[ot-caption title=”Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.  (via, ESPN, Google Filtered images)”]

It’s late September and that means that college football season is heating up around the country.  Our state of Florida is no exception.  The three major teams in the Sunshine State: the Florida Gators, the Miami Hurricanes, and the Florida State Seminoles have been engaged in contested battle through the first month of the season.

The Miami Hurricanes have opened the year in a very encouraging manner, starting 3-0. In a season where the Canes need to deliver wins in order to save head coach Al Golden’s job, Miami’s young team led by Sophomore quarterback Brad Kaaya has survived some early scares. But while the record is unblemished, Miami has had its share of head-scratching moments this season. The Canes struggled immensely versus little brother FAU in the first half, and they also blew a 33-10 fourth quarter lead versus Nebraska before escaping with an overtime victory.  It’s been a ride so far, but as long as the Canes win their handful of games this year, Al Golden’s job should be safe.

The Florida State Seminoles have also gotten off on the right foot this season, opening the season 3-0 just like Miami. They have beaten Texas State, South Florida, and Boston College. The Seminoles are experiencing life without Jameis Winston, the first overall NFL draft pick this year who delivered them a national title. He has been replaced by former Notre Dame signal-caller Everett Golson, who has had his moments this year but lacked consistency. The Noles are undefeated, but they’ve been more noteworthy off the field than on it in the early goings.  Multiple players have been arrested or accused of wrong-doings since the start of the summer including star running back, Dalvin Cook.  Perhaps Coach Jimbo Fisher needs to do a little work on the team’s discipline if they want to seriously make a push at the College Football playoff.

Lastly, the Florida Gators have begun the Jim McElwain era in Gainseville as the former Colorado State head coach replaced Will Muschamp.  It’s a transition year for sure as the Gators shift to a more spread out passing offense.  Florida is 4-0, and the team seems to be growing each week.  After surviving close calls against ECU and Kentucky, the orange and blue escaped again this past Saturday as Sophomore Will Grier connected with Antonio Callaway for a long touchdown in the final minute, giving the squad a 28-27 victory against rival Tennessee. The solid start sets up a much anticipated showdown with undefeated #3 Ole Miss in the Swamp. A win could signal that the Gators are officially “back,” after being irrelevant for a significant period of time during the Muschamp era.

All three of the major programs are clearly off to very impressive starts. The battle for the best team in the state of Florida is only starting to heat up as the Seminoles, Gators, and Hurricanes are all undefeated.  However, each team still has a lot left to prove. Can Miami continue to win and save Al Golden’s job? Can the Seminoles survive and continue their success without Jameis Winston? Can Jim McElwain return the Gators to the glory days experienced under Tim Tebow?  Only time can answer these questions.  Stay tuned as the college football season continues.