Coaching rivalries come and go, becoming more ephemeral than ever as the job carousel spins faster. But several juicy matchups of sideline strategists still exist, while a few others are just being born – and several of these matchups will happen this week or next.

A very current rundown of the 10 most fascinating coaching matchups in college football:

Urban Meyer of Ohio State vs. Mark Dantonio of Michigan State

The current scorecard: Meyer 2, Dantonio 1. Next meeting: Saturday in Columbus. What's at stake: the lead in the Big Ten East, and perhaps much more. Part of what makes a good rivalry is the ability to pull an upset, and that's all these guys have done to each other – in all three meetings, the underdog has won. Total points in their three games: Ohio State 90, Michigan State 87. This time around, the Spartans are a pronounced underdog, getting 13 points. If quarterback Connor Cook's injured throwing shoulder isn't right, it could conceivably get ugly – but Michigan State rarely submits easily in recent years under Dantonio. Meyer is the offensive guy, Dantonio is the defensive guy, and they've both weathered the loss of their right-hand man on that side of the ball since last year – Tom Herman left Ohio State and Pat Narduzzi left Michigan State. That hurt, but it hasn't kept either team from arriving at this point with all goals still in sight.



View photos Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy (left) is 2-8 against Oklahoma's Bob Stoops. (AP) More

Bob Stoops of Oklahoma vs. Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State

The current scorecard: Stoops 8, Gundy 2. Next meeting: Nov. 28 in Stillwater. What's at stake: Potentially the Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth. This has been a lopsided matchup for a long time, but last year stirred the pot and this year could be the biggest meeting yet. (Oklahoma State is No. 6 in the current CFP rankings and Oklahoma is No. 7.) In 2014, the Cowboys pulled off a miraculous upset as a three-touchdown underdog, tying the game on a last-second punt return touchdown and then winning in overtime. The year before, Oklahoma was the double-digit underdog scoring the upset. Both teams must win big games this Saturday – Baylor at Oklahoma State and TCU at Oklahoma – to bring next week's Bedlam game to maximum payload.



Nick Saban of Alabama vs. Hugh Freeze of Mississippi

The current scorecard: Saban 2, Freeze 2. Next meeting: next year. Saban has put Les Miles in his rear-view mirror with five straight victories over LSU, but the Freeze Problem remains heading into 2016. Saban is 20-2 in the past two years in the regular season, and Freeze is the 2. The Rebels stunned Alabama last year in Oxford, then doubled down on the shock value this year with a victory in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide overcame last year's loss to still win the Southeastern Conference and make the playoff, and could do the same this time around. But for a program and a coach who is accustomed to having his way with everyone, this has been a startling development.



Jimbo Fisher of Florida State vs. Dabo Swinney of Clemson

Current scorecard: Fisher 4, Swinney 2. Next meeting: next year. The good ol' boy matchup of goofy nicknames has gained legitimacy as the heavyweight matchup in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Fisher has a national title and a playoff appearance on his résumé, and Swinney may have at least one and possibly both of those after this season. Five of the six matchups have been competitive games, and both teams have been ranked in the past five meetings. Clemson's ascendance has helped change the old ACC dynamic of Florida State and a collection of chasers. They've also butted heads plenty on the recruiting trail, and that will continue for the foreseeable future.



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