re: Where do you rank the Iron Bowl among the greatest rivalries in sports?

It's up there, probably in the top tier with OSU-Michigan but like others have said, these are all regional. I have a lot of family in the Midwest and they introduced me to CFB, to them and most of their neighbors it was Packers/Bears/Vikings, Wisconsin/Minnesota/Iowa and Wisconsin/Marquette as the most important rivalries with the Game being the only big rivalry game not involving a local team that people cared about. These people enjoyed two things: drinking and sports and I never ever heard them mention the Iron Bowl.

The Iron bowl is big and people in Alabama and the South do care about it, especially recently but it's certainly not a huge deal nationally. I hadn't paid it too much attention until I started college. Even today I know exactly who I root for when Michigan plays OSU but I haven't figured out the Iron Bowl...I enjoy watching, enjoy it more than the Game, but as far as who wins...I just don't give a frick.

That's just my little anecdote but it's what I've experienced. Usually no one cares about the IB outside of the south.