One of the things that makes college football unique relative to the NFL is that even in a lost season, rivalry games still matter. Florida has beaten FSU the past two seasons, and that matters. Florida losing to virtually every other rival in 2025 matters too.
But as Gator fans begrudgingly watched one of those rivals, the Miami Hurricanes, march to the national title game, Florida fans are also reminded of the 2024 meeting between the two teams that changed the trajectory for both programs.
Florida’s loss to Miami kick-started everything
If we rewind to the start of the 2024 season, the Gators and the Hurricanes were both coming off disappointing 2023 campaigns, and both Billy Napier and Mario Cristobal had losing records at the time at their respective schools.