Troupe describes the Florida/Florida State rivalry

Story written by former Florida Gators tight end Ben Troupe

Imagine growing up rooting for one team and despising another.  Imagine wanting one team to win every game and another team to lose every game.  Imagine that everything you did throughout the course of a football season always seemed to come down to one game, no matter the records, no matter what’s at stake.

I am talking about the rivalry known as Florida-Florida State.  The Gators vs. the Noles.  Orange and Blue vs. Garnett and Gold.  Tyson Neyland, is that the name of their stadium? It doesn’t matter vs. Ben Hill Griffin, aka The Swamp.  Florida’s Fans vs. the Noles fans. I grew up in Georgia, so I didn’t grow up despising the Seminoles, but all that changed after I chose to play football at Florida.

Whenever the season starts the fans would always say beat FSU.  Make sure we let them know who runs this rivalry and most importantly who runs this state. Now don’t get me wrong, the Gators have a lot of teams that we absolutely have a dislike for and want to beat every year like UGA, Tennessee, USC, and LSU to name a few but nothing is like playing FSU.  It has a uniqueness to it because they are your in state rivalry and you really want to beat them in the worst way.  Its like eating liver once a year on the same day each year you have an acquired taste for it.  You know what your going to get and although it doesn’t taste the best its something you look forward to.

To play and be a fan for FSU is totally different than playing and being a fan for UF.  You have two different mindsets. FSU’s mindset is always that of a feeling, while UFs mindset is knowing. FSU feels as though they are better than us and have the best fans, while UF we know we are the better team and have the best fans.  FSU feels as though they run us in this rivalry, while at UF, we know we run them and the numbers back that up to support my claim.

That’s funny to me; the mere fact that FSU feels as though they own us when we have never been for sale and even if we were FSU could not afford us. Bottom FSU always feels as though they are going to win the game every year while UF we know we are going to win.  See the difference.  How one does not compare to the other.  How FSU is a good fabric while UF is the best fabric.  FSU is an affordable automobile for the economy and takes unleaded while UF is the ultimate driving machine and takes premium. Just stating the facts here nothing less.

To show you what I mean by UF knowing that we are going to win look at some of the games in this rivalry that have taken place.  That game in ‘95 in Tallahassee was an instant classic.  The No. 1 team in the nation vs. the No. 2 team in the nation, playing with everything on the line.  Now FSU came out with the victory but the best revenge that could have ever happened happened about a month later in New Orleans in the Sugar Bowl.  It was not even a game from the opening kick.  It was an utter beat down, to say the least, because the gators put up 50 in the National Championship. Ike Hilliard had arguably the greatest catch and run I have ever seen in a national championship game.   In 2001 there was a controversial call between Darnell Dockett and star running back for the Gators, Earnest Graham, getting his knee jerked and ultimately causing Earnest to have to leave the game was awful to say the least. I still have not gotten over that. Who could forget the game in 2003 where the refs made sure that the Noles escaped with the victory because they know what happened in that game and if you have not had the pleasure of watching that game, please do yourself a favor and find it on YouTube be the judge for yourself. All I’m saying is that every year this game is played a new memory is made and the legacy only grows.

This rivalry is what makes college sports special.  Take nothing away from Auburn vs. Alabama or Michigan vs. Ohio State, or Army vs. Navy but nothing compares to UF vs. FSU.  There is nothing like a genuine dislike and hatred for one another that will never go away, but only get more intense as the years go on. I love every thing about this rivalry because it has all the ingredients that you need in order for a rivalry to exist. There’s bad blood on both sides. Both sides have won in this rivalry and both teams have had legendary players, coaches and moments that will stand the test of time.  This year is no different than any of the previous years except this is the most important year, because it is the present year, and us and our fans can’t wait and I know the other fans from the School Out West can’t wait either.

Bottom line is that as much as I hate to admit it both teams need each other because we bring out the best and the worst in each other. No matter what type of season either team has had this is the measuring stick for not just this season, but also in recruiting and most importantly bragging rights.

Although I cannot stand the Seminoles some of my best memories and moments have come from this rivalry.  I guess the Seminoles are all right after all.

Sike! They are the worst and will always be the worst, no matter what.  I wonder what the Seminoles are eating for their pre game meal? Probably crab legs from Publix.

I had to do it.

See y’all in the Swamp.