FSU football: Top 3 teams to replace Florida Gators on 'Noles schedule

FSU football: Top 3 teams to replace Florida Gators on ‘Noles schedule

By Kelvin Hunt | Jul 31, 2020

TALLAHASSEE, FL - OCTOBER 26: A general view of the Unconquered Statue in front of Doak Campbell before the Florida State Seminoles host the Syracuse Orange at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on October 26, 2019 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

UCF

The self-proclaimed 2017 national champions always claim they want the smoke with the big boys, right?

Well, this would be an opportunity to see if they want it. The two programs have only met once, in 1995 with the Noles blowing the doors off the Knights 46-14.

They’ve gone 35-4 since the 2017 season, competing in the American Athletic Conference. Like South Florida, it’s an opponent Mike Norvell is familiar with, although Memphis didn’t face them in 2019.

UCF finished 10-3 last season in Josh Heupel’s first year as head coach.

It would be a game against an in-state opponent, and likely a game many fans would want to see since UCF has finished each season ranked the past three years.

Would it be a risky game to play? Maybe, but FSU still has the more talented team by far, and should win with improved coaching.