Posted by ESPN.com' Tim Griffin

The Big 12 is marked by several rivalries that cause fans to plan ahead with anticipation as their schools hook up with the most hated rivals.

Here's my opinion of the five best rivalries in the Big 12. If you have any other choices, let me know. And I'm sorry I couldn't find a place for Nebraska-Oklahoma, an oldie-but-goodie that has lost its relevance because the Cornhuskers and Sooners are in different divisions.

1. Texas vs. Oklahoma -- The setting is what makes this game so special. The Cotton Bowl is divided up into two neat sections -- one red and the other orange. And staging it in conjunction with the State Fair of Texas is a master stroke of genius and enables me to have my yearly quota of one Fletcher's Corny Dog. It was an outstanding rivalry before, but it seems like the stakes have risen with the two programs becoming the South Division's power teams. And it's even more fascinating in the matchup between Bob Stoops and Mack Brown, two great football coaches with vastly different philosophies.

2. Kansas vs. Missouri -- Rarely do you see historic events from nearly 150 years still being referenced around a football rivalry. But "Quantrill's Raid," when William Quantrill's Confederate guerillas burned Lawrence and murdered nearly 200 people, still resonates for both sides. Neither side has forgotten it and it's carried over during a 116-game "Border War" football rivalry that first began in 1891. Last year's game with national title and conference title ramifications was electric, but it's still a bitter blood feud even if nobody is noticing nationally.

3. Texas vs. Texas A&M -- "The Lone Star Showdown" has been a late-season staple for football fans in Texas for both teams since 1900 and dates to six years before -- making it the longest-running rivalry for both schools. There's a bitterness for both sides that was softened during the Longhorns' heartfelt tribute to their rivals after A&M's bonfire tragedy in 1999. Each school still mentions the other one in its fight song and has an elaborate pregame preparation. And Texas still has a unique lighting scheme for its tower after Longhorn victories over the Aggies.

4. Texas A&M vs. Texas Tech -- The nation's most underrated football rivalry features a good ol' fashioned touch of bitterness on both sides. Those feelings peaked in 2001 when Tech claimed a 12-0 victory and fans celebrated by ripping the goal posts which was touched off by a nasty postgame brawl. Tech fans were referenced as "Classless Clowns" originally in the 12th Man magazine and later in the A&M media guide the following year. And it hasn't toned down any as Mike Leach has repeatedly mocked the Aggies' military traditions as he's notched a 7-1 record against the Aggies during his coaching tenure.

5. Colorado vs. Nebraska -- It was the best rivalry at the end of the old Big Eight Conference and has carried over in the conference's prized day-after-Thanksgiving window through the Big 12's history. Recent slumps for both programs have made this iffy unless Dan Hawkins and Bo Pelini return their programs to their previous levels of dominance. I still remember it for Nebraska's nine-game winning streak from 1992-2000, including the last five wins that were settled by a combined 15 points. Or the way that Colorado broke the streak the following year as Chris Brown gashed them for 198 rushing yards and six TDs in a 62-36 blowout. Those were the days.