Florida Gators

The good ol' days returned to the Sunshine State in 2012, as both Florida and Florida State were nationally relevant again. Both teams finished ranked in the AP Top 10 for the first time since the 2000 season as Florida State won 12 games, and Florida won 11.

But who had the better season? Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi asked that question earlier this week. Now, SEC blogger Edward Aschoff and I are here to settle the debate once and for all.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- It was only last week that Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher lamented the use of computers to help determine the BCS standings and argued his squad's case as one of the best one-loss teams in the country.

With five turnovers in a wild 37-26 loss to rival Florida on Saturday, the Seminoles’ case against the computers was officially deleted.

It’s not that No. 10 Florida State (10-2, 7-1 ACC) shouldn’t be ranked -- it absolutely should -- but the Seminoles proved Saturday that the fourth-ranked Gators (11-1, 7-1 SEC) deserve their spot ahead of FSU, and the program is still not consistent enough to be considered a true national title contender. Florida State’s mistake-laden four quarters were a microcosm of the Seminoles’ entire regular season: an opportunity at something bigger fumbled away.

“There were ample opportunities -- ample opportunities,” Fisher said. “We just didn’t capitalize on them.”

He was talking about the game -- not the season.

Those within Florida State’s locker room after the loss emphasized the team's “24-hour rule,” reminding each other there is still plenty to play for, as the Atlantic Division champs are heading to Charlotte, N.C., to play Georgia Tech in the Dec. 1 Dr Pepper ACC championship game. The Seminoles still have a chance to win the Discover Orange Bowl. The possibility of a 12-2 season is still within reach. It’s going to be hard, though, for some of the players -- and most all of the Noles’ fans -- not to wonder what could have been this season had FSU not lost on the road to NC State and found a way to beat its rivals at home. The Noles were so close to finally meeting preseason expectations, yet so far away.

“That’s just something that’s going to be in the back of your head forever,” defensive tackle Everett Dawkins said. “But we can’t worry about that right now. We just have to keep on moving.”

Just like Florida’s running game.

The Gators controlled the line of scrimmage and ran the ball with ease, racking up 244 yards on the ground. Florida’s success on the ground made quarterback Jeff Driskel look better than usual, as it opened up the play-action and allowed him not to have to execute a true drop-back game. By the fourth quarter, the Gators had scored 24 points in a span of less than nine minutes and Florida State’s usually staunch defense looked gassed.

“We weren’t able to execute,” said Noles receiver Rashad Greene. “That basically sums it all up on one piece right there.”

In what was only its second game of the season against a ranked opponent, Florida State’s mistakes were too much to overcome. It wasn’t the first time this season turnovers plagued the Noles (two against Miami, two against Virginia Tech), but against better competition, FSU couldn’t get away with it.

“We’ve got to have them better prepared and we have to take care of the ball better,” Fisher said. “It was rare -- it wasn’t fumbles, it was interceptions. Something we haven’t done very much.”

It was also an emotional and difficult game for Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel, who threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball, leading to a Florida touchdown.

“It was not one of his most stellar performances,” Fisher said.

Manuel agreed.

“I’ve got to get better these next two games,” he said. “It was tough. This is hard right now.”

While Florida State tries to refocus on the ACC championship game, the Gators left Doak Campbell Stadium believing they should be playing for the national title.

The Seminoles did their part to help the Gators build their résumé.

“We didn’t finish,” Fisher said, “we didn’t finish.”

It was only the second time this season that happened to FSU, but that’s two times too many for a team playing for more.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Here's a quick look back at No. 4 Florida's 37-26 victory over No. 10 Florida State on Saturday in Doak S. Campbell Stadium:

It was over when: With seven minutes left in the game, Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Dunbar to put the Gators ahead 30-20. In five plays, the Gators went 32 yards to score -- a short field that was set up by Marcus Roberson's 50-yard punt return. It was a huge special-teams play that put Florida in position to separate itself and gave the Gators the momentum.

Game ball goes to: Florida's defense. It lived up to the billing, as the Gators forced five turnovers, and held Florida State to just 112 rushing yards and well under its season average of 42.91 points per game.

Stat of the game: Florida State turned the ball over five times -- two lost fumbles and three interceptions. Overall, Florida scored 10 points off FSU's turnovers. EJ Manuel's fumble in the fourth quarter led to an immediate score for running back Mike Gillislee, a 37-yard run that put the Gators up 23-20.

What it means: Florida still has an outside shot at playing for the national championship and further stated its case for a BCS bowl. It also snapped a two-game losing streak to coach Jimbo Fisher. For Florida State, it was a squandered opportunity to prove it deserves to be higher in the BCS standings and make an argument against the computers. It also was another letdown for the ACC on a national stage.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The FSU and Florida tailgating tents have long been lined up along Tennessee Street, the students have begun to pack into their seats, and it's a beautiful day here at Doak Campbell Stadium for this revived rivalry game. This is the first time in 12 years that both teams are ranked in the top 10 of the BCS standings, and the atmosphere around the stadium reflects that. If you're looking for a comparison, though, there seemed to be more pregame excitement here for the September game against Clemson, and last year's game against Oklahoma.

This game is big, no doubt, but the truth is, it's bigger for Florida.

More is on the line for Florida, as the Gators still have a legitimate (though outside) shot of sneaking into the national title game. FSU, meanwhile, is playing for in-state bragging rights and to prove the computers wrong once and for all. Even if the Noles win today, though, their loss against NC State will continue to haunt them in the national picture. That's not to say a win today wouldn't be important or meaningful for the program.

If FSU wins today, it would be the first time since 1998-2000 that the program would have won three straight in the series against the Gators. The Noles have won the past two meetings by a margin of victory of 52-14. The last time they played here in Tallahassee, FSU won, 31-7, in Jimbo Fisher's first season. Fisher is 5-0 against both rivals Florida and Miami, but you'd never know it by looking at the current BCS standings.

If nothing else, the Noles have a chance to put the Gators in their place -- behind FSU in the BCS standings. That in itself would be a victory to those within the FSU program and their fans.

 

Heather Dinich talks about who needs a win more in Tallahassee.

Back in March, I did a three-city tour around Florida, stopping in Gainesville, Tallahassee and Miami with a very serious question:

When will the state of Florida rise again?

At the time, Florida State finished 2011 as the top-ranked team among the Big Three, at No. 23. Will Muschamp was getting heat from Florida fans after a disappointing season. Miami was under the cloud of an NCAA investigation. (And still is.)

Perhaps only Muschamp and Jimbo Fisher anticipated the rise back up would happen in just a handful of months. Indeed, No. 4 Florida and No. 10 Florida State meet Saturday as Top 10 teams for the first time since 2000. That probably has surprised many college football observers, but not Fisher.

“You have great programs, you have great availability of players, both groups have gotten good players and they’ve got a great staff and I feel we’ve got a great staff,” Fisher said Wednesday on the ACC coaches call. “Things are never as good as they seem, they’re never as bad as they seem. We knew we would be back, and it doesn’t surprise me one bit they’re back.”

Simply put, this rivalry is better when national championship stakes are on the line. Thirteen times between 1990-2000, both were ranked in the Top 10. They played for the national championship in 1996, after the regular-season finale between the two featured No. 2 Florida State upsetting No. 1 Florida.

In fact, six times in those 13 meetings the lowe- ranked team won the game. Several times national championship hopes were dashed -- aside from the title game in the Sugar Bowl. In 1997, Florida upset No. 2 and unbeaten Florida State, in a stunning upset, thanks to the way Steve Spurrier rotated his two quarterbacks.

Those were the good ol’ days. Then we saw a streak of five times within seven seasons that only one team was ranked headed into the game, taking away much of the luster surrounding the matchup, especially from a national perspective.

But now here we are again, with national championship hopes on the line for the Gators. If they can win and Notre Dame loses, there could be another potential SEC vs. SEC national championship game. If Florida State wins, the Noles would have their first three-game winning streak in the series since 1998-2000.

Fisher has yet to lose to Florida or Miami, going 5-0 against the two in-state rivals. In fact, the Seminoles have gone 1,091 days since losing to a team from Florida.

“When you’re both having outstanding seasons like we both are it definitely does (add something extra), because it has more national ramifications," Fisher said. “But our own personal deal, no. We take pride in playing against Florida much like they take pride in playing against us, but from a fan standpoint and everything that goes on, hopefully it’s back to where it should be, where it’s like this every year. It is a good thing, and I’m not against it, I promise.”

ESPN’s GatorNation brings you the 30 things you need to know about Florida’s upcoming 2012 season. For 30 weekdays we’ll preview games, talk about trends, spotlight players and positions, and give you pretty much everything you need to know to be ready for the season before the Sept. 1 opener against Bowling Green.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- GatorNation is previewing each of Florida’s 2012 opponents. Today is Florida State (Nov. 24 in Tallahassee, Fla.).

FLORIDA STATE

2011 record: 9-4 (5-3 ACC), beat Notre Dame 18-14 in Champs Sports Bowl.

Coach: Jimbo Fisher, third season (19-8).

Series record: Florida leads 33-21-2.

Top returners: QB E.J. Manuel (203-311-8, 2,666 yards, 18 TDs); RB Devonta Freeman (579 yards, 8 TDs); DE Bjoern Werner (37 tackles, 7 sacks); CB Greg Reid (32 tackles, 2 INTs).

Did you know? FSU has not had a running back surpass 1,000 yards since Warrick Dunn in 1996. Only three backs since then have rushed for 900 yards.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Players and coaches react to Florida State’s 21-7 victory over Florida on Saturday night. Here are a few key quotes from post-game interviews:

Florida head coach Will Muschamp
"We are a soft football team. That’s the bottom line. I told our guys we are not a physically tough football team and a mentally tough team. Self-evaluation is hard sometimes, but that's the fact. I’ve been called a lot of things in my life but soft is not one of them."

Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher
"We come in here to win and it hasn’t happened very often. We have won the state championship two years in a row, and that feels very good. I thought our defense played well. It was probably one of the best defensive performances we have had all year."

Muschamp on his team lacking physical toughness
"That’s not the first time they’ve heard it all season. It starts with me, falls on my shoulders -- and and I’m the one that is responsible. At the end of the day you are what you are."

Fisher on FSU's play-calling
"I didn’t call that game as an offensive coordinator. You had to call it the way the game was flowing. We were controlling it and they were having a hard time scoring."

Muschamp on Florida's offense
"We’re doing all we can do. We have to find some better answers. We’ve gone wildcat, we’ve gone to Trey Burton’s package, we've gotten in the 'I', we’ve gotten in the pistol. A lot of different stuff. We're trying. Obviously, it falls on my shoulders and it’s not getting done."

Florida defensive tackle Omar Hunter on the defense
"I felt like we played really well on defense. A lot of guys stepped up. They had to step up and make plays, and those guys that did, did a really good job. On defense we just go out there and do our thing. We don’t worry about offense, special teams -- we just do our job."

FSU defensive back Greg Reid on the win
"I came here my freshman year and it was kind of rough. Just to come here and win period means a lot. We just kept fighting and that’s what it takes to win."

FSU defensive lineman Everett Dawkins on allowing Florida to score a touchdown
"We were just trying to make history and shut Florida out. But, you know, we still got the win, so it’s all good."

Quietly, Florida and Florida State will get together inside the Swamp Saturday.

For a rivalry that gained national notoriety during the 1990s and grabbed headlines with the Gators’ tremendous runs under former coach Urban Meyer, there hasn’t been much -- if any -- excitement around this game.

Outside of northern Florida, you aren’t likely to hear much talk about two unranked teams that have a combined 13-9 record.

This once proud rivalry is taking a back seat to the rest of the college football rivalries this weekend.

And it really isn’t a surprise considering Florida has its first losing record against conference opponents since 1986 and the Seminoles went from national title contenders to not making it to the ACC championship game.

Still, those on Florida’s side insist that this game means a lot to the season and the program.

Like the rivalry, Florida was once in the national spotlight, but is now treading water in an average SEC East. But that mess doesn’t matter Saturday. Florida can add a much-needed positive with a win over its archrival, and the same can be said for Florida State.

“It’s real big,” senior defensive tackle Jaye Howard said.

“It’s a battle of respect. The whole year we can talk about how we beat Florida State. We’re just playing for pride and it’s a big win for our program.”

It’s big for the program because in a season of misery, it would provide some hope for the future. Five losses will sting, but seeing a win against Florida State could cure everything heading into the offseason. It could provide a spark and momentum for this team heading into Will Muschamp's second year.

Florida’s coach, and even the players, have preached that they entertain each opponent as a nameless, faceless adversary. Things are different in rivalry games. They’re different to the fans and they should be different to those inside the football program.

Muschamp, who hasn’t had the same public excitement toward rivalry games like Meyer did at Florida, has just one win over Florida’s major rivals. That came in Week 3 when Florida beat Tennessee 33-23.

Since then, Florida has won just two more SEC games against Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

“This is a huge game,” Muschamp said. “There’s no question about that.”

At the beginning of the week, Muschamp described a win over Florida State as a “shot in the arm” for the team. It would boost Florida as it heads into bowl preparation and it would ensure that Muschamp’s first season wouldn’t end with a losing record.

Maybe it even gives Florida some recruiting momentum. While Muschamp insists that the outcomes of games don’t immediately have an impact on recruits, seeing a “W” at the end of the schedule is always a plus for recruits.

More importantly, the psyche of Florida’s players will be altered by Saturday's outcome. The entire state watches this game.

A lot of the players know people from both sidelines and major bragging rights are on the line. This might not have the national flavor that it once did, but it still means a lot to the players who must go home and face friends and family wearing the opposite color combination.

“There’s nothing like beating Florida State,” Howard said. “We can brag about it for a whole year.”

And Muschamp can brag about it too. He won’t publicly, but when he gets home and finds that time to relax, he can sit back and see that he’s 1-0 in this rivalry. Maybe he’ll even joke with Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, who happens to be a good friend and owns a beach house with him, about it.

For now, Muschamp won’t worry about how he’ll react to a win or loss. He’s more concerned about sending his players out the right way.

“I don’t worry about me. I worry about the players and our program,” he said. “That’s about all I worry about. I’ll be fine.”

He’ll be even better with a win Saturday.