JUL 31, 2015 2:13p ET
JUL 31, 2015 2:13p ET
CHICAGO -- Rivalries are important in college football. They give the sport color and character, raising the intensity between teams and of course their fans.
But the "r" word gets thrown around a lot, perhaps more than it should. When teams play a handful of memorable games in a row, questions begin about whether or not that is a rivalry. When teams are near each other -- even if they aren't historically associated with each other much -- they also begin to be seen as rivals.