What the heck is going on with teams in the state of Florida?
There have been some odd happenings in college football during the 2017 season, but the state of Florida might be experiencing the strangest of all.
With Miami struggling since moving to the ACC in 2004, the state has belonged to Florida and Florida State, which have combined for three national titles in that time span.
The entire state power structure has been flipped on its head in 2017, however, as the Gators and Seminoles are now the two worst programs, combining for a dismal 5-9 record.
| Team | Record |
|---|---|
| UCF | 7-0 |
| Miami | 7-0 |
| South Florida | 7-1 |
| Florida Atlantic | 5-3 |
| Florida International | 5-2 |
| Florida | 3-4 |
| Florida State | 2-5 |
Both Miami and UCF are undefeated on the season, sitting at No. 8 and No. 18, respectively, in the AP Poll, while South Florida dropped its first contest of the season to Houston on Saturday.
Those three are undoubtedly the best of the state, with surprises Florida Atlantic and Florida International sitting next with five wins each. Both of the Conference USA schools made big-name coaching hires this past offseason, with Lane Kiffin joining the Owls and Butch Davis signing on with the Golden Panthers.
Florida Atlantic has only topped the three-win mark once in the past six years, but Kiffin has already made a massive impact on the program. The Owls' offense entered play Saturday putting up 39 points per contest, good for 18th-best in the country.
Florida International is off to its best start in school history thanks to a road win at Marshall. They match up against in-state rival Florida Atlantic in a massive contest on Nov. 18.
The annual season-ending game between Florida and Florida State is usually one of the most hyped on the schedule, but this year's is going to be one to forget. The only drama associated with the contest is whether Jim McElwain will still be head coach of the Gators for the affair, as a report broke Saturday that Florida administrators are discussing whether they can fire the frontman with cause after his comments regarding death threats earlier this week.
Another interesting aspect of the Florida-Florida State game is the potential of a battle for bowl eligibility, with both teams facing uphill climbs to reach six wins. The Gators and Seminoles haven't both missed a bowl game since 1978.
Anyone who bet on both teams missing out can start looking at some very nice winter homes in the sunshine state.