Throw out the records, polls and rankings, because Miami vs. Florida is one of the most heated rivalries in all of college football. The two teams will square off again this Saturday at 8:00pm ET on ESPN.
Last week the Gators (1-0) rolled over Hawaii 56-10 as Heisman candidate Tim Tebow completed 9 of 14 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing nine times for 37 yards. The Canes (1-0) throttled Charleston Southern 52-7 amassing 416 total yards, including 224 on the ground.
Miami has dominated the recent meetings between the two schools, winning the last six contests. On a whole, the Hurricanes also have five national championships to the Gators’ two, even though Florida has become the more dominant program the past couple years.
The smack talk from the players is already flying. Florida receiver Louis Murphy had this to say about the “U”:
“If I’m right, the ‘U’ stands for the University of Miami,” said Murphy. “Well, we’re the University of Florida. We’re the ‘U.’ I don’t refer to them as the ‘U.’ I refer to them as Miami. If the ‘U’ is for university and winning and championships, we’re the ‘U.’ They are Miami, and that’s what I call them.”
Even Tebow got into the chatter with this to say in reference to watching a Miami game while on recruiting trip a few years ago:
“I am huge into the college environment and excitement, and you look around, and there were 30,000 empty seats,” Tebow said. “Then you come to Florida and you see this environment. … Wow, what a difference.”
Below is a complete list of Miami and Florida blogs and information sites to get you primed for the matchup.
Top Miami Hurricanes Sites
All Canes Blog.com
Miami Hurricanes Official Website
Miami Hurricanes Rivals.com Page
Inside The U.com
Top Florida Gators Sites
Alligator Army
Florida Gators Official Website
GatorBait.net
Gator Envy
Oddsmakers have made the Gators a 21.5-point favorite, which is a huge spread given this is such a big rivalry and that Florida hasn’t beaten Miami in their last six meetings. But obviously with the Gators transforming into a powerhouse over the years while Miami has struggled, as well having the more talented roster, oddsmakers probably figure Urban Meyer will try to bury his instate rivals to gain an edge on the recruiting front. These two schools are always battling each other for top recruits every year, so both could use the outcome of this game to get an edge.
