When you have had as much success as Florida State football has, particularly in the era of Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher, it’s no secret that you may be making a few enemies here and there. Winning three national championships, numerous ACC championships, and building extensive winning streaks against rivals will help.
ESPN recently published a piece talking about who the “archenemy” of each Power Four team is, and they think a certain Florida Gators coach might be the Seminoles’ archenemy.
“The 2023 selection committee, and specifically chair Boo Corrigan, have earned a place near the top of the villain list for Seminoles faithful. But it is hard to unseat Spurrier, who trolled the Seminoles and coach Bobby Bowden at every turn during his 12-year tenure at Florida. Calling FSU “Free Shoes University” after a scandal involving players getting free merchandise from Foot Locker in the 1990s was only the tip of the iceberg. While it is true Spurrier did not have a winning record against the rival Noles, he helped keep Florida State from winning two more national titles with wins in the 1997 Sugar Bowl, then later with a two-quarterback approach to close the 1997 regular season in a game that handed the Seminoles their only loss of the season.”
Free Shoes University sounds like a crypto pump-and-dump scheme, but I digress. Indeed, Spurrier went 5-8-1 against the Seminoles from 1990 to 2001 during his time in Gainesville.
Longtime fans of FSU may see the Hurricanes as more fierce rivals, particularly given their five national championships and dominance with guys like Ed Reed and Jimmy Johnson. Miami being the “bad boys” of college football at the time definitely might have older fans see it this way.
Younger fans may point to the Clemson Tigers, with their four-peat of appearances in the national championship game from 2015 to 2018 or the more recent snub, and see Alabama, the entire SEC, or what have you as the biggest rival of FSU.
Personally, I will never forgive Jacksonville State.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Who is the biggest archenemy of FSU Football?
Reporting by Jacob Smith, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
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By Jacob Smith, FSU Wire | USA TODAY Network
