re: When have you cheered most for a rival

Definitely agree. I grew up in Louisiana, so I frequently find myself cheering for LSU or louisiana schools as well because of family allegiances and friends. Now being in the SEC I pull for SEC in out of conference and bowl games.

Don't pull for the longhorns in anything. There is an Ardoin kid that plays for them in baseball that is from my home high school (Sam Houston, Moss Bluff) and I went to school with the HS Baseball coach, so I have been rooting for him personally. That's about all I can stomach though.

Where it really gets interesting is who don't you like in matchups that you don't have vested interest? Ohio St. vs Michigan? Florida St and Miami? Notre Dame? Southern Cal?