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Beat UF And FSU's Season Is A Success

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By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 29, 2008

Updated: 11/29/2008 12:14 am

TALLAHASSEE - We know how high the stakes are today for the Florida Gators. If they beat Florida State, the Gators remain in the running for Urban Meyer's second national championship. We can stop listing reasons why they might be motivated right there.

Most people figure they will win today. Florida has been crushing opponents lately and FSU hasn't been much more than a snack for the Gators the past several years. This rivalry tends to swing strongly in favor of one team or the other and these days, oh, what's the saying? It's great, to be ... you-know-what.

Earlier this week, though, Bobby Bowden said something that should give the Gators at least a little pause. Bowden was asked by reporters if it was more important for his team to beat Florida or win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.

Politically, coaches always say winning their conference is more important, but Bowden never has been much of a politician. FSU enters today with a reasonable chance of advancing to the ACC title game, but that clearly isn't on Bowden's mind - not with the Gators in town.

"I would think beating Florida is more important," he said. "What could we do greater this year than to beat them? They are No. 2 in the nation and they are an excellent football team. They have been wearing us out lately. I think our greatest stride would be if we could win that game."

Bowden is right. It would be a bigger deal - much bigger - in these parts if his team can pull the upset. This series is starting to get out of control for the Seminoles. It's starting to look the way it did before Bowden came to Tallahassee in 1976, when the Gators won all the time and didn't take this game seriously.

It is happening again.

Gators Have Dominated

Florida has won the past four against FSU by a combined 120-46. Meyer is 3-0 against Bowden and the Seminoles were humiliated 45-12 last season in Gainesville.

If you throw out Florida's six consecutive wins in the early '80s - the Gators were found by the NCAA to be seriously cheating in those days - this is most dominant the Gators have been against FSU since Bowden came to town.

The Gators are built to last, too. Meyer has assembled a relay team in shoulder pads. There is speed everywhere and there is depth. If Tim Tebow jumps to the NFL after this season, there are replacements ready to step in. That means Meyer has been winning the recruiting battles he needs to win.

Well, he has had more to sell lately. Order has been restored in Tallahassee, though, and this series can look forward to better days. The orderly transition from Bowden to coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher seems to have brought needed stability to a program that had lost its way.

We're about to find out just how much that matters.

The Seminoles have picked a bad year to get healthy against the Gators, but for the first time in a while there is at least a little hope. They're young and inconsistent, but FSU has shown some pluck. The Seminoles have scored 30 or more points seven times this season and whomped a good Maryland team 37-3 last week on the road.

FSU already would be in the conference title game this season a year ahead of schedule, except for an unfortunate fumble at the end of the Georgia Tech game. Quarterback Christian Ponder has justified the faith Fisher had in naming him the starter over senior Drew Weatherford. Ponder is a running threat as well, which he may need against the Gators.

FSU May Need 50 Points

Bowden said he believes it could take 50 points to beat Florida this year, and he is probably not far off. But that brings it back to why this game is at least as important for FSU as it is for Florida.

The Seminoles, obviously, can afford a loss much more than the Gators. But winning would send a potent message out on the recruiting trail. It would keep FSU in the national rankings. And if things break right today, the Seminoles could still wind up in the conference title game and even a BCS bowl.

There have been many times in the past four years when it would have been hard to ever see FSU in this position again, at least while Bowden still prowled the sideline. But now things are like they used to be, when Florida ruled the world but you could sense change was on the way in Tallahassee.

It probably won't be enough for today, but we don't know that for sure.

For the Seminoles, that's the best news they've had in a while.

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