There has never been a head coach in the FSU-Florida rivalry with the perspective that Odell Haggins has.
Not even close.
Yes, Steve Spurrier played in it as a quarterback. But that was back in the 1960s. When college football in the Sunshine State wasn't even close to the sensation it would eventually become.
Odell Haggins was in the thick of it, man. When both programs were turning into national powers, Haggins was right smack in the middle of it.
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The Seminoles' interim head coach was asked on Monday during his weekly press conference what he remembers most about the rivalry from his three decades of experience.
"You're going to laugh when I say this," Haggins said. "Back in the day, I used to love seeing Coach Bowden and the 'Old Ball Coach' go shake hands at midfield. That's one of my favorite memories of this rivalry. In this game, Florida-Florida State, it's a great rivalry throughout the nation because you have kids on both teams that played against each other in high school and played with each other.
"So they're going out there to play great football to show who's the best. It's just a great rivalry."
I know Saturday's game probably isn't one most Florida State fans are looking forward to all that much. The Seminoles are a 17-point underdog after all. And they haven't done diddly-poo against any good defense they've faced this season.
But it has to make you at least feel slightly better that the guy in charge (for at least one more game anyway) has the same overwhelming disdain for the Gators that you do. Probably more.
Because he has lived it. He was on the field for that heartbreaking loss in '86 in the pouring rain when they called Sammie's touchdown run back for a hold ... somewhere. On someone.
He was on the field the next year when the Seminoles finally ended the Gators' six-game winning streak with the 28-14 win in Gainesville -- a win that got FSU to 10 wins and officially kick-started the dynasty.
"My memory," Haggins said of that game on Monday, "they jumped up 14-3, and we had to come back and win that football game, and that was an intense, hard-hitting game. They had one of the all-time great running backs at the time. We didn't know it back then, Emmitt Smith, and that was a battle. I'll never forget that. They jumped up 14-3, and we had to come back and win the game. It was a battle."
