SEC vs ACC: Can FSU and Miami Join Florida to Make a "Big 3" Again?

As we wrap up our look at states with SEC and ACC schools, the Swampland focus turns to the seemingly abundant football fields of the Sunshine State. The State of Florida produces the best recruits east of the Mississippi River and is home to a couple of very salty gridiron rivalries. 

Over these last 25 years, the land of Bobby Bowden, Steve Spurrier, Jimmy Johnson, and Urban Meyer has taken over college football nationally. During that span, three different universities - Florida, Florida State and Miami - have won multiple national titles and have had multiple Heisman winners, an accomplishment no other state can come close to touching.

The University of Florida is the current 'big dog', both in the state and in college football at large, having won two BCS Titles in the last three seasons. This leaves Florida State and Miami not only trying to catch up to the Gators in-state, but also trying to fulfill the promise both programs sought when the ACC expanded to a 12-team conference. 

FSU and Miami started their rise to prominence in the 1980's as independents.  In the early 1990's, the Noles became the ACC's ninth team and Miami anchored the Big East's entrance as a college football conference.  In neither case did these two Florida-based juggernauts raise the level of their new conferences.  Instead, they mainly rolled over them. 

When the ACC expanded again in 2004, the idea was for FSU and Miami to move the ACC's football fortunes closer to the 'big brother' SEC.  So far, these two Sunshine State schools have disappointed.  The Seminoles may have dominated the ACC in the ‘90s and early 2000s, but they have not had as much success (1 league title in 5 years) since the conference expanded to twelve teams. Miami used to rule the Big East, but the ‘Canes have not even been to the ACC Title game since its inception.

This fact must change because, simply put, Miami and Florida State hold the future of ACC football in their collective hands.  The ACC placed them in separate divisions for a reason - they expected them to meet for a conference title most every season.  Since this most recent ACC expansion, these teams have failed to generate any excitement.

The recent average play is a shame because the Florida State-Miami battle was as highly competitive battle as any in the nation for most of the last two decades.  With rosters full of future NFL players, the athleticism and hard-hitting of this heated contest was unparalleled in college football.  Even though the rivalry has been down for a few seasons now, it still means a ton within the state. 

Everyone in the ACC and all non-Gators in Florida will be watching intently when FSU and Miami will once again meet on Labor Day to start the ’09 campaign. If both teams can get back to having dominant rosters, this rivalry will be re-energized and can return to one of the most anticipated games in the country.

Of course, you can't talk college football in Florida without mentioning the Gators these days, and there aren’t many backyard brawls that produce more passion and hatred than Florida and Florida State. The Gators have ruled the Sunshine Showdown lately, winning five in a row over the ’Noles. Spurrier and Bowden coached these teams in some epic battle in the ‘90s, even meeting for the National Title in 1996. Bowden and his coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher must get the talent level in Tallahassee back to where it was 7-8 years ago if they don’t want to end each regular season with a thud.

Florida and Miami renewed their on-and-off rivalry this decade, and it’s obviously a game fans would like to see more often. The Gators may not want to see it every season considering they play FSU each year plus a rough SEC schedule, but it’s a very spicy affair when they do play the ‘Canes. One thing is for sure, these two schools may not meet on the field each year, but they will always face off on the recruiting trail.

The top schools from all over the nation recruit the state of Florida so there is always pressure for the Big 3 to keep the best players at home. All three have recruited well for the most part, but only Florida has competed on the elite national level in the last 3-4 years. Florida State and Miami have to continue to sign the best in-state kids while also coaching them up to the level where the Gators are currently playing.

The most important factor for the ACC to compete with the “big brother” SEC remains the return of the ‘Noles and ‘Canes to national superpower status.  Yes, there are other promising ACC teams doing good things, like Georgia Tech and UNC.  However, FSU and Miami lie in the best existing ACC talent base, and they have the best recent histories having both won national titles during the BCS era.  Like USC in the underwhelming Pac 10, a great program in a talent-rich state can become a college football superpower in a confernece without elite, SEC-like depth.

If FSU and Miami can find themselves again - starting with competing for league titles and recruting the best in-state talent- they can once again challenge the Gators for Sunshine State supremacy.
 

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