FSU Football's History vs. Atlantic Coast Conference

It's time to take care of home-- which, as the records show, the Seminoles definitely have over the years.

In this series, we've now gone through every single FBS conference-- excepting the one in which Florida State plays: the Atlantic Coast Conference. But you knew we'd save that for last, right?

As you might expect from one of the ACC's most historically successful programs, Seminoles football has a resoundingly impressive mark against its in-conference foes. How good has it been? FSU is 233-113-4 against the ACC. 

Let's start with perfection. The 'Noles are 18-0 against Duke, with 2006 and 2007 wins vacated. That history began in 1992, when Florida State joined the conference and promptly won its first of nine straight conference titles, and 15 overall, to date. 

We'll work through the rest of this by FSU's winning percentage against every other Atlantic Coast Conference squad-- which means next tackling Syracuse. The Orange began the series, in 1966, with a home win. The Seminoles then reeled off 10 straight victories before 'Cuse got one back in 2018 that all Florida State fans would like to forget. But the 'Noles avenged that last year to bring the series to 11-2. 

The Seminoles and Louisville may have split their last four meetings, since 2016, but the series is far from level. Since scoring a 1952 Tallahassee win, the Cardinals have triumphed just one other time, in 2002. Florida State is up in the series 16-4.

FSU has a 78.9473% winning percentage against both Wake Forest and North Carolina. But the Seminoles and Demon Deacons have played exactly twice as often, so we'll start there. It's typically not been the case against a lot of P5 teams, but Florida State actually got off to a really nice 7-1-1 start against the Deacs in games through 1970, and then toppled Wake 14 consecutive times between 1992 and 2005, when the Deacons took three straight from 2006-2008. But the 'Nols have taken nine of 11 since, for a lopsided 30-7-1 series advantage.

On to the Tar Heels. They've played FSU 19 times, but it took them 13 tries to beat the Seminoles, an emphatic 2001 win in Chapel Hill. But the 'Noles haven't let UNC make a habit of it, as their record against the Heels is 15-3-1.

Florida State has dominated Virginia, but every Seminole fan is sure to recall the Cavaliers' first win in the series, because it was FSU's first loss in conference play, finalized on a controversial call in Charlottesville. That just got the 'Noles mad, as they notched nine straight wins over UVA after that 1995 upset. Despite a 33-0 Florida State shutout in 2006 being vacated, the Seminoles still hold a decisive 14-4 series lead over the Cavs.

Boston College never really has the talent that FSU does-- but the Eagles play the 'Noles tough more often than not and can never be overlooked, especially not in Chestnut Hill. That's where BC had the Seminole faithful holding their breath in 2013 when the Eagles made a real run at upending Florida State's undefeated national title run. FSU leads the series 12-5, with a 2007 win vacated. 

It's fitting that North Carolina State comes right after Boston College in this countdown, because the Wolfpack has been a serious thorn in the Seminoles' sides over the years. At 26-13 with an '07 victory vacated, FSU has topped NCSU in two of every three games-- it just doesn't always feel like it, because of how close so many games have been. 

Virginia Tech has hung just as many losses on the 'Noles as the 'Pack, but the Hokies have fewer wins to show for it. VT may have wrecked Willie Taggart's Florida State debut in 2018, but the biggest win in the series definitely belongs to the Seminoles, who beat Virginia Tech in the 2000 Sugar Bowl to capture the 1999 national championship. The series stands, in FSU's favor, 23-13-1.

If I told you that Florida State only had a losing record against two ACC schools, you'd probably guess those schools to be Clemson and Miami. But you'd only be half right, because even though the Tigers have won the last five meetings (their longest winning streak in the series), FSU came out on top 11 straight times from 1992-2002 and remains up 20-13. 

Here's another one you might not guess: FSU has been better against Clemson than vs. Georgia Tech. But that has a lot to do with GT winning eight games between 1952 and 1975 before Florida State finally broke through in '92. The Seminoles hold a 14-10-1 edge. 

The 'Noles began their '13 title season with a 41-13 victory in Pittsburgh, and that's the last time the two programs have met since the Panthers won three straight from 1981-1983. But Pitt is scheduled to come to Tallahassee this season, which will give FSU a chance to even the series, currently led by Pittsburgh, 5-4.

We wrap this up with Miami, the team Florida State has played as often as any other in college football-- well, tied with Florida. Unfortunately for the garnet and gold, the Seminoles have a losing record against both. FSU holds the longest winning streak in the series, having won seven in a row twice (1963-1972 and 2010-2016). The 'Noles were a win away from tying the series in 2017, but three straight UM victories have widened the gap to a 34-30 'Cane advantage. 

That's it for the 10 FBS conferences-- if you missed our pieces on FSU's history against any of them, be sure to get caught up!

• FSU vs. the SEC
• FSU vs. Conference USA
• FSU vs. the AAC
• FSU vs. the Pac-12
• FSU vs. the Sun Belt
• FSU vs. the Big Ten
• FSU vs. the MAC
• FSU vs. the Mountain West
• FSU vs. the Big 12

But wait-- there's more! Check back, as we've still got to run through Florida State's past against independents and non-FBS schools.