What a difference a decade makes? I remember like yesterday getting grief from my Nole friends after the Gators lost to Mich. State in the Citrus Bowl. My friend Mike the Nole said "Man, if Florida State ever lost 4 games in a season, I'd either stop watching football or I'd kill myself." I still don't understand what a Nole fan was doing at the Citrus Bowl when his team was playing 2 days later in New Orleans for a national title, but I digress.

10 years after those wise words from Mike, I'm wondering how he feels about a 3rd 6 loss season in 4 years. Or how it feels to see the Gators positioned for a 3rd NC in 4 years. Because I'm not fooled by the post game niceties my Nole friends say to my face about "wishing the Gators luck" etc. They hate us. The Gators' success is killing these guys. If the Heisman race was between Tim Tebow, Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussien's corpse, the Noles would root for bin Laden and Zombie Hussein and hope that Tebow got left off the ballot.

And Don't be fooled by the "wait till next year" talk we're hearing now from the Semis. That's their fall back position. This was supposed to be a good year for the Semis. At the end, the 2009 FSU season can be summed up thusly--they wound up with 5 wins against D-1 opponents. They lost at home to USF. They lost to their biggest rival for the 6th straight time. They lost to UM. They needed a 4th quarter comeback against a 10 loss Maryland team to become bowl eligible.

So at least the Semis get to preserve their meaningless bowl streak. That and the so called Dynasty are about all they have to hang onto now (14 years of "dominance" and they have 2 MNCs to show for it?....whatever, I'll put that in the Semi Spin trash heap with the 1851 start date and the bullspit tale about Gatorade really being invented in 1963 as "Seminole Firewater"--Oh, and yeah, your neighbor who went to Florida State also got into to Florida but chose to go to FSU because he liked Tallahassee, etc )

Watching the Semis turn on Bowden has also been entertaining as hell. And to think, just a few years ago they were arguing about how he was the greatest coach of all time, and how the Samford wins should count in the win total against Paterno. Well, that Paterno-Bowden win total race has led to the near death of your program. Karma's a bitch. If you/Bowden didn't count those bogus wins, then the guy probably would have left 5 to 7 years ago, when he still had a reputation.

And if I sound like I really despise the Semis its because...well, I do. Earlier this week I felt pity, but that was a moment of weakness. I'll never forget my first visit to Doak in 1996. I sat on the alumni side-50 yard line. Those old guys were really down home folksy when FSU was up 17 to 3. As we started to come back, the F bombs dropped fast and furious (and most of it came from the women). As I was walking out, I said to my buddy "man this sucks." Mr. F Bomb's husband got in my grill and told me to watch my "language because there are ladies and children present." Huh? Typical Nole hypocrisy.

Then there were the 2 pregame fights that FSU started. How we lost Tony George in '98 and they lost..uh. nobody..still puzzles me to this day. Then came Mr. "its not like I shot the President" Peter Warrick, the lemon and the 29 year old millioniare quarterback. Then Docket. (8 years later, I still can't believe their AD held a press conference to tell the media that the opposing team's coach should be spanked--How sportsmanlike...how is Dave Hart doing these days anyway by the way?).

Of course, no recital of the history would be complete without the mention of the Swindle at the Swamp. The Semis can talk about Lane Fenner for 40 years but still can't admit that the 2003 game was a travesty (The most you'll get from a Semi on that game is "there were bad calls on both sides") Riiiight. Like I said above, Typical.

Then there's the garbage they talk about Tebow. When Chris Rix put Bible verses on his armbands, the Semis thought the guy was a sincere Christian young man and objected vociferously to any criticism of Rix's sincerity. (And to fair, maybe Rix is as devout as he says he is--I confess to have missed the verse where the Bible says its okay for the able bodied to park in handicapped parking spaces). Tebow, on the other hand, is the subject of constant attempted vulgar derision from the Semis. With Tebow, you wouldn't believe the garbage I've heard or been told. It would make the 50 year foul mouth Nole lady I sat next to in 1996 blush. Then again, maybe not.

Anyway, we've beaten the Noles 6 times in a row--including 3 times at Doak. We've won as many national titles as FSU did during their 14 year dynasty and we're about to go for a third. The Semis "legendary" coach whom they are about to toss out the door has an all time losing record to the Gators.

All is right with the world.

Its great to be a Florida Gator....I have enjoyed today immensely...and I will wake up tomorrow getting psyched for ATL and the Bama game.

But for now...I'm enjoying the hell out of this win over FSU.