FSU Football: The moment Clemson became a Seminoles rival

FSU football has developed a rivalry with their ACC Atlantic Division foes that has grown over the years – with one game throwing it over the top.

Growing up with Florida State grads as parents and later as a student and graduate myself, one of the things I was taught early in my association with the FSU football program was to HATE anything with the color orange in it – namely, the two evil beings and Seminole rivals known as the Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes.

Florida State Seminoles Football

Over the past decade, another name has come into competition reaching that level – and they rock that color as well. In their past 10 meetings with the Clemson Tigers, the Noles have split the series with each team winning five games a piece. But it was one game in particular that put Clemson in the conversation for being a “rival”.

After winning five of the previous seven games between the foes, the Seminoles won four of the first five meetings under head coach Jimbo Fisher – including a blowout victory in 2013 when both teams were in the top five and an overtime comeback win the following year.

In 2015, the Tigers came into the game ranked No. 3 while the Seminoles were ranked No. 17 after losing two weeks before to Georgia Tech. Even with that loss, the Noles controlled their own destiny and would be closer to qualifing for a fourth straight ACC Championship Game with a win – something that hasn’t been done since the game’s debut in 2005.

The game couldn’t have started any better for FSU football, as star running back Dalvin Cook went 75 yards on the opening drive and the Noles had a touchdown lead within the first minute of the game. It was a tight battle, with the game tied at 13 after three quarters and the Seminoles just 15 minutes away from another possible Atlantic Division crown and an outside CFB Playoff shot.

In one fourth quarter play, all that changed when – down by three points – the Tigers stopped Cook on a fourth and one run to take over possession, scoring a touchdown several plays later to clinch the game and a trip to Charlotte before heading to play for the national title that season while putting quarterback Deshaun Watson on the map while going 27-2 since this game.

FSU football, meanwhile, got three wins to finish the year – including blowing out the rival Gators – before laying an egg in the Peach Bowl against Houston. Cook, arguably the best running back in the country during his final two season, didn’t get the national recognition he should have following this game and never got the invite he deserved as the Noles have gone 16-9 since this game.

The last six seasons, the winner of this game has gone on to win the ACC and three of the last four seasons they have gone on to play for the national title – winning two of those. Entering this season, FSU football and Clemson were the gold standards for the conference and everyone else was chasing them.

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With the Seminoles struggling this season, the game doesn’t mean as much regarding standings and titles – but it’s become a game circled on the schedule as much as the other two teams in orange. The hate won’t be there like it is for the Gators and Canes, but Clemson has solidly entered the conversation when it comes to the word rival.