re: Are college football rivalries still important?

Rivalries are great for any sport. They build passion and interest. And of course Baylor and TCU are rivals, as TCU (wrongly) blames Baylor for keeping TCU out of the Big 12 when it first formed and Baylor hates TCU for being a bunch of fake Christians in a fake cowboy town. Oh, and they are both good right now. It's outstanding how much they hate each other.

What's even better is how much A&M and Texas still hate each other without even playing. The rivalry is getting more intense as a proxy war. It's wonderful, especially as their fans deny how obsessed they are with each other, which they clearly are. The best way to prove someone is your rival is to continually, loudly, and without prompting insisting to anyone and everyone that someone is not your rival. Sure, we believe you.