Florida State vs. Florida Final Score Predictions: Will DJ Lagway prevent the Gators’ big rival from becoming bowl eligible?
The Florida State Seminoles vs. Florida Gators rivalry isn’t for major stakes, but it still means something on both sides.
One of the biggest rivalries in the 1990s renews on Saturday afternoon when the Florida Gators host the Florida State Seminoles in The Swamp.
The storylines surrounding this game are all about the coaches. The Gators fired Billy Napier and it happened later than many expected it to. For the Gators, they are looking toward the future, and it likely revolves around Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin. The Gators will find out on Saturday if Kiffin will be coaching in The Swamp next year.
On the other side, the Seminoles should fire Mike Norvell, but they don’t have the money to make that happen. Now, they head into Gainesville needing a win to become bowl eligible, something that has been more difficult for these two teams than it should be.
Who will get the win on Saturday? Our staff at A to Z Sports gave their predictions.
Florida 23, Florida State 19
Remember the 1990s when this game was a big factor in deciding the national champion? Those days feel long gone in 2025, as they have a combined eight wins on the season. A win for Florida State means they will be bowl eligible after going 2-10 in 2024, but they are playing some terrible football. It’s not exactly going much better for the Gators either, as they were blown out by the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night. It’s also a very important game for the Gators going into the offseason, as they are 0-4 against their biggest rivals. Dropping to 0-5 would leave a terrible taste in everyone’s mouths, especially as they are trying to lure Lane Kiffin to Gainesville. Getting their first win over a big rival and knocking them out of bowl contention is about as good of a way the Gators can end their season.
– Tyler Forness, A to Z Florida
Florida 27, Florida State 23
For two proud programs traditionally, this year’s Florida vs. Florida State matchup comes as a huge disappointment. At the beginning of the season, it looked like all three major programs in the state were set to dominate the college football landscape. But then it all started to splinter, and Miami is the only one of the big three left with a shot at the College Football Playoff. But that doesn’t mean this game won’t be treated as a de facto playoff game for both sides. A lot of these players grew up together, played together, and against each other. I expect a good game, but the Gators are still the better team on paper, and I think they pull this one out.
– Rob Gregson, A to Z Alabama
Florida State 17, Florida 14
The Seminoles are coming off a loss to NC State, in a game they should have won based on the injuries and difference in rosters. However, with both teams being pretty bad, I’m going to go with the one who can run and throw the ball, if the gameplan goes well and OC Gus Malzahn comes prepared. Florida hasn’t been great on offense with some pretty big injuries at skill positions. This game is honestly more of a matchup to see which Florida team is worse, and at this current moment, you have to at least think the one without their head coach may be worse. Then again, the other team has Mike Norvell.
– Justin Churchill, A to Z Oklahoma
Florida 19, Florida State 16
This is the case of truly stoppable force meeting a very movable object. Both teams are in shambles, although the Gators have put forth some notable performances against very good teams in losses recently (Georgia and Ole Miss). FSU has shown that they are incredibly mistake prone, particularly on the road despite showing themselves capable of moving the ball effectively. With Florida, it’s often a matter of which team shows up – the one blown out by Tennessee and Kentucky, or the one that beat Texas and hung with Georgia and Ole Miss? I think they’ll look more like the latter in this matchup, and FSU will come close, but a late drive gets thwarted to wrap up a mistake-filled rock fight fitting of these two bumbling teams.
– Craig Smith, A to Z Florida State
Final Prediction for Florida State vs. Florida
Three of our four writers see the Gators taking this one on Saturday and keeping Florida State from reaching bowl eligibility by an average score of (rounding up) 21-19. As such, we could be in for a close, and entertaining battle on Saturday afternoon at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
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