FSU-UF rivalry as good as it gets

It’s not treated with quite the same reverence as Alabama-Auburn or Ohio State-Michigan. There haven’t been any HBO or ESPN documentaries made on the rivalry and its historic importance.

But when you look at the numbers, and what the game has meant on a national scale, there’s a good case to be made that Florida State-Florida has been the best rivalry in the country over the last quarter century.

In fact, it’s virtually impossible to argue otherwise.

On Saturday the two programs square off as ranked teams for the 20th time since 1990. In 14 of those games they were both ranked in the Top 10. In nine of those games at least one was ranked in the Top 2. Only twice in the last 30 years, 1986 and 2011, was neither squad ranked when the game was played.

This year they’re both in the Top 15.

“Both of us are ranked very high,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. “Both of us have a lot on the line to play for, and that’s why you come to Florida State, to be able to compete in these games.”

In the last 25 years the two teams have combined for six national championships, five Heisman Trophy winners and 23 conference titles. No other rivalry around in the country has featured two programs with this much recent success.

Not Alabama-Auburn. Not Ohio State-Michigan. Not Southern Cal-Notre Dame. Compared to the 14 times FSU and UF have met as Top 10 teams since 1990, it’s happened three times for Alabama-Auburn, three times for OSU-Michigan and three times for USC-Notre Dame.

In the last quarter century alone, Florida State has had 34 first-round draft picks. Florida has had 28.

“At the end of the day I just respect the rivalry,” Fisher said. “I really do. I respect the rivalry and what they’ve accomplished and what we’ve accomplished. And just fortunate to be able to coach. And I’ve been in some great ones, and this is one of the best ones ever.”

For his part, Fisher has won four of his five games against the Gators. The lone exception was in 2012 when No. 6 Florida beat the No. 10 Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium. That game wound up being FSU’s last regular-season loss for almost three calendar years as Fisher and the Seminoles went on an unprecedented run of success.

The Gators struggled in 2013 and 2014 but they’re back to national relevance in Jim McElwain’s first year as head coach. In fact, if they can beat both Florida State and Alabama in the SEC Championship game (an enormous “if” obviously) the Gators could be in line for a spot in the 2015 College Football Playoff.

And that’s what has separated the FSU-Florida rivalry from the other season-ending showdowns around the country over the last three decades.

The two teams aren’t just playing for pride. Or bragging rights. They’re almost always playing for something bigger. The winner of the Florida-Florida State game has been in contention to play for the national championship 13 times since 1990.

As for Saturday night, even though the Gators are ranked higher and playing at home, the Seminoles are the favorite.

“I’m sure they probably feel like they’ll jump in the The Swamp and have a pretty good chance of beating us based on how we’ve been playing,” McElwain said. “That’s fine. We’ll be here. Our fans will be here and we’ll be ready to play the game and see what happens.”

Corey Clark can be reached via email at csclark@tallahassee.com or followed at @Corey_Clark on Twitter.

Rivalry Facts

•The Seminoles have won two straight at Florida and are looking to win three straight in Gainesville for the first time ever. Florida State is 23-34-2 all-time against Florida and 10-20-1 in Gainesville.

•FSU can capture the “state championship” by defeating Florida after downing Miami, 29-24, and USF, 34-14, earlier this season. FSU is 13-1 against in-state opponents under Jimbo Fisher.

•Last Time at Florida: The Seminoles cruised past the Gators, 37-7, in Gainesville on Nov. 30, 2013 behind a 9-catch, 212-yard, 3-TD performance from WR Kelvin Benjamin. QB Jameis Winston added 327 yards through the air.

•Florida ranks sixth in the nation in total defense (281.7) and will be the fifth opponent FSU has faced that ranks in the nation’s top 17 defenses: No. 1 Boston College, No. 5 Clemson, No. 13 NC State and No. 17 Louisville.

Top 10 matchups since 1990

1. Florida State-Florida…14

2. Alabama-Auburn…3

2. Ohio State-Michigan…3

2. USC-Notre Dame…3

First-round picks since 1990

1. Florida State…34

2. Florida…28

Weeks spent at No. 1 since 1990

1. Florida State…71

2. Florida…41

Conference titles since 1990

1. Florida State…15

2. Florida…8