1983 scUM wins a national title.  UF goes 9-2 with extremely close losses to Auburn and Georgia and crushed scUM.  One less loss for UF and UF would have been in the MNC mix

1984 UF goes 9-1-1.  Again, one less loss and......

1985 UF again goes 9-1-1.  Again, UF was ranked #1 at midseason.  Don't lose to the poodles and.....

1986 scUM loses national title game to Penn State

1987 scUM has perfect season.  sow only loses to scUM

1988 scUM only loses to ND.  sow only loses to scUM

1989 scUM wins MNC-only loss is to sow

1990  None of the 3 are MNC contenders for the first time since 1983 UF goes 9-2.  sow and scUM are both very good but each loses 2 games

1991 scUM has perfect season and wins split MNC.  UF wins SEC and finishes with only 2 losses.  sow was ranked #1 in the nation until close losses to UF and scUM on consecutive weeks

1992 scUM loses MNC game to Bama.  sow only loses to scUM

1993 sow wins MNC.  UF goes 11-2.  scUM has a good year also

1994 UF has the talent to win an MNC and gags losing 2 games and has a tie with one loss and a tie to sow.  sow is extremely good again.

1995 UF loses national title game.  sow lost only 2-one of which was to UF

1996 UF beats sow in national title game.  sow's first loss.  UF's only loss was earlier to sow

1997 UF loses a couple of games but beats sow.  sow's only loss entering that game ranked #1

1998 sow loses national title game to Tennessee.  UF makes BCS bowl with only 2 losses one of which is to sow.  scUM starting to recover from probation

1999 sow has a perfect season and wins MNC.  scUM is definitely on the upswing

2000 sow loses MNC game to Oklahoma.  scUM finishes in the top 5 with just one loss...to sow

2001 scUM has a perfect season and wins MNC game.  UF has a great team that underachieves finishing with 2 losses.

2002 scUM loses MNC game to Ohio State.  sow and UF decline a bit.

2003 scUM declines slightly, sow is pretty good but not what they were.  UF continues decline.

2004 None of the big 3 are MNC contenders for about the 2nd time since 1983

2005 None of the big 3 are MNC contenders for the 3rd time since 1983

2006 UF wins national title

2007 4th year since 1983 none of the big 3 are MNC contenders

2008 UF wins national title

2009 UF 10-0 and ranked #1

so........4 years out of 26 that at least one school in the state was not a strong contender for a national title.  Look how often in that span losses to another of the in-state schools cost one of them.  10 national titles won and 17 national title game appearances.  I'd guess another 10 times at least where a loss to another Florida school knocks one out from playing for a national title.  This was done by 7 different coaches....several of whom have had nowhere near the success in jobs outside the state of Florida before or since.

Obvious conclusions:

1) no its not this or that particular coach although coaching does of course matter a lot

2) no its not this or that particular player although a great player can make a big difference

3) When one school got the upper hand they were generally able to sustain it and almost had to actively do something to screw it up. (UF probation mid 80's, scUM probation mid 90's, sow losing a lot of staff 00, scUM making horrible decision to hire Coker).  Absent an active screw up, the one or ones on top stayed there. 

4) Its FLORIDA You dummy!  Just LOOK!