The Science of Hate in College Football
The Wall Street Journal:
In college football, where fans of opposing teams can’t agree on much of anything, they do share one opinion: There is no such thing as a boring rivalry.
Rivalry games make or break seasons even when the matchups appear lopsided. This season’s rivalry weekend, for instance, has a number of them: Florida State, Ohio State and Oregon are all in the College Football Playoff race, while rivals Florida, Michigan and Oregon State are all having excruciating seasons. But if any of them pull off an upset Saturday, it would make their year—and ruin their rival’s.
The feelings of rivalry are incredibly powerful. They’re also simple enough for everyone to understand—or at least think they do.
Read the whole story: The Wall Street Journal
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