Coke vs. Pepsi never had a cool nickname or handle. The Cola Wars? Gimme a break.

GM vs. Chrysler was built more on imitation than rivalry. And hell, the North American carmaker scene turned into USA’s crap cars against the good cars from everywhere else in the world. Pretty tame.

Now as you drive down the street in your Chevy Impala sipping a soda and listening to the sports radio describing this weekend’s college football games, you’re talking about real rivalries.

The college gridiron is where things get real interesting, real heated and boast real cool nicknames and histories.

How about The Game? How can a college rivalry become so intense, so universally recognized that when someone says “Did you see The Game?”, everyone knows what you’re talking about?

How about the Iron Bowl or the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party? How many times has the Red River Shootout decided the national champion?

Yes, college football defines rivalries with matchups that predate the automobile and conjure images of vicious hits, hateful coaches, crushing losses and euphoric come-from-behind victories.

Here is the IBD list of the best college rivalries:

Nov. 22, 2008: Michigan vs. Ohio State – The Game

It all began 15 years before the Big Ten was even born, back in 1897. It has been characterized by games in snowstorms, battles between coaching legends Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, and clashes that decided national titles (or at least which team would play in it like the 2006 game won 42-39 by Troy Smith and the Buckeyes).

However, it has been a one-sided affair of late, so pay attention when The Game is played in 2008. The Buckeyes have won four straight SU and six of seven overall. That dominance has carried over against the spread where Ohio State is 7-3 ATS in the past decade. Last year’s 14-3 game was just the second UNDER in the past eight editions of The Game.

Nov. 29, 2008:
Auburn vs. Alabama – Iron Bowl

Even before Buckeye and Wolverine students started hating each other, fans in the South were stirring up trouble and later introduced the Iron Bowl as the prize. First played in 1893, the annual grudge match pits Auburn against Alabama.

Nationally televised for the first time in 1964,k and although he didn’t make any outlandish guarantees, Bama QB Joe Namath rallied the Tide to a win. They would win the national title later that year. This series too has been lopsided lately, with the Tigers winning six straight (4-2 ATS).

The road team has won six of nine straight up and the UNDER has prevailed six times in the past eight years.

Oct. 11, 2008:
Oklahoma vs. Texas – Red River Shootout

The dominant teams in the Big 12 started hammering each other in 1900 and they haven’t let up since. Characterized by some huge blowouts, Dallas has acted as a neutral site for this rivalry since 1912.

The Sooners have won six of eight overall and won last season, breaking a modest two-game streak by the Longhorns. Texas has covered the spread three in a row however, a small measure of revenge for the 65-13 beating they absorbed in 2003 and the 63-14 shellacking put on them in 2000.

It has proven a difficult game to handicap for totals bettors with those high-scoring games mixed in with 12-0 (2004) and 14-3 (2001) scores. And there is always top-level talent shaping this game, especially at running back where Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams and Adrian Peterson have gone into the shootout on either side of the rivalry.

Dec. 6, 2008:
The Army Navy Game

While the caliber of each program has dwindled since the 1970s, the clash between these wings of the US military always produces plenty of betting interest. Usually played in Philadelphia – a neutral site close by West Point and Annapolis – Navy has dominated the matchup the past six seasons and is 9-4 ATS since 1995.

Few players emerge from this game and head for the NFL, as most plan military careers. But that didn’t stop Roger Staubach from leading Navy in 1965 and later completing a Hall of Fame career as Dallas QB. And you think the aforementioned rivalries are old? This one goes back even further, to 1890.

Nov. 29, 2008:
Notre Dame vs. USC

There was a time when USC could never beat Notre Dame in their annual clash. The Irish won 11 straight been 1983 and 1993, but when the tables turned in this classic battle, they really turned.

Southern Cal, riding a decade-long streak of supremacy in the Pac-10 and with several national titles in tow, has beaten Notre Dame six in a row – covering large spreads in five of those games.

Despite Notre Dame’s recent struggles, the game captures the imagination of Americans and is always a much-watched game on television (five of the Top 10 most watched college football games in history are USC-ND clashes). It also generates plenty of gambling interest due to the huge numbers of alumni on both sides. The teams have combined for 22 national titles and more Heisman Trophy winners than any other college pairing.

Nov. 1, 2008:
The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party – Florida vs. Georgia

It’s a neutral-site game played in Jacksonville, but it’s much closer to Florida’s Gainesville campus than to Georgia’s Athens campus. Whether that fact has anything to do with Florida’s recent domination of this annual SEC tilt is unknown, but the Gators are 10-3 SU in the past 13 seasons. However, Georgia has covered the spread three of past four (including last year’s 42-30 upset).

This year’s edition will feature several Heisman Trophy candidates, including Tim Tebow – the Gator pivot who is trying to win two in a row – and exciting gamebreaker Knowshon Moreno of the Bulldogs. Could it be a replay of the high-scoring 2007 game? That was the only game since 1915 that both teams scored at least 30 points in the World’s Largest Cocktail Party.

The rivals have a habit of ruining each other’s national title aspirations, many times dealing a crushing blow to the team that is undefeated at the time. Many believed Georgia was college football’s best team last year and maybe they will aim to prove it against Florida.

There are plenty of great college football rivalries out there in every conference; these are but a few of the high-profile grudge matches you can wager on each year.