re: 102-Year-Old Iron Skillet Rivalry (TCU/SMU) Ending After 2025

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That would be like saying Browns/Chargers will become a heated rivalry

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Comparing NFL rivalries to college rivalries is comparing apples to oranges. You are right in the college sense.

But the NFL is filled with rivalries that transcended geography based on how good the teams were and what the stakes were. Patriots-Colts was a great rivalry in the 2000s because of the QBs and because they were constantly playing in the playoffs. Same for Cowboys-49ers in the ‘90s, Giants-49ers in the ‘80s, Steelers-Raiders, Cowboys-Rams, Vikings-Rams, Cowboys-Vikings in the ‘70s.

Even now, Chiefs-Bengals has taken on a rivalry feel because of Mahomes and Burrow and that they’ve played four times in the last two years, twice in the AFC title game. Even Mahomes said at one point they wanted to play the Bengals in the playoffs last year even though they thought they had a better chance of beating the Bills. That’s because Cincinnati had beaten the Chiefs three consecutive times, including the first AFC title game matchup.