The 10 Most Impressive Streaks in FSU Football History

Florida State softball saw quite a run come to an end on Friday night as the Seminoles fell to Pittsburgh 1-0 in the second game of a doubleheader. The loss ended a 36-game winning steak against ACC opponents — the longest conference winning streak in ACC history and fifth longest in NCAA history.

Throughout the history of FSU athletics, there have been plenty of notable streaks — mostly from the football team. With the spring game less than one week away, we look at the 10 most impressive streaks in the 72-year history of FSU football:

10. 29 Straight ACC Wins (1992-95)
Upon entering the ACC, Florida State was the class of the conference. The Seminoles went 8-0 in each of their first three seasons as a member of the conference before finally falling at Virginia 33-28 on a Thursday night in November 1995. During that stretch, FSU topped 10 AP-ranked ACC opponents.

9. 29 Straight Wins (2012-14)
The longest winning streak for Florida State came during the Jimbo Fisher era as the Seminoles collected 29 straight wins. That streak started with the 2012 ACC Championship and ended with the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day 2015 to Oregon in the first-ever College Football Playoff. Over that span, FSU collected 10 wins over top-25 teams, three ACC title game victories and two major bowl wins, including the 2013 national title game victory over Auburn.

8. 38 Straight ACC Home Wins (1992-2001)
Florida State was in its 10th season as a member of the ACC before its suffered its first conference loss at home. That defeat was a 34-28 loss to NC State in November 2001. In total, the streak lasted 38 games. FSU wouldn’t lose another ACC game at home until again falling to the Wolfpack in 2005.

7. 19 Straight Ranked Finishes (1987-2005)
Florida State finished in the final polls in 19 straight seasons from 1987 until 2005. That streak is actually 20 if one takes into consideration that FSU finished No. 20 in the Coaches Poll in 1986. The Seminoles did not finish in the AP Poll that season.

6. 11 Straight Bowl Wins (1985-95)
Florida State won an NCAA record 11 straight bowl games from 1985 to 1995. The streak started with a win over Oklahoma State in the 1985 Gator Bowl and concluded with a thrilling 31-26 win over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl to conclude the 1995 campaign. FSU’s unbeaten streak actually spanned 14 years. Florida State notched a Gator Bowl win over West Virginia in 1982 and a Peach Bowl win over North Carolina in 1983 before tying Georgia, 17-17, in the Citrus Bowl to conclude the 1984 season.

5. Nine Straight ACC Titles (1992-2000)
Florida State won the ACC in each of its first nine seasons in the conference, which came with a pair of national championships. Over that span, FSU went a remarkable 70-2 in conference. The Seminoles won the ACC in 12 of their first 14 seasons in the conference with the exceptions being 2001 and 2004.

4. 54-Game Home Unbeaten Streak (1992-2001)
After falling 17-16 to Miami in a contest known as “Wide Right I” in 1991, it would be 55 games later before the Seminoles lost again at home. That loss came in 2001 — also to Miami. From 1992 until that defeat, FSU went 53-0-1. The lone tie was the 1994 rivalry contest against Florida. In that one, FSU erased a 31-3 fourth-quarter deficit to force a 31-31 tie.

James Blackman passed for four touchdowns in Florida State’s 42-13 Independence Bowl win over Southern Miss in December. (Mitch White/FSU athletics)

3. 36 Straight Bowl Appearances (1982-Present)
The nation’s longest bowl streak, Florida State hasn’t missed out on a bowl game since 1981. Some dispute the streak since FSU’s 2006 Emerald Bowl contest with UCLA was vacated, but the Seminoles have physically played in a bowl in every season since 1982. Over those 36 bowl games, FSU is 26-9-1.

2. 41 Straight Winning Seasons (1977-Present)
Not since the legendary Bobby Bowden’s first season in Tallahassee of 1976 has FSU not finished with a winning record. There were some close calls as Florida State required bowl wins in 2006, 2009 and 2017 to keep that streak alive. The Seminoles also finished just 6-5 in 1981 and 7-6 in 2007.

1. 14 Straight Top-5 Finishes (1987-2000)
In a streak that is unlikely to be paralleled, Florida State finished ranked in the top 5 in both polls in each season from 1987 until the turn of the century in 2000. Over that span, the Seminoles won two national championships and finished No. 2 on two other occasions. FSU also finished third five times, fourth four times and fifth once.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson