Rivalries

[Randy Carson]

For Tech fans, our in-state rivalry with UGA is easily the most important...but what is our second most important rivalry?

The ACC power brokers seem to think that Tech fans should be emotionally invested in a rivalry with Clemson (due to proximity and a couple of big wins?), but is that really true? Or has it been forced on us by the necessities of scheduling, etc.?

Those with memories that predate the Internet and the iPhone will remember our history with Auburn (which held an annual "Wreck Tech" parade back in the day). The annual tilt with Auburn was almost as storied as "Clean, Old-fashioned Hate", and these were, in my mind, at least, much bigger games than we've seen in the past couple of decades with our usual slate of ACC opponents.

So, is the Clemson rivalry a modern invention of little real meaning? Let's see what the poll has to tell us.

Multiple votes are permitted.

 

[GoJacketsInRaleigh]

Voted none. I don't think Clemson considers us a rival for two seconds. A rivalry needs two to tango.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

You are correct that our biggest rivalry after uga was Auburn. Before that it was Alabama. During the Dodd years especially Tennessee was a huge rivalry and old timers at Tennessee still talk about it.

Clemson was big, but, back in the day, no bigger than Duke or Tulane. In my lifetime the closest to a “bitter rival” has, surprisingly, been Virginia. We have spoiled each other’s seasons on multiple occasions and the record between the two schools is very close.

The problem with the question is that Tech has to be competitive for rivalries to be considered big. If we get competitive a team like FSU might qualify as a top rivalry.

Be curious to see what others think. I don’t think in my lifetime I will see a rivalry like I remembered having with Auburn.

 

[jeffgt14]

Might just depend on age. I always hated FSU with nearly the same passion as UGA when I was a kid because they were the team preventing us from being the top team in the ACC (GOL era). Plus, as a kid, I thought they were cheating having an old *** QB that shouldn't have been in college. Now I can't avoid him between stints here and with my Panthers.

Felt like the Clemson rivalry was just forced on us and didn't develop naturally so I never cared about it.

 

[AugustaSwarm]

IMO, Clemson doesn't view us a rival now, but early on in the CPJ era it definitely had a rivalry feel to the games. But a decade of dominance by Clemson has thrown a wet blanket on it.

 

[NorthAvenueNation]

I voted “other” as I have always had a distaste for Va. Tech & we’ve had some really epic battles and memories (ex: lighting game, Tobias Oliver, Matthew Jordan starts, etc.)

IMO, I always viewed Clemson as a close third, but the battle of the Tech’s could’ve been marketed better in years past. We don’t even play them this year, so I guess mid-thought, I should move my vote to Clemson or none!

The one thing I do know, is when it’s game week and game day, I instantly can’t stand the team we are playing and come up with a multitude of reasons why they are the worst

 

[L41k18]

For Tech fans, our in-state rivalry with UGA is easily the most important...but what is our second most important rivalry?

The ACC power brokers seem to think that Tech fans should be emotionally invested in a rivalry with Clemson (due to proximity and a couple of big wins?), but is that really true? Or has it been forced on us by the necessities of scheduling, etc.?

Those with memories that predate the Internet and the iPhone will remember our history with Auburn (which held an annual "Wreck Tech" parade back in the day). The annual tilt with Auburn was almost as storied as "Clean, Old-fashioned Hate", and these were, in my mind, at least, much bigger games than we've seen in the past couple of decades with our usual slate of ACC opponents.

So, is the Clemson rivalry a modern invention of little real meaning? Let's see what the poll has to tell us.

Multiple votes are permitted.

We have played Clemson 88 times. We played them several times a decade up through the 50s, and from 1958 on we've played them every year but 7 (out of 76) and nonstop the past 41 years. We dominated them back in the day - like they have us since 2015 - but they are absolutely a historical rivalry that has nothing to do with a "modern invention".

 

[slugboy]

Clemson should be a rival. VT should be a rival. UVA should be a rival.

The last four years undid that.

Bring the poll back next year

 

[g0lftime]

Duke. Played them over many decades. They are size and academically more like us. They were a highly competitive team once (Murray, Spurrier, Cutcliffe at times) and have had flashes (like us) where they have been competitive. Coaching seems to be the common denominator, doesn't it?

 

[TampaBuzz]

Be curious to see what others think. I don’t think in my lifetime I will see a rivalry like I remembered having with Auburn.

I concur with this statement. Auburn was a burning rivalry for many years.

 

[Vespidae]

I agree about Auburn. Not only does it date back to 1892, we hired Heisman away from Auburn. Auburn and Tech were both technical schools and competed against each other for recruiting in West Georgia. Likewise, Tennessee was a big rivalry because of the Dodd connection AND the many GT alumni who worked in Oak Ridge.

I feel like Clemson is a manufactuEd rivalry that Clemson could caRe less about.

 

[ChristoGT]

I concur with this statement. Auburn was a burning rivalry for many years.

I concur with your concurrence. I would personally like to have both Clemson and Auburn on our schedule each year as the oldest SE engineering schools and some of the longest rivalries - at one time our Auburn series was the longest in college fb. Of course, our OOC strength of schedule would get even tougher.

At the same time, I like playing VPI and that has developed into a good rivalry, hopefully with both teams getting better now.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Duke. Played them over many decades. They are size and academically more like us. They were a highly competitive team once (Murray, Spurrier, Cutcliffe at times) and have had flashes (like us) where they have been competitive. Coaching seems to be the common denominator, doesn't it?

Duke is famous for past football glory for all time -Wallace Wade.

 

[TooTall]

Clempson does consider us a rivalry. Ever hear the story of the two dollar bills? TFG screwed up that for us (and a lot of our other views on other teams). Dabo didn't respect him and blew out the scoreboard to show that. The last 3 game CPJ had weren't great but I know even back in the O'Lerary years it was a circle game when the schedule came out. It's not a blood and guts rivalry to me, but a fun one because the number of friends I have on the other side.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

I would say VT as the second rival.

 

[Randy Carson]

We have played Clemson 88 times. We played them several times a decade up through the 50s, and from 1958 on we've played them every year but 7 (out of 76) and nonstop the past 41 years. We dominated them back in the day - like they have us since 2015 - but they are absolutely a historical rivalry that has nothing to do with a "modern invention".

This is interesting history that I didn't know. Thanks.

 

[cpf2001]

If we could rip off more wins than losses in a span of like 5 years of good games against either VT or FSU either of those would be just as intense feeling to me as Clemson. Whereas when they’re one-sided it’s kinda meh even from the GT side, IMO. So none of them really come close to the UGA rivalry. Let’s hope we don’t get blown out in so many in a row to them that that one gets bland too.

 

[JacketFan137]

Clemson should be a rival. VT should be a rival. UVA should be a rival.

The last four years undid that.

Bring the poll back next year

clemson rivalry hasn’t been much of a rivalry since 2014 i don’t think it was just collins work. clemson has easily controlled the games/blown us out every game through 8 years and 2 coaching staffs.

that being said they’ve looked more and more vulnerable. if we beat them this year we could really get some heads rolling in clemson

 

[yeti92]

It's absolutely rivalry, claiming someone is not a rival because of a 5 or 10 year span is silly. We are 51-35-2 all time against Clemson. There are only 2 other ACC teams with a winning record against Clemson, FSU (20-15) and Pitt (3-2). Only Auburn (34-15-2) and uga (43-18-4) have bigger leads in their series with Clemson than we do.

 

[Jacket Bracket]

We COULD have a rivalry with Georgia State if we played them. I understand why we don’t, but as things stand today with competitiveness and location it would become a rivalry.