Oxford, Ole Miss make two appearances on Sports Illustrated’s 150 years of college football rankings

Published 11:39 am Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Entering the 150th year of college football, Sports Illustrated compiled a large ranking of a plethora of different things surrounding college football. From best individual seasons to greatest traditions and greatest rivalries, Ole Miss and Oxford appeared on the list twice.

Most notably, SI ranked Oxford No. 7 amongst football’s best college towns. Coming in above Oxford, from six to one, were Boulder, Colo., Columbia, Mo., Ann Arbor, Mich., Austin, Texas, Athens, Ga. and Madison, Wis. Oxford ranked third among SEC towns, behind Athens and Columbia.

“Oxford may be best known for the Grove, the site of some of the most epic tailgating in America, but the town itself extends beyond game days,” the story read. “The Square, which is the center of the town and looks like a step back in time, offers fine dining (City Grocery) as well as other great eats and shopping. Plus, the city oozes with history; visit William Faulkner’s home for a glimpse of its past.”

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Ole Miss made one more appearance on the set of 11 lists. The Egg Bowl rivalry with Mississippi State ranked No. 8 amongst nation’s rivalries.

“Arguably the ugliest, nastiest series in all of college football. In Mississippi, there is Christmas, Easter and Egg Bowl day,” the story read.

The top three rivalries, in order, were Alabama-Auburn, Michigan-Ohio State and Texas-Oklahoma.