In the latest post on the Shield Online, columnist V Overstreet writes that the 2024–25 college football season will be remembered for more than its playoff drama and breakout stars. It marked a turning point in the sport’s identity, a year when tradition clashed with realignment. As powerhouse programs settled into new conferences, the ripple effect was felt most deeply in one of college football’s most sacred institutions, the rivalry game. For over a century, rivalries like Texas vs. Texas A&M, Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State, and Michigan vs. Ohio State have been more than just football games. They’ve been cultural events, annual chapters in stories that have been going for generations, that connect students, alumni and entire states. But after this season’s realignment upheaval, many of those rivalries are now missing, changed or barely holding on. One of the highest-profile changes came with the Bedlam rivalry, which officially ended after the 2023 game when Oklahoma joined the Sou...