley care about much besides producing porn? The other issue is that you were talking about UCLA fans.

I can only think of one USC game I’ve ever watched from a bar, that just isn’t a big thing to do in SoCal.

#32: Interesting information. Pac 10 Rivals are quite predictable and based on reverse propinquity, whatever that means:

1. So Cal: USC – ucla

2. No Cal: Cal – Stanford (Cal has some sort of rivalry also with their little brother ucla, being part of the same statewide university system. However the hatred bruins have for USC is not matched by anyone else, by far.)

3. Oregon: Oregon vs. Oregon State

4. Wash: Wash, vs. Wash St

5. Az: Ariz vs. Ariz State

Ala – Aub, Tenn
Aub – Ala, UGA, LSU

Ark – Ark is limited by geographic limitations. Has always viewed Texas as its rival (Tex has not returned the favor) Ole Miss and Ark had a heated rivarly during the 50’s and 60’s. Ark still feeling its way – LSU/Ark seem to building one but it hasn’t been in the conf long enough to figure out who it hates the most – right now it appears the most vile thing to the Ark fanbase is Houston Nutt.

LSU – historically LSU’s two biggest rivals were Ole Miss and Tulane time has faded both – conf is attempting to create a rivarly between LSU/Ark. LSU had a good rivarly with Fla and Ala. Over the past decade LSU and Aub’s rivarly has heated up.

Ole Miss – views LSU as its biggest rival but MS St is.

MS St – Ole Miss (claims Bama as a rival but see Ark/Tex above)

East

Fla – UGA, (Fla St), LSU
UGA – Fla, (Ga Tech) Aub
Vandy – geographically UT but really no fan interest means no rivals
KY – UT (see vandy above) – (Indiana)
UT – Ala, then Fla
So Car – clemson is its biggest rival

OSU, Michigan, even an MSU fan…..made for an unsightly crowd by LA standards. Burly, unshaven, pasty white faces with bloodshot eyes…..and I don’t even want to talk about the men….

I resent the hell out of that: we’ve got plenty of sluts in Alabama too…..

USC-Cal is a good, recent game. Not a rivalry.

Stanford is a joke. I have never met anybody who gets excited about this game.

You have a good point that fans from Alabama are probably more passionate about ‘Bama-Auburn, than USC-ucla fans. Probably due to the fact that there is nothing else going on in Alabama (sports-wise) that is of any consequence. Sort of like a small town in the boonies that just looks forward to and comes to life during the Friday night high school football game.

But, you are totally wrong saying that statistically none in LA care about the USC-ucla game. Offices get split, kids in schools argue about the game and every newscast has some sort of story about the game. Not to mention that the game gets excellent TV ratings. Check this out, in LA we have other things to get into such as: Smog, Earthquakes, Fires, Flash Floods, Paris Hilton/Lindsey Lohan& Other Sluts, Fake boobery, Vegans, Liberals and Arnold Schvvvvvartzenneger.

The problem with your UCLA/USC comparison to the Alabama/Auburn is this: virtually every one of those 4.5 million people in Alabama have an opinion/interest in the ALA/AUB game, and statistically none of the 9 million residents of LA care about the USC/UCLA matchup.

And, yes, I lived in LA for a year: noboby there gives a shit about college football except transplants from other states. That’s why every sports bar down there has between 6-15 OSU fans camped out for football-Saturdays

USC has the following two very good and different rivalries:

1) ucla: Each year this is the game for the mythical Los Angeles City Championship. For young people and students, this is the game of the year. It splits the City, with most going for USC.

Although it is a “City Championship” the population of Los Angeles, including the immediate surrounding area would dwarf most State populations.

So, while Alabama-Auburn might be a good “State Championship” , it is only for a State that has 4.5 million people, about half of the greater LA area.

2) Notre Dame: While college football rivalries are regional, this is the only rivalry that is national. Most old fans consider this to be USC’s top rivalry. When I lived in New York, even the jaded ones there showed some sort of interest in this game. However, I think for ND students, according to a Notre Dame grad radio talk show “personality” in LA, Domer students consider Michigan as their chief rival.

Personally, I used to think ucla was the better rivalry game, since the week before the game all sorts of rivalry related stuff was going on. However, at this point, I would have to rank the ND game as the better rivalry game since it has more interesting facets or implications (recruiting, coaching…)