Don’t count me in with the Louisa May Alcott fans. I’ve never read or sat through the entire movie version of Little Women, thank God.

But Alcott’s thoughts on one subject ring particularly true this time of year.

“Rivalry,” Alcott once wrote, “adds so much to the charms of one’s conquests.”

For three years running, the Harvard football team has turned on the charm by waxing Yale.

A fourth straight victory would, in the same sense, make the Class of ’04 the most charming since ’22.

Unfortunately, Alcott also forgot an addendum to her quotation—“it also sucks more when you lose.”

It hurt enough when the Alabama Crimson Tide dropped two straight Iron Bowls to Auburn University.

Now, Auburn is 10-0 and powered by its best team in 100 years. We’ll see if the Tide can pull off the upset in Saturday’s nightcap.

Of course, not everyone is so lucky to be raised in an environment of win-or-die school rivalry.

In honor of the freshman Class of ’08, which has yet to experience its first Game, here are a few rivalries that might put this dynamic forthcoming weekend into perspective.

Justice vs. Ec-10: Michael Sandel and Marty Feldstein. Harvard’s heavyweights. For freshmen, these two classes make or break a semester.

They’re difficult, loaded with work, hard to understand and everyone takes them. Consider the melee that occurs after Justice ends and before Ec-10 commences to be a Harvard-Yale-esque gridiron struggle. Don’t give up ground or you lose your dignity.

Your IM basketball team vs. That slightly better IM basketball team: Last year’s brutal and sometimes gory matchups between Matthews and Holworthy had fans constantly screaming for more.

From the ball-hogging antics of former marine and Holworthy proctor Greg Peeples to the ’bow throwing tricks of Matthews forward Mark Higgins, colorful personalities abounded.

Freshmen may replace the aforementioned names with applicable parties.