Sat Nov 29 12:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Rivalry Week Heats Up College Football: Hate Tastes Great

November 26, 2025, 1:47 PM EST – As the college football regular season draws to a close, the annual tradition of Rivalry Week takes center stage, promising a weekend of intense matchups, bitter rivalries, and playoff implications. Analysts Israel Daramola and Ray Ratto from Defector.com previewed the key games, highlighting the inherent animosity and high stakes involved.

“It’s a Hater’s Ball,” said Ratto, pointing to games like “A Hundred Miles Of Hate” and “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” as prime examples of the deep-seated rivalries. He added that the week embodies the “unhinged sociopaths with an overdeveloped sense of near-homicidal tribalism” that drives college football.

Daramola and Ratto dissected several key matchups, including:

  • Ole Miss at Mississippi State (Friday, 12:00 p.m. ET, ABC): The Egg Bowl promises drama as Ole Miss looks to secure a strong playoff position while Mississippi State could potentially sabotage their rivals’ season.
  • Georgia at Georgia Tech (Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC): While Georgia is expected to win, this game is sure to bring passion, even if the Yellow Jackets are inwardly hating.
  • Texas A&M at Texas (Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC): A renewed rivalry sees the Longhorns facing scrutiny as they look to prove their mettle against their in-state rivals.
  • Ohio State at Michigan (Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET, FOX): The Game is a pivotal contest with potential playoff repercussions.
  • Clemson at South Carolina (Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET, SEC Network): Dabo Swinney and Clemson face a must-win situation to avoid disaster.
  • Oregon at Washington (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): A pivotal Pac-(1)2 matchup, where Oregon looks to secure its playoff spot and send Washington home for the season.
  • Oregon State at Washington State (Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET, CW Network): As the Pac-2 comes to a close, Oregon State and Washington State face off, even if “stupid, bad football is amazing and worthwhile.”

Beyond the major conferences, the FCS playoffs also kick off this weekend, and the 52nd Bayou Classic between Grambling and Southern promises a spectacle, especially during the halftime battle of the bands.

With playoff spots on the line, coaching futures hanging in the balance, and age-old rivalries renewed, this weekend’s college football action is not to be missed.

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