As Florida plays host to Miami and USF travels for one last game against Central Florida, the question lingers: Is it a rivalry if only one side wants to continue playing? Bulls coach Jim Leavitt said USF-UCF is "absolutely" a rivalry, that, "It's always been a big game for us." So much so that the Bulls have opted not to schedule the please-play-us Knights after this season. Miami coach Randy Shannon said he can't consider Florida-Miami a rivalry because they don't play every year as both do with Florida State. "When you don't play a team for six years, the rivalry's gone," said Shannon, whose team has won the past six meetings. In both cases, you have the program perceived as being stronger opting not to risk losing ground to the other. Maybe it's fitting, then, that USF and Miami found a match in each other with an annual Thanksgiving game starting next year in Tampa and continuing through 2013. For one more day, we have the back-and-forth banter of Bulls vs. Knights plus the collision of two of the state's traditional "Big Three" programs. Should the matchups be annual affairs? For the debate, see 9C
Today
Florida State vs. Western Carolina
6, Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee
Records: FSU 0-0, W. Carolina 1-0
TV/radio: PPV; 1470-AM
Line: None
Weather: 87 degrees, 20 percent chance of rain
No. 17 USF at Central Florida
7, Bright House Networks Stadium, Orlando
Records: USF 1-0, UCF 1-0
TV/radio: ESPN2; 970-AM
Line: USF by 131/2
Weather: 86 degrees, 20 percent chance of rain
No. 5 Florida vs. Miami
8, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville
Records: Florida 1-0, Miami 1-0
TV/radio: ESPN; 620-AM
Line: Florida by 221/2
Weather: 81 degrees, 10 percent chance of rain
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