I’m sure when sports fans think of the greats rivalries out there, they immediately go to Xavier and Cincinnati.

No? Well perhaps after yesterday’s double overtime classic, it’ll work it’s way back to the spotlight.

Two technicals. Two overtimes. Sharp elbows and even sharper tongues. A senior making the winning play at the end.

When the buzzer sounded, it was already a classic.

Normally I hate it when writers call a game a classic the minute it’s over. There have been so many close, double overtime games that it seems a bit foolish to look at one recent game and say, “yep, this was one of the best!” But they’re actually right this time.

The biggest fault this rivalry has is that it’s in the business of college basketball and they’re not Duke and North Carolina. Frankly, I’m sick of the hype that surrounds the North Carolina and Duke games, mostly because I’ve never cared about either team. For instance, I can get into a Yankees versus Red Sox game, because I hope they manage to both lose somehow. Michigan and Ohio State I have invested interest in as an Ohioan and a hockey rivalry is always good, because someone always manages to lose a set of teeth. But a couple of schools in North Carolina? I’d sooner care about the Sprinboks (saw Invictus this weekened) than I would that rivalry.

Here’s to more technical fouls and shouting matches between Xavier and Cincinnati to give me a college basketball rivalry I can get into.

[via SportsIllustrated]