GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- If Florida fans were hoping for a little help from Boston College in making the trip to Tallahassee on rivalry week a little easier, they definitely didn't get it.

After Florida State pulled out a dramatic 22-21 on Saturday, the 'Noles were already immediately turning the page to the Florida game. There will be more than a little at stake. The Seminoles need a win to keep their NCAA record 37-year bowl streak alive with a sixth win.

“It’s do or die at this point," cornerback Stanford Samuels III said. "We can’t afford anything else but a win. So that’s all we talk about, we’re going to win next week and we’re going to beat the Gators."

Florida players were a little more reserved across the board, though it's hard to sound too overconfident when you've lost five straight in the series.

Most of those meetings haven't been close, either. Florida State has owned the series of late.

And forget the records when it comes to the Florida-Florida State series. The Seminoles will be out to defend their home turf, something that would help salvage an otherwise very disappointing first season for coach Willie Taggart.

"They're a really good opponent," Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks said. "I don't think their record shows how good of a team they are but we have a really good team."

Still, it's hard to see this as a game Florida shouldn't win if it hopes to get the Dan Mullen era off and running in earnest. Florida will enter as a four-point favorite and could make life tough on a Florida State offensive line that has been porous, to say the least.

"Man, I haven’t beat them yet," senior Florida tight end R.J. Raymond said. "That’s been circled on my calendar for a long time, since probably November. What was it, the 27th last year when we played them? That’s probably it. That game’s been circled on there since I decided to come back. We’re going to give it our best shot this week. We’re going to go out there, we’re going to practice harder than we’ve ever practiced, and we’re going to go out there and play hard and see if we can come out with a 'W.'"

Neither team is shying away from this being a must-win game. The recruiting implications alone in Year 1 for both coaches will be massive.

"We've got to win, no matter what. We've got to win," Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois said. "And this is for us to make it to a bowl game. The whole country knows what’s at stake. The whole [city of] Tallahassee knows what’s at stake. Our fans, our coaching staff, trainers, teachers.

"Everybody knows we’ve got to win this game. This is a team that’s a rivalry team. So that just makes it a little bit better."

Florida players are conditioned to treat every opponent the same, just focusing on what they need to do to come out and play well each week.

But this one is different. It just is. A win means everything.

"I mean, it'd be nice," Franks said. "You want to go out there and win. You don't want to go out there and lose."