Florida Gators' Top Five Football Rivalries

I was reading GeorgiaDawg's top five football rivalries, and a lot of the fans were commenting on UF's top rival.

Since I really love to talk some trash about our rivals, I decided to create a similar slide show. Let me know if anyone would change the order.

Again, like my other articles, this is just me throwing a million different thoughts into one, non-coherent rant.

No.4 LSU Tigers

The rivalry with LSU has become very hot the last few years.

The winner of this game has gone on to win the past three national champions.

Florida holds the series record with a 29-23-3 advantage.

Over the past decade, it's been a strange rivalry, with the road teams winning in a four year span from 2001-2004.

During these years, the better team lost every time, culminating in 2003 when unranked and Ron Zook-coached Florida held No. 2 LSU to a touchdown in a 19-7 victory.

Beginning in 2005 though, the road team has lost each battle, and each one has been absolutely insane, meeting all hype and expectations.

I can't really say that I hate their program, or their coach, or their players (minus Ricky Jean-Francois), but I do hate their fans and the entire student body.

Because I grew up a Gator, I have been to many road games. But this is one of those games that I was never allowed to go to.

As a college junior I finally made the trip to Baton Rouge. We had just suffered our first home defeat in the Urban Meyer era and were hungry to beat up on No. 1 ranked LSU on their home turf.

All the fraternities had planned road trips, so there was sure to be no shortage of Gator fans in town.

However, I will always remember the fans from LSU as the least hospitable, arrogant, rude, and downright hated group of people I know, outside of registered democrats. (No one can match that group.)

I tried being friendly at Tiger tailgates, talking up the game and all. LSU students were only interested in informing me that I had wasted my time and money by even showing up. Thanks guys.

My date and I were taunted by a group of eight-year olds who even went as far as calling her a bitch. In front of their parents! Who by the way, did nothing about it.

The walk to the stadium was even worse. Unfortunately, I was only a little buzzed, so I couldn't forget what had happened.

A friend of mine was arrested for standing up during the game. Seriously, it's 100 percent true.

As the seconds ticked out, and older couple dumped their bourbon on me and then threw their cups. When I say older, I'm talking at least 60. I could not believe it.

This is why LSU is one of the most hated fan bases in all of America. They are obnoxious and crazy, and show only hostility to opposing teams and fans.

I suppose I can't complain too much though, seeing as how my Gators are supposedly on the same hate level.

The only good thing I can say is that when they play the Garth Brooks song before the game and everyone yells "Baton Rouge" together...that's pretty cool.

Screw you, LSU. And get ready for your first home loss of 2009!

No. 3—Tennessee Volunteers

After the 30-6 Gator victory in 2008, the series in now tied at 19-19. The teams started playing in 1916, and have hated each other ever since.

After winning the first 10 meetings, the Volunteers have struggled, never winning more than two in a row, while the Gators have gone on tears of four in a row, five in a row, and currently sit at four in a row.

Before Fat Phil started to lose his touch, this game almost always had SEC East implications and sometimes national title implications.

Every Georgia fan was watching this game, too.

While I can't say too much about this school and fans, because I do have some amount of respect for them...and because I pretty much covered it in the LSU description, I will say that the rivalry is renewed.

Lane Kiffin has painted a big, fat, puke-orange bulls-eye on his club and himself.

There is no way in hell that they walk out of Gainesville with a W. Even a moral victory is laughable. If the Gators don't lay 70 on this team, it will be a disappointment.

Having said that, Tennessee is coming off last season when they were the No. 3 ranked defense in the country and has now brought in defense coordinator Monte Kiffin, so we'll see what happens.

After seeing Volunteer fans' reactions to Kiffin calling Meyer a cheater, I want to beat them down even more than ever. They actually support the lunatic.

The only time I ever felt bad for a Tennessee fan was when a girl was in our student section and everyone hassled her for the entire game in 2007. And even then, I didn't feel bad enough to do anything about it.

This rivalry is pretty original to me because the only real reason I hate Tennessee is because they are Tennessee. It's bred into all Gator fans that we are supposed to hate and destroy anyone from Knoxville.

Bring it on, Vols. You've officially relinquished your place among the East's Big Three. Enjoy giving up your spot to the perennial definitions of mediocrity—Kentucky or South Carolina!

No. 1—Georgia Bulldogs

The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Enough said.

This is one of the greatest rivalries in all of college sports. Although I respect the Bulldog fans and especially Coach Richt, I hate the players on the field.

Nothing is better than watching the Bulldogs get a beat-down, and no loss is worse than one to this rabid fan base.

While Georgia has been a stronger football program longer than Florida, the Gators have always been there to ruin UGA's SEC and national title hopes.

The best part is that most Dogs know it!

Consider the past two decades payback for the previous two. Although Georgia leads the all time series, 46-38-2, Florida has won 16 of the last 19 meetings and three out of the last five.

But it's difficult to forget the beat-downs of the '70s and '80s, or the 12 times that Georgia has held Florida scoreless. The Gators have only managed to return that favor five times.

Jacksonville is absolute chaos for three or four days every year.

This game has been very heated and very relevant for the past 20 years, which is why it tops the list of Florida's biggest rivals.

The University of Georgia even gives students the Friday before this game off from class as a form of "Fall Break".

I'm convinced that no rivalry is as great as this one. Sorry Alabama v Auburn fans.

Bulldog fans are just as crazy as we are. Many arguments have broken out during family reunions, as I have cousins that currently attend UGA.

SEC football just can't be beat, and especially when two national powerhouses are pitted against each other on a neutral field in an atmosphere that caters to all of our crazy needs.

GO GATORS!