Customer Reviews

Big Games: College Football's Greatest Rivalries

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A bit disappointing. Football "histories' have to have real feeling. Kind of like the writer was there. As an old man, I remember many of the games described in this book.Frankly, this book doesn't bring the games alive. Still, a good and to be appreciated, try. Tulsa Joe

In Big Games, Michael Bradley profiles and historically documents 10 of college football's most famous rivalries. In this book you learn about: the respect and honor found in Harvard/Yale and Army/Navy; the culture clash in Cal/Stanford; the national legacy gathering of Notre Dame/Southern Cal; the state pride of Oklahoma/Texas and Michigan/Ohio State; the regional turf war of Lafayette/Lehigh; the conference supremacy battle of Georgia/Florida; the future NFL talent assemblies of Miami/Florida State; and the venomous hate of Alabama/Auburn.

What really stood out about this book was the amount of detail applied to the history of each program. Bradley takes you back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries and outlines the challenges the schools endured to launch their programs and highlight the key people and events in the decades that followed that made them what they are today. In fact, the Harvard/Yale chapter is actually a lesson in how the competitive football season we have today actually began.

And while Bradley is busy guiding you along the program timelines, he weaves in the evolution of each rivalry and the reasons they take place. You'll learn how the hate between Auburn and Alabama stems from decades of Auburn being viewed as "the little brother" to Alabama within the state. You'll know the reasons why Texans looked down upon Oklahomans at the turn of the 20th century and how those feelings spilled into Longhorn/Sooner rivalry. And you'll understand how Miami/Florida State is the closest thing to a sibling rivalry in football. All this and much more is spelled out for you in this book.

Furthermore, each chapter is packed with stories and quotes from personal accounts of the effects of each rivalry off the field. Ross Browner tells how he chose Notre Dame because he wanted revenge on USC for not selecting him. Patrick Nix recounts the childhood hardships of being the son of Auburn alumni attending a school filled with Tide fans. The prank wars of Lafayette/Lehigh, Harvard/Yale, and Cal/Stanford get special attention; as does the agony of defeat in Alabama/Auburn, Michigan/Ohio State, Army/Navy, and Oklahoma/Texas. These stories really bring these rivalries to life for the casual fan.

Bradley concludes each chapter with a "Great Games" and "Profiles in Greatness" section. "Great Games" allows the reader to experience five of the greatest games of each rivalry, such as: the thrilling 2005 triple-overtime clash between Harvard and Yale, "Wide Right I & II", the insane Notre Dame/Southern Cal meeting of 2005, the Lafayette/Lehigh shootout of '88, the '72 Iron Bowl, and the '82 Big Game. "Profiles in Greatness" covers is a "who's-who" of college football that, at one time, participated in the chosen rivalry. Profiles include: Walter Camp, Bobby Bowden, Deion Sanders, Barry Switzer, Darrell Royal, Knute Rockne, John McKay, Joe Montana, Steve Spurrier, Herschel Walker, Rabih Abdullah, Pop Warner, and Bear Bryant.

If you love college football history and want to understand its top rivalries, this is the book for you. You'll learn that not all rivalries are the same and how personally many people take them. You will be both educated and entertained. You'll also have a greater respect for those built these programs straight up from scratch. I can't recommend it enough, so buy your copy today.

This book has it all, the great match ups, the legendary games, the team statistics- and in perfect time for the holiday season. What a great gift for any college football fan! It is all here, you won't be disappointed!