By Zoya Gervis // SWNS
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NEWS COPY w/ VIDEO + INFOGRAPHIC
Some things are even better when paired together! Joe Namath and Bear Bryant (1960s) were voted as the top college football duo of all time, according to a new poll.
A new survey of college football fans also named Peyton Manning and Marcus Nash (1990s) as well as Dan Marino and Julius Dawkins (1980s) high on the list of best pairs to hit the college gridiron together.
The study conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Dr Pepper uncovered the most revered college football duos — including quarterback and wide receiver combos as well as coach and player partnerships. The poll of 2,000 college football fans, which was issued in celebration of Dr Pepper’s newest flavor, the delicious duo of Dr Pepper & Cream Soda, also found the 2000s to be the decade in which the most dynamic duos shined.
Five of the top 20 all-time college football duos came from the 2000s, with great combos such as Urban Meyer with Tebow, Tebow with Percy Harvin, Pete Caroll with Matt Leinart, and Matthew Stafford with A.J. Green, all scoring high marks on the list.
In addition to the greatest college football duos, fans were also polled about the most infamous college football rivalries. 45% believe Michigan and Ohio State are the most entertaining college football rivalry of all-time.
Other fun-to-watch college football rivalries include Alabama and Auburn (44%), Army and Navy (43%), and Texas and Oklahoma (24%).
College football fans were also polled about their favorite teams and how they felt about the entire college football season overall.
Fifty-seven percent reveal they thought the SEC was the conference that had the best season followed by the Big Ten with 43%.
Two in five of those surveyed say Ohio State has the most passionate fan base while a further 44% say it’s Alabama whose fans have that signature crimson pride.
Passion for their team runs deep, as one in 10 have actually missed an important family or life event just so they could watch a college football game. The poll also found that “home state pride” outranked alma mater as the most popular reason people are fans of their team.
While there are epic college football rivalries and very loyal fans, there are also team mascots that oftentimes can shine brighter than the players or the game itself. Uga, the Georgia Bulldog, tops the list of best mascots in college football. The Oregon Duck and Brutus Buckeye came in a close second and third, respectively.
While fandom can get intense in college football, there are teams who are known for having the nicest fans. Navy tops the list of teams with the nicest fans with Army and Notre Dame right behind them.
TOP 20 COLLEGE DUOS OF ALL-TIME
- Bear Bryant and Joe Namath (1960s)
- Peyton Manning and Marcus Nash (1990s)
- Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow (2000s)
- Dan Marino and Julius Dawkins (1980s)
- Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin (2000s)
- Donovan McNabb and Marvin Harrison (1990s)
- Doug Flutie and Brian Brennan (1980s)
- Nick Saban and AJ McCarron (2010s)
- Chad Pennington and Randy Moss (1990s)
- Matthew Stafford and A.J. Green (2000s)
- Bob Griese and Jim Beirne (1960s)
- Ed Orgeron and Joe Burrow (2010s)
- Pete Carroll and Matt Leinart (2000s)
- Jim Plunkett and Randy Vatcha (1960s)
- A.J. McCarron and Amari Cooper (2010s)
- Dabo Sweeney and Trevor Lawrence (2010s)
- Tua Tagovailoa and Jerry Jeudy (2010s)
- Deshaun Watson and Hunter Renfrow (2010s)
- Phillip Rivers and Jericho Cotchery (2000s)
- Elvis Grbac and Desmond Howard (1990s)
TOP 10 MOST ENTERTAINING COLLEGE FOOTBALL RIVALRIES OF ALL-TIME
- Michigan and Ohio State
- Alabama and Auburn
- Army and Navy
- Texas and Oklahoma
- Notre Dame and USC
- Michigan and Michigan State
- Penn State and Ohio State
- Florida and Georgia
- Florida and Florida State
- USC and UCLA
TOP 5 TEAMS WITH THE MOST PASSIONATE FANS
- Alabama 44%
- Notre Dame 41%
- Ohio State 40%
- LSU 29%
- Michigan 29%
