GAINESVILLE -- One hour before kickoff in the rivalry game that determines state bragging rights, battle lines outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium were drawn by fans using mere hand gestures.
Those wearing orange and blue did the Gator Chomp. Those wearing garnet and gold did the Tomahawk Chop.
Florida vs. Florida State.
Of course, a few choice words were thrown in, too. Just for fun.
This game is always fun.
And it always has meaning to the schools involved, regardless of records and rankings. But it's always a lot more fun when the game truly has meaning, when the records are good, when the rankings are high, when the nation -- and not just the state -- is watching.
Like Saturday.
The Gators entered Saturday night's game at the Swamp ranked 12th in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Seminoles were just a spot behind at No. 13.
This is how the game is meant to be. Important. Must-see. Relevant.
That's how it always used to be, back when the Head Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, was wearing the visor on the Florida sideline and Saint Bobby Bowden was on the FSU side.
The games were classic. The Choke at Doak. No. 1 vs. No. 2. The Rematch.
The players were iconic. From Danny Wuerffel to Charlie Ward. From Kevin Carter to Derrick Brooks. From Fred Taylor to Warrick Dunn.
And, it seemed, practically every meeting had national championship implications. Every game was epic.
But then things changed.
The Gators were down during the Ron Zook and Will Muschamp eras. The Seminoles slipped under Bowden's last few years.
Urban Meyer's Gators dominated for a spell. Lately, it has been Jimbo Fisher's FSU bunch.
Only three times in the past 15 meetings have both teams been ranked in the top 15 of the polls.
That includes Saturday night.
First-year Gators Coach Jim McElwain had taken a patched-up offensive line and backup quarterback and somehow squeezed out a 10-1 record heading into Saturday's regular-season finale and an SEC East Division title.
The Gators haven't always looked steady getting there. There was the close call against Vanderbilt and a near-upset to the hands of lowly Florida Atlantic. A few plays here and there and the Gators could have been 6-5 going into the FSU game.
But there were good moments, too, including dismantling Ole Miss when the Rebels were ranked No. 3 at the time. In the end, the Gators got to 10-1 because, as McElwain points out, they have found ways to win even when they haven't played their best.
And this is just McElwain's first go-around with the Gators. Things are only going to get better, you would think.
Wait until he gets a team full of his own recruits. Wait until those recruits get sharper when his players fully incorporate his style, his plan, his way of running a program.
The 2015 Gators might not be as good as their record indicates, but there is reason for optimism. In other words, it feels as if Florida is back. Back to where they were under the glory days of Meyer and Spurrier.
The Gators under McElwain and the Seminoles under Fisher could start to resemble the great moments we used to see regularly under Spurrier and Bowden.
That means classic games, incredible memories and, perhaps, games that decide national championships.
And, of course, state bragging rights.
That, certainly, would give the fans of both Florida and Florida State something to cheer about.
Sports on 11/30/2015