THE LINEUP: ESPN College Football Rivalry Week

ESPN College Football Rivalry Week is here.

It’s a week that consists of hotter-than-the-sun passion for one’s team of choice. In honor of Rivalry Week – the week when College Football Playoff hopes are on the line and in-state tensions run high – Front Row presents a humorous look at some of ESPN’s analysts who played in fierce rivalries.

This compilation provides a preview of Saturday showdowns with pertinent flashbacks; today marks the 25th anniversary of an iconic moment in one of these rivalries, in fact. All of these upcoming games are airing or being covered on ESPN platforms (all times Eastern).

Let’s remember: Rivalries are serious, but sports are fun.

Gracie Blackburn and Taylor Garrett contributed to this post.

Georgia Tech at Georgia (SEC Network; Saturday, noon)

Former Georgia linebacker and College GameDay analyst David Pollack doesn’t have to tell us how it feels to beat in-state rival Georgia Tech. He showed it in this 2002 game. Here’s a public service announcement to student-athletes everywhere: Save all your good moves until Rivalry Week.

There was no dancing for ESPN college football analyst Tom Luginbill when he played quarterback for Georgia Tech in the 1994 game, but there was for future South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp.

Michigan at Ohio State (ABC; Saturday, noon)

The 1991 matchup of Michigan versus Ohio State is the granddaddy of all ESPN college football rivalry flashbacks. Today, in fact, marks the 25th anniversary of that game. It features not one, but two College Gameday analysts with Kirk Herbstreit (Ohio State) and Desmond Howard (Michigan).

Quarterback Herbstreit felt the pressure playing against a strong Michigan team.

Outside of the rare coincidence of these future colleagues facing each other in a heated national rivalry, the game is most famous for Howard’s origination of the “Heisman Pose” struck after a big play. Michigan won this game; he won the 1991 Heisman.

 

On this day 25 years ago, Desmond Howard took it to the house and struck the Heisman pose.

A video posted by SportsCenter (@sportscenter) on

Tennessee at Vanderbilt (SEC Network; Saturday, 7:30 p.m.)

SEC Nation analyst and University of Tennessee alum Paul Finebaum might not have played for the Vols, but he did apply to Vanderbilt.

He doesn’t mind reminding Vanderbilt of its win-loss record.

Jordan Rodgers, studio analyst on SEC Network, played quarterback at Vanderbilt from 2010-2012 and let his trash-talking speak for itself on the field against Tennessee.

“What’s that, Paul? You don’t think we have skills?” – Jordan Rodgers

In the 2012 Tennessee-Vanderbilt game, all Rodgers had to do secure the victory was take a knee.

But there were a lot of these to get there…

Florida at Florida State (ABC, 8 p.m.)

The classic southern tilt of Florida-FSU has featured the likes of Florida players and current ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer, SEC Network analysts Chris Doering and Tim Tebow as well as FSU quarterback and ESPN analyst Danny Kanell. Sometimes when you win, you just want to skip with glee.

Tebow celebrates on the sidelines.

Sometimes, rivalry games are so big they end in a tie (Nov. 26, 1994, 31-31). They result in a rematch in the 61st Annual Sugar Bowl Classic with calls by legendary commentators such as ESPN’s Brent Musburger.

Rivalry victories are even sweeter in a bowl game. Just ask Kanell, who walked over Doering’s Gators.

Auburn at Alabama (SEC Nation, 10 a.m.)

Last but not least, remember this: If by chance you fall this weekend, just get right back up. Just like SEC Network commentator Greg McElroy, a former Alabama quarterback. Because there is a lot more football to be played, and you can’t keep a winner down.

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