Auburn Football: Game With FSU Would Make Perfect Sense

A recent report states that the Auburn football program may soon schedule a neutral site game with Florida State. A game with FSU makes perfect sense.

Last week, Tomahawk Nation reported that Florida State is currently attempting to schedule both Alabama and Auburn for future non-conference football matchups. Though far from official, as of now, the Seminoles are expected to play Alabama in the 2017 season opener in Atlanta – likely at the Falcons’ new home stadium.

Jan 6, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; Auburn Tigers wide receiver Melvin Ray (82) celebrates with quarterback Nick Marshall (14) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles during the first half of the 2014 BCS National Championship game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

If FSU and Auburn are able to come to an agreement (the sources indicated in the report they are much more confident in an FSU-Bama game happening at this point), the two programs are likely to meet in Jacksonville, Florida in 2018 or 2019. Scheduling the game for 2019 appears to be most ideal since the Tigers recently pushed back a home-and-home series with Cal and do not currently have a Power 5 non-conference opponent scheduled for that season.

Regardless of when and where it happens, an Auburn-Florida State game makes perfect sense. Both teams are premiere college football programs (they met in the BCS National Championship Game following the 2013 season, after all) and fans (in addition to recruits, which is a factor in more ways than one) would tune in around the country with interest.

With both teams consistently in the mix for conference and national titles, a high-profile early season game would also be great for both team’s strength of schedule when it comes to the College Football Playoff discussion. Win or lose.

Additionally, even though the prospective 2019 game would be played at a neutral site venue, it’s a geographically friendly matchup. Auburn and Tallahassee are just 190 miles apart, which actually makes the Seminoles one of the most logical options not only for an every-so-often matchup, but an actual rival.

Fan bases overlap in Alabama and north Florida, the area is stocked with some of the most talented high school prospects in the nation. Plus, there is even a little history between the two teams. Though they haven’t met in the regular season since 1990, Auburn and Florida State have played 19 times, with the Tigers holding a 13-5-1 edge in the series.

Finally, it’s an exciting regular season non-conference matchup. Auburn football fans await news of such big games with much anticipation. There’s also a great sense of fear that the Tigers will schedule Clemson. Again.

That’s why the 2015 season opener with Louisville and the home-and-home with Cal are so intriguing – they are quality opponents from major conferences the Tigers don’t often see on the football field. And they aren’t Clemson. It’s a win-win, and adding Florida State to the mix would be even better.

In the SEC, nearly every team fills it’s schedule using a team from the Sun Belt and another from the FCS’ Southern Conference. That only leaves so much space for top quality opponents. When a team like Florida State plays an Auburn or an Alabama, it’s good for the programs themselves as well as the league as a whole.

Let’s hope this future matchup comes to fruition, because it makes perfect sense.

Next: Auburn Football Spring Practice Stock Report

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