Spurrier-led Florida team listed as one of greatest in modern era
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The Athletic ranked the 1996 Florida Gators No. 6 among the greatest college football teams since 1990.
Led by legendary head coach Steve Spurrier, the Gators notched a 12-1 record, winning the program's first-ever national championship after defeating rival Florida State, 52-20, in the Super Bowl. The victory still stands as the largest margin of defeat over a top-ranked opponent in bowl history. The win avenged their lone blemish against the Seminoles in the regular-season finale — that same Florida State team ranks No. 13 on this list.
"Florida nearly cost itself a national title with a 24-21 loss to rival Florida State on Nov. 30, but the Gators avenged themselves in the Sugar Bowl by hanging 52 on Bobby Bowden’s Noles, their seventh game scoring 50-plus points," writes The Athletic Senior columnist Stewart Mandel.
That season, the Gators were paced by their extraordinary offense, led by Heisman-winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel, which topped the nation in scoring. Wide receivers Ike Hilliard and Reidel Anthony both earned consensus All-American honors for their part in driving a scoring attack that posted 46.6 points per game.
Florida went a perfect 8-0 in the SEC en route to their fourth consecutive conference title. The run was capped by a 45-30 win against Alabama. During the campaign, Florida went undefeated at home, solidifying Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as one of the most intimidating environments in college football. Spurrier's Gators outscored opponents by over 40 points in the Swamp. This was integral in establishing the venue's mystique.
The team permanently altered the trajectory of Florida football by elevating the standard in Gainesville. This unit was responsible for rewriting the program's history books and cementing UF as a national powerhouse.
For nearly a century, Florida football was notorious for falling short in big games, despite consistently fielding a wealth of talent. The 1996 championship broke that barrier for Florida, proving the program would win at the highest level and achieve national relevance.
College football's 15 best teams of the 1990s (according to The Athletic)
- 1995, Nebraska (12-0)
- 1991, Washington (12-0)
- 1991, Miami (12-0)
- 1993, Florida State (12-1)
- 1994, Penn State (12-0)
- 1996, Florida (12-1)
- 1997, Nebraska (13-0)
- 1999, Florida State (12-0)
- 1997, Michigan (12-0)
- 1992, Alabama (13-0)
- 1998, Tennessee (13-0)
- 1996, Ohio State (12-1)
- 1996, Florida State (11-1)
- 1994, Nebraska (13-0)
- 1993, Notre Dame (11-1)
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football's 1996 team ranked among best since 1990
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