"Between Archie, Peyton, Eli, and now, Arch, the Mannings have been a part of America's football consciousness for nearly 60 years. Only one of the family's college football rivalries, however, has included a spelling test, years of shade, and has spanned generations. Within that lore, holding a spot that goes beyond merely an opponent, are the Florida Gators. First as haters-in-chief, then as part of the redemptive end to the family's first college football run, Florida was there."
"While the Orlando-based game annually hosted top-10 teams and was where the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers to earn a share of the 1990 national title, it is a tier under the major bowl games. Secondly, this Manning-Florida rivalry began in the era before the BCS, let alone the College Football Playoff and the nascent days of conference championship games. So, one loss could doom a season, or at the least, keep a team from a conference title and a major bowl."
The Mannings — Archie, Peyton, Eli and Arch — have been central to American college football for nearly 60 years, with a multigenerational rivalry specifically against the Florida Gators. Florida alternated between open hostility and being part of the family's redemptive victories. Archie Manning never faced Florida at Ole Miss (1968–70), and the family is 2–3 as starters versus the Gators. Arch Manning, now Texas's quarterback, will start in The Swamp. The rivalry's lore is tied to high-stakes pre-BCS seasons where one loss could derail title hopes and bowl opportunities. Bowl names and contexts, such as the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, have shifted over time.
Read at ESPN.com
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