College Rivalry Games that Need to Happen EVERY YEAR!

This last week it was announced that Pittsburgh and Penn State will renew their football rivalry with a Home-and-Home series in 2016 and 2017.  To read more on this click here.  I have little doubt that Joe Paterno will somehow still be on the sidelines for these games.  Pittsburgh and Penn State is a good rivalry that should be played every single year.  Speaking of rivalries that are not played enough (or at all) below I have listed games that should be played every year. 

1. Ohio State and Cincinnati in Basketball 
Both of these schools are routinely in the top 25 and there is a mere 2 hour drive between the two campuses.  In my lifetime they have played just once, in 2006.  Ohio State creamed Cincinnati, and they went on to make it to the National Championship game.  That game wasn't even played in the state of Ohio!  For crying out loud it was in Indiana!  Unbelievable.  Could you imagine the passion and intensity that this rivalry game would bring?  Supposedly Cincinnati has been interested in trying to get the game every year, but Ohio State prefers to keep it's marquee games against out of state opponents.  Not only will Ohio State not schedule Cincinnati, but they also prefer to keep Xavier and Dayton off the schedule.  Click here for a great article detailing this missing rivalry. 

2. Oklahoma and Nebraska in Football
With the departure of Nebraska from the Big 12 conference, this rivalry game will no longer be played.  It does seem fitting that the last game Nebraska played in the Big 12 was in the championship game to Oklahoma on December 4, 2010.  What was one of the best rivalry games in college football lost its buzz when the Big 12 conference was created in 1996.  Hopefully these two schools can get together and create a new non-conference rivalry game with each other similar to Florida and Florida State. 

3. Notre Dame and Ohio State in Football
The history and tradition at Ohio State and Notre Dame is unbelievable.  It is also unbelievable that the two schools don't get together more often on the field.  Columbus and South Bend nearly shut-down for a home-and-home series in 1995 and 1996.  The two teams have only gotten together once since then and that was the 2006 Fiesta Bowl.  Scheduling-wise the only way that this rivalry could be played every year is if Notre Dame were to join the Big Ten.  Just think of an Ohio State schedule with Nebraska, Notre Dame and Michigan on it every year.  Now that would make for some exciting fall Saturdays!

4. Miami and Florida in Football
Some of the best rivalry games every year are Miami -Florida State and Florida-Florida State .  Why leave out a match-up between the Hurricanes and the Gators?  Unfortunately with the scheduling the way it is in college athletics it is nearly impossible for this rivalry to happen every year.  It will happen again in 2013. 

5. Maryland and Georgetown in Basketball
There are rumors that the Maryland-Georgetown basketball rivalry might be renewed in the near future.  The two dominant basketball teams in the Nations Capital have met just three times in the last 30 years.  Two of those times were in the NCAA Tournament.  It makes no sense that these basketball rivalries don't happen.  In college football teams run into scheduling conflicts with only 12 total games.