Clemson Football: FSU is still a rival and should be treated as such

The Clemson football program and Florida State may not be on the same level currently, but that shouldn’t stop the Tigers from recognizing the rivalry.

The Clemson football program has won two of the last three National Championships and has made it to the CFB Playoff four-straight years.

Florida State, on the other hand, hasn’t had any national success since 2014 and is in the midst of a rebuild under new coach Willie Taggart.

The Tigers and Seminoles played some monster games from 2011-16 when they matched up with the ACC Atlantic Division on the line every single year. Now, it seems that the two programs were at a crossroad over the course of that half-decade. Clemson football chose to go down one path, that included national success and dominant performances. Florida State chose the second path and has seemingly been in the wilderness since then.

Even with the two programs on different levels, Clemson football fans shouldn’t forget that this is a rivalry.

For the true Tiger fans that have been around long enough, you’ve seen the Seminoles completely destroy Clemson with no remorse or regret.

In the late-1980s and 1990s, Florida State saw unprecedented success in its program. The Seminoles reeled off 11-straight wins over the Tigers. Here’s a look at their wins over that period:

• 1992: 24-20
• 1993: 57-0
• 1994: 17-0
• 1995: 45-26
• 1996: 34-3
• 1997: 35-28
• 1998: 48-0
• 1999: 17-14
• 2000: 54-7
• 2001: 41-27
• 2002: 48-31

That’s a combined score of 420-156, an average margin of victory of 24 points. During that time, Florida State boasted seven double-digit wins and three victories by more than 30 points. The Seminoles shutout Clemson on three different occasions, two of those coming in 57-0 and 48-0 victories.

Clemson football fans should also not forget that FSU’s highest-point under Jimbo Fisher cost the Tigers dearly. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, Clemson was just one win away from winning the ACC Atlantic Division. Instead, the Tigers were turned away by the Seminoles in all three matchups, leaving them as the ‘second fiddle’ in the ACC.

The point is this: Clemson football fans should enjoy this point in the rivalry. Dabo Swinney has the Tigers experiencing unprecedented success and Florida State is down. The Seminoles had no trouble absolutely blowing out Clemson back in the 1990s and early 2000s and this is the Tigers’ opportunity to return the favor.

It’s a rivalry.

This game does mean something and Tiger fans need to remember both the history and reality of how things were just a few short years ago.