Stephen A. Smith declares college football's best rivalry is not in the SEC

Jeff Hauser

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Stephen A. Smith declares college football's best rivalry is not in the SEC image

ESPN's First Take took over Legion Field for this year’s Magic City Classic and brought a heated debate to Birmingham with Stephen A. Smith staking his claim on college football’s greatest rivalry. 

Cam Newton and Ryan Clark debated the which head-to-head battle was the best before Smith added his thoughts about “The Game.” Newton tried to say Auburn facing Alabama in the Iron Bowl was the best. Whether this was playing into his roots or not, many disagree. 

“It’s the biggest,” Newton said. “In the state of Alabama, there’s not a professional team. Football is a religion, football is a way of life.” He called the Iron Bowl “a family-dividing, legacy-defining” showdown that captures the essence of college football.

Clark interrupted Newton to throw his support behind the Big Ten. “It’s Ohio State and Michigan, Cam,” Clark said. The rebuttal cause a quick agreement from Smith.“Cam is my boy, I love him, but this is why the Iron Bowl isn’t the greatest and it hasn’t really been a damn rivalry.” 

Smith argued that Alabama’s dominance under Nick Saban shifted the balance too far, robbing the matchup of competitive tension. “Since Cam departed, we haven’t really paid much attention to Auburn compared to Alabama,” he added. “The reality is that Nick Saban has dominated the SEC landscape for the better part of two decades.”

Both rivalries go head-to-head in a ratings grab as well. Auburn hosts Alabama on Nov. 29, the same day Michigan hosts Ohio State. Both games could again define the College Football Playoff picture. 

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Contributing Writer