Florida Gators 2011: The Gators Top 5 Wins Against Florida State

An in-state rivalry pitting the two oldest public universities in Florida has taken place every year since 1958. There is certainly no love lost between the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles or their fans. While it will not be the case this season, for many years this game has held serious national title implications. 

For the Gators, they come limping into the game after surviving a game that should have never been in question against Furman. This will be the first time Will Muschamp and his coaching staff will participate in the rivalry and, like Urban Meyer did, Muschamp would be wise to circle this game and be successful against "the school out west." 

Florida State comes into the game off a disappointing loss to the University of Virginia, and will look to win their second straight game in the series. 

Coach Jimbo Fisher will see a friend across the sideline in Muschamp. The two own a vacation home together and have been friendly in the past. Saturday both coaches will put their friendship aside and play for bragging rights.  

The Gators currently hold the lead in the series 33-20-2. 

With the annual matchup coming up this Saturday, let's take a look at the top five Gator victories in this great college football rivalry. 

2009: Florida Senior Day

In 2009 the Gators would come into the game undefeated and looking to repeat as national champions. The Seminoles came into the game struggling (6-5) in what would be Bobby Bowden's final season.

The game itself did not hold a very big significance, but for Gator fans it was an emotional day where they thanked and celebrated the winningest recruiting class in SEC history play its final home game. 

As Brandon Spikes and Tim Tebow entered the Swamp for the last time in their college football careers, they remained focused and came away with a 37-10 victory. 

2004: Ron Zook Field

Florida coach Ron Zook faced heavy criticism as head football coach at the University of Florida. Just ask the creator of FireRonZook.com how he felt about the head coach. 

Let's face it, following a legend in Steve Spurrier was not going to be easy. After being spoiled by SEC championships and a national championship, Gator Nation couldn't handle two 8-5 seasons followed by a 7-5 season. 

Zook was fired midway through the season after a loss to Mississippi State, but was allowed to coach the remainder of the season. 

With a game in Tallahassee to be Zook's swan song, the coach pulled off a victory that even the Ole Ball coach never could: win in Doak Campbell Stadium. 

On a night that the field was being named after long time head coach Bobby Bowden, Zook led the Gators to a 20-13 victory. Zook was carried off the field by his team after the game, a fitting way for such an embattled coach to leave a program. 

Zook should be celebrated for the way he recruited, not the outcome he had as head coach. Urban Meyer praised the job Zook did as Meyer and the Gators accepted the national championship in Glendale, Arizona, just two years after Zook's departure. 

1991: The First Top 5 Matchup of the Series

While the rivalry between Florida and Florida State has always been heated on the field and between the two fanbases, the series got some national attention in the '90s. With Steve Spurrier returning to his alma mater in 1990, he brought a new emphasis on beating your rivals. 

Spurrier and his fifth-ranked Gators hosted the third-ranked Seminoles in the Swamp. The meeting marked the first time that both teams came into the game ranked in the top 5 nationally. 

Florida would win the game, 14-9, with a defensive stand on Florida State's last possession of the game.

1997: No. 1 Goes Down in the Greatest Game Ever Played in the Swamp

The 1997 version of the Florida State Seminoles came into Gainesville undefeated, ranked No. 1 in the Coaches Poll and a 31-point favorite against their in state rival. The Noles had already beat four ranked teams that season, and the Gators were the last thing that stood between them and a chance at their second national championship. 

The Noles came into Gainesville and tempers quickly rose, as the players had to be separated at midfield before the game. 

The Gators kept the score much closer than Vegas thought it would be with Fred Taylor taking over the game rushing for 162 yards a four touchdowns. 

The Gators found themselves trailing 29-25 with under three minutes to play when they started their last offensive drive, which you can see in the video above. An interception sealed the victory for Florida and dashed the Seminoles' hopes of national championship glory. 

1997: Sugar Bowl Re-Match and Florida's First National Championship

After losing to Florida State in the last game of the season, Florida's national championship hopes were seemingly dashed. 

After beating Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and getting a little help from Texas and Ohio State. After the Buckeyes beat Arizona State in the Rose Bowl, it turned the Sugar bowl into a de facto national championship.  

The re-match was all Florida from the start and the Gators won their first national championship in school history, 52-20. 

The win brought Steve Spurrier full circle in his Florida career. From winning a Heisman as a player, coaching a Heisman winner in Danny Wuerffel and bringing a national championship to his alma mater. 

The Gators have gone on to win two more national championships, but you always remember your first with a certain nostalgia, which lands this game as the best Florida win in their rivalry against "that school out west."