Welcome back to The Rival Rundown! If you’ve always wanted to give props to your school on CC, now’s your chance! Shoot us an email explaining what’s awesome and unique about your school (or what stinks about Rival U) at rivalrundown@collegecandy.com!

I live in New York, where suddenly it has gotten really. effing. cold.  (I wore my winter coat and a scowl over the weekend.)  So naturally I’ve been dreaming of what life would have been like had I gone to school in a more temperate climate where you can tailgate in tank tops and flip flops.  Such is the way things go in the Sunshine State, where the University of Florida and Florida State University have, quite literally, one of the hottest rivalries around.

1. Mascot Match-up

Florida – Call them Gator Nation, Gator Country, even Alberta and Albert (who won Sports Illustrated On Campus’ Best Mascot award); the Florida Gators are more than just a local species.
Florida State – The Florida State Seminoles, named for the Native Americans who first inhabited the area, are perhaps most famous for their war chant, which is among the most immediately recognizable songs in all of sports culture.

Three credits to: Hands-down, it’s Florida State. It’s the college chant at it’s absolute finest (and so simple, even babies can sing it)!

2. Athletic Assertiveness

Florida – The Gators have won 4 out of their 5 appearances in BCS Bowl Games as well as a rich tradition of sending athletes in the Olympic Games, with 90 medals awarded to UF alums.
Florida State – The Seminoles have appeared in six BCS Bowls, winning the national title in the 2000 Sugar Bowl.

Three Credits to:  A commanding appearance by Florida!

3. Terrific Traditions

Florida – Perhaps not a tradition, but more of a revered Gator contribution to society: the sports drink Gatorade was invented in Gainesville. Hence the name!
Florida State – Bored? Rainy night in? Looking for a party of the non-Greek variety? Head over to Crenshaw Lanes, Florida State’s own on-campus bowling alley! Where else can you bowl for less than $2 a game?

Three credits to:  Florida. To borrow the current Gatorade slogan, well, “that’s G.”

4. Ass-kicking Alumni

Florida – Faye Dunaway, Darrell Hammond, Bob Vila
Florida State – Deion Sanders, Burt Reynolds, Cheryl Hines

Three credits to: It’s a tie! Hard to pick a winner amongst these prominent names.

5. Acceptance Rate Agony (for the class of 2012)

Florida - 39.5%
Florida State - 46.7%

Three credits to: Florida, definitetively.

And the diploma goes to: Florida in a landslide! Florida State may have won the war (chant), but the Gators cream the Seminoles where it counts.

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