Florida-FSU: The Spurrier-Bowden days are long gone for Gators, 'Noles | STATE OF FOOTBALL
The clear delineation has always been the turning of the century and Mark Richt’s last season as offensive coordinator at Florida State before he was hired to coach the Georgia Bulldogs.
Heading into Y2K, there were plenty of dire warnings about a looming technical crisis due to our digital infrastructure being ill-prepared to handle the shift from the 1900s to the 2000s.
Turns out, the only flame-out was the Florida-Florida State football rivalry.
For 14 straight seasons, from 1987-2000, the Seminoles had finished fifth or better in the final AP poll. In 2001, Bobby Bowden’s son Jeff replaced Richt as offensive coordinator, and Jeff was roundly blamed for the program’s slide from perennial championship contender to mere decency.
But along with that, the turning of the 21st century also triggered the end of a Gators-’Noles rivalry that, through the 1990s, was launched into the upper chamber of college football blood-feuds — Auburn-Alabama, Ohio State-Michigan, etc.
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It helped to have Steve Spurrier stirring the pot.
In each of 11 regular-season meetings from 1990 (Spurrier’s first year as Head Gator) to 2000, both teams entered with top-10 rankings. Five of those years, they were both in the top five. Two other times, they met in the Sugar Bowl with rankings of seventh or better.
Since 2001, the Gators and Seminoles haven’t synched up. Only once in the past 21 meetings — 2012 — have both teams been in the top 10 come Thanksgiving weekend.
The Gators had their championship runs with Urban Meyer, the ’Noles had theirs later with Jimbo Fisher. By and large, when these two rivals have met, one school has been fair-to-very-good while the other has been . . . meh.
It’s too bad. Time flies, you know, and here we sit with an entire generation of young Floridians who have known nothing but the meh. Late-stage millennials, born in the early ’90s and able to choose sides about age 8 or so, today are pushing 30 and have no clue what they missed.
Maybe they’re blessed. The Boomers and Gen Xers know what we lost, and the frustration has turned into resignation.
It’s only two football programs, but trying to get them lined up and operating in fine fiddle has become more maddening than a Rubik’s Cube.
Rank & File: Seminoles finally top Florida rankings!
The weekly ranking of Florida’s seven big-league college football programs, based on results versus expectations, current trends, and Happy Hour murmurings.
1. FSU (8-3): Florida at home, Friday. The Seminoles appear on a collision course with the Gator Bowl, but thread a few needles and you might get them into the Orange Bowl. One of those needles involves Clemson back-dooring its way into the four-team playoffs. This isn’t “camel through the eye of a needle” stuff, but pretty close — ’Noles 27, Gators 20.
2. UCF (8-3): at USF. We put down the marker here several weeks ago. It’s Gus Malzahn’s destiny to win eight regular-season games. USF figures to make it difficult for Gus and his Knights to admit eight is enough. Probably too hard — Knights 42, Bulls 20.
3. Florida (6-5): at FSU, Friday. “Well, it’s a setback,” Billy Napier said after last week’s loss to Vandy. “Problems are often opportunities in disguise.” That’s a disguise? That was worthy of witness-protection — Still thinking ’Noles 27, Gators 20.
4. FAU (5-6): W. Kentucky at home. The Owls are still one win away from bowl eligibility. Sorry, but Boca's RoofClaims.com Bowl will have to wait another year for the home team to meet its deductible — Hilltoppers 42, Owls 23.
5. Miami (5-6): Pitt at home. Mario Cristobal on his first-year struggles coaching at his alma mater: “We came to do this the right way and do right by people, but also elevate this program and that requires some hard-line decisions and not take any bull crap. I think it is important to establish clear lines of respect . . ." Always good to see a coach leverage the security that comes with a 10-year, $80 million contract — Panthers 24, ’Canes 16.
6. FIU (4-7): M. Tennessee at home. Vegas has Middle Tennessee a 19½-point favorite, and that sounds about right — Blue Raiders 49½, Panthers 30.
7. USF (1-10): UCF at home. While Deion Sanders won’t likely leave Jackson State except for an upper-rung program, shouldn’t USF at least send a feeler to ask what it would take to get a look-see? Just a thought. Meanwhile, a slight adjustment, as the PAT slips inside the left post — Knights 42, Bulls 21.
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The weekly ranking of Florida’s three NFL franchises, and the fearless forecast for the Sunday offerings …
1. Miami (7-3): Houston at home. Beginning on Nov. 13, the Fins’ three-week schedule was Browns, bye week, Texans. Enjoy it now, because things ramp up dramatically in December — Dolphins 32, Texans 16.
2. Tampa Bay (5-5): at Cleveland. Those who pay heavy attention to such things suggest second-year linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka might be fulfilling his potential at an opportune time. He had some highlight-reel plays in Munich, and with Shaq Barrett done for the year, some more of those would be nice. He should get an opportunity this week — Bucs 23, Browns 17.
3. Jacksonville (3-7): Baltimore at home. Earlier this month, health officials inspected 29 concession stands at Jacksonville’s TIAA Bank Field and reported 129 violations. Among them: Two dead rodents and 159 rodent droppings, and while you might have issues with your own boss and work environment, at least you’re not counting rat poop — Ravens 37, Jags 27.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida-FSU was huge during Spurrier-Bowden; Deion Sanders to USF?
