Canes vs Noles

    To me, this rivalry is the greatest in College Football. Yes, you can look at the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State, which is amazing, and I live in Michigan, so I truly know the hatred between the two teams. Still, growing up as a Canes fan, this is the iconic rivalry for me. I respect Florida State; I respect Bobby Bowden; I was a Dalvin Cook fan, and I remember when he played, I told my dad we need to shut him down if Miami wants to win this ballgame. They contained him most of the game, but when the Noles finally got Cook going, he was the driving force behind the Noles' win; that was back in 2016, and that game was called Block at the Rock. I was devastated when Brad Kaaya threw the potential game-tying pass to Stacey Coley. I was stoked, and I remembered my dad and brother saying, "Go for the win," when I wanted to take the game into overtime, only for DeMarcus Walker to block Michael Badgley's PAT attempt. That extended Florida State's winning streak to a series-tying 7 games.

    The following year, I was at a trade school, so I followed the game on my phone, and the ESPN app was a bit delayed because they were reviewing the game-winning pass from Malik Rosier to Darrell Langham. When they called it a touchdown, I was pumped, and the game was called The Rally in Tally. When I got home, my dad had it recorded but couldn't get the ending of the game, but I didn't care. Miami won over Florida State, and it was the first time I'd seen Miami beat Florida State since 2009, the Labor Day Shootout between the Canes and Noles. Miami went on to have a four-game winning streak in the rivalry after that win, and that was the catalyst for Miami moving on from Manny Diaz to hire Mario Cristobal.

    I never got to watch the peak of the rivalry cause I wasn't born. But I know the iconic players who played for both programs, the 7 years of top-10 battles, and the 1-vs-2 matchup known as Wide Right. Every time these teams played each other, it had National Title Implications. The series still has the hatred, but it doesn't have the old-school Miami vs. Florida State feel; now Miami is viewed as a three-touchdown favorite, but in a rivalry game, anything can happen. It's still a top-notch rivalry, but once both programs are top-10 quality again, it'll return to its peak glory, and it's gonna be glorious to watch.   

    Miami leads the all-time series 37-33, but Florida State has held the rivalry since I was born (1997), 16-14.

    I know this is different from a game preview, but this is Miami vs. Florida State, and the two games I talked about both had significance for me, from the Block at the Rock, with thoughts of Are we ever gonna beat Florida State, to the Rally in Tally, to finally witnessing a win over the hated Seminoles; these games have a wave of emotions and almost have a nauseating factor about wanting to win. Go Canes.