"Florida is the most accomplished football program in the state"

By Kartik Krishnaiyer
Canes Rising Staff

Florida Gators everywhere are crowing these days. No question exists that they are entitled to do this as they have won their second BCS title in three years. But some of rhetoric is over the top and quite honestly insulting. Here are some gems from the Gator fan vault on other websites/message board over the last 48 hours.

"Florida now has more legitimate national titles than Miami and more overall national titles that FSU."

Football national titles are mythical. The only clean national titles are those won by teams that are undefeated in a season where no other school in a major conference is undefeated. Otherwise the process is subjective. By this definition, Miami has two clean titles, 1987 and 2001. Florida State has one, 1999. Florida has none.

"National Titles before the BCS were mythical. Now we have a virtual playoff so Florida really leads the state in titles having won the BCS twice."

Really?

"Florida has has more top teams over the years than Miami and Florida State."

This one is flat out laughable. Since national titles are mythical and polls are truly subjective I base the quality of a program based on top 10 finishes. While polls are subjective as noted above a top 10 finish represents a solid body of work for a season. Programs can truly be judged for their quality based on Top 10 finishes. No school in Florida is USC or Oklahoma when it comes to this, but some have fared better than others.

(Based on average poll position in final AP & Coaches Top 10 poll for each season beginning in 1951. For example Florida finished ranked #10 in the AP Poll in 2000, but #11 in the coaches polls and thus had a poll average of 10.5 and does not get credit for a top ten finish in this survey. )

Florida State (17)

1979, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000

Florida (14)

1983, 1984, 1985, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2008

Miami (18)

1954, 1956, 1966, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003


So Florida still has to finish in the top ten four more seasons while Miami's swoon continues to catch the Canes. The Gators must finish in the top ten three more times to catch the Noles. As for Florida historically being the best football program in the state, the Gators were the last team of the "big three" to record a top ten finish.