The game has had national championship implications riding on it several times over the last 35 years, but nothing like that will be a factor this year when Miami and Florida State meet Saturday.
Kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens is 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
But the rivalry is far from dead.
The No. 17 Hurricanes (4-1, 1-0 ACC) seek back-to-back wins in the series for this first time since winning six consecutive meetings from 2000 through 2004, a streak that included regular season and Orange Bowl victories in the 2003 season. They also are looking for their first win at home over the Seminoles since 2004.
“Really and truly just the amount of great players who have been in this series,” Miami coach Mark Richt said when asked what sets this rivalry apart. “Really, just how many great players have been on the field at the same time.
“It’s kind of mind-boggling just how many first-round draft picks, second-round draft picks, third-round draft picks that played in one game. Massive numbers.”
Florida State is looking to keep things headed in the right direction after last week’s comeback victory over Louisville put the Seminoles (3-2, 1-2) over .500 for the first time this season.
Hurricane warning flags were flying high over the practice field this week in Tallahassee, a tradition Craig Campanozzi, Florida State’s athletics video coordinator, started decades ago.
“I guess it’s trying to get us to practice a little harder,” right tackle Brady Scott said of the flags. “But it’s Miami week. We should be able to practice a little harder. They don’t need to tell us to do that.”
Thanks to the seven-game winning streak the Seminoles were enjoying until last season’s 24-20 loss in Tallahassee, the series is remarkably even. The Hurricanes hold a 32-30 edge, but have lost six in a row on their home field — two in their former Orange Bowl home and all four of the meetings in Hard Rock Stadium.
“That’s not very good,” Miami coach Mark Richt said. “About as bad the seven losses in a row that we were dealing with going into last year’s game.
“So it’s a meaningful history we need to change the course of.”
Coach Willie Taggart is in his first season at Florida State and was catching some heat when the Seminoles lost to No. 24 Virginia Tech and Syracuse in two of their first three outings. They struggled against Samford as well, trailing the FCS team 26-21 early in the fourth quarter before emerging with a 36-26 victory.
They have beaten Northern Illinois 37-19 and Louisville 28-24 the last two weeks with quarterback Deondre Francois passing for 646 yards in the two wins.
“Big week, big rivalry week,” Taggart said. “I’m excited for the guys. Excited for the opportunity this week and looking to continue to build off our success from last week.”
Richt is looking for the rivalry to gain back some of the luster of the past meetings. Consider, beginning in 1983, the two programs have produced a combined eight national championships — five for Miami, three for Florida State — but Miami hasn’t won one since 2001 and Florida State’s last came in 2013.
With two early losses, Florida State’s chances are nil in 2018, and Miami’s are only slightly better with that 16-point loss that No. 5 LSU hung on the Hurricanes in the season opener. Winning out could get them on the fringe of playoff talk, but it’s a tough go.
“It’s a great rivalry,” Richt said, “but I think right this minute I wouldn’t say everybody is looking at this game saying it’s going to decide who’s in the College Football Playoff. I think for it to be really, really great, it’s got to get back to that, and I think it will get back to that.
“But it’s not there right yet.”
