49ers vs. Seahawks: Ranking top 10 moments in NFC West rivalry

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SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 14: Head coach Pete Carroll (L) of the Seattle Seahawks shakes hands with head coach Jim Harbaugh (R) of the San Francisco 49ers prior to the game at CenturyLink Field on December 14, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

No. 7: Jim Harbaugh vs. Pete Carroll, the first matchup

Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll had a rivalry which reached back to their college coaching days and it spilled over into the NFL. When they both ended up coaching for NFC West teams, it was only a matter of time before the two crossed paths.

Sportswriters, analysts, pundits, players and fans were salivating to see the fireworks.

NFL Network’s Adam Rank provided his quick take on the pending encounter:

"“What’s your deal?” That is what Carroll said to Harbaugh after his Cardinal went for the two-point conversion to reach 50 in Stanford’s romp over USC in the coach’s last battle (Stanford went on to score again to win 55-21) in 2009. Harbaugh retorted with, “What’s your deal?” Burn! These two teams square off in Week 1 and I cannot wait. To use one of the most tired sports cliches, these two teams just don’t like each other."

The Harbaugh-led 49ers would go on to defeat Carroll’s Seahawks 33-17 that day in 2011, and once again, Harbaugh came out on top. From there, things only got worse as both sides fired shots at each other during their respective tenures.

Harbaugh drew the ire of the Seahawks when he called them out for having 10 performance-enhancing drug violations in three years. Said, Harbaugh, “If you cheat to win, you’ve already lost.”

Harbaugh was a purist and believed there was a more respectable way to get shredded.