Miami Hurricanes Fans Vote Florida State as Biggest Rival

As a Miami Hurricanes fan, it seems like an eternal debate as to whether or not Florida or Florida State is disliked more. Which school is the bigger rival?

The Miami Hurricanes have played 59 games all-time against Florida State and 55 against Florida. They have played the Seminoles and Gators more than any other opponents in program history.

National Championships have been decided when the Hurricanes matchup with the Seminoles and the Gators. It’s often been said it’s tougher to be the state champion of Florida than the National Champion.

During it’s first National Championship season in 1983, Miami lost its opening game to Florida 28-3. They ran off 11 straight wins to end the season. That included a 17-16 victory over Florida State in the final game of the regular season.

Only the 1989 team did not earn a win over Florida State in a National Championship season. The 2000 team finished the season 11-1, second in the nation and had victories over Florida State and Florida.

A total of 247 people voted in a Canes Warning poll asking Twitter followers if they dislike Florida or Florida State more. The results were somewhat surprising. Considering the Gators refuse to play the Hurricanes on annual basis, the expectation was that UF would win resoundingly.

Fifty-one percent of the respondents said they dislike Florida State more than Florida.

Some of the responses agreed with our expectations.

Others thought the responses would break down based on demographics.

Could the breakdown have been because some Hurricanes fans forgot how heated the Miami-Florida rivalry is?

Miami and Florida State have played every year since 1969. They met for the first time in 1955 and met ten times between then and 1966. The Seminoles began playing in Division I in 1954.

Miami and Florida played for the first time in 1938. In the first 50 seasons of the rivalry, the Gators and Hurricanes met 49 times. The only year they did not meet was in 1943.

Florida chose to end the yearly matchup after the 1987 season. The Sunshine State’s two biggest state schools meet every year. FSU played Miami and Florida for 16 seasons in non-conference matchups until the Hurricanes joined the Atlantic Coast Conference for the 2004 football season.

Since 1987, Miami and Florida have played only six times. The Hurricanes have won five of those meetings. Three of those games were memorable.

Miami defeated the Gators in the 2001 Sugar Bowl and 2004 Peach Bowl. Miami also staged an improbable comeback in 2003 at the Orange Bowl. The Hurricanes rallied from a 33-10 deficit to win 38-33.

The Sugar Bowl meeting was important as it was the Canes and Gators first meeting in 14 years. Miami entered the game with a huge chip on their shoulder. After beating Florida State earlier in the season, the Hurricanes felt like they belonged in the BCS Championship game.

Florida State edged Miami in the BCS Standings for the second spot in the game against Oklahoma. The Seminoles finished with 5.37 points to Miami’s 5.69 to make the Championship game.

Miami crushed the Gators 37-20 by controlling the ball for ten more minutes and finishing plus-three in turnovers.

Miami and Florida State have played some of the most memorable games in college football history. They have met 26 times as ranked team. Miami has won 15 of those.

Next: Miami Hurricanes Own FSU When they Meet as Ranked Teams

When they meet as top ten teams, the Hurricanes have been even more successful. Miami has won 12 out of 16 games when Florida State and Miami play with both schools being ranked in the top ten.