Very rarely does Florida complete a regular season – even those that end in national championships – without at least one hiccup. While 12-0 is the goal, as was last achieved in 2009, in all likelihood, UF will lose a game or more during the 2016 regular season.

If the Gators had their choice of winning only one of the games against Tennessee and FSU, would they rather extend the streak against the Vols or beat the Noles for the first time since 2012?

Beat Tennessee, again

Florida’s 11-game winning streak over Tennessee dates to Urban Meyer’s first season (2005) and somehow remained intact during Will Muschamp’s rocky tenure.

While it’s not impossible for the Gators to get to the SEC Championship while losing to Volunteers, the game has often been a deciding factor in the SEC East.

Things played out this way in 2015 as the Gators finished with one conference loss (LSU) while the Volunteers finished with three (UF, Arkansas and Alabama). If Tennessee had held onto it’s 27-14 fourth-quarter lead, the Gators would not have played Alabama.

The fact that the past two games have been decided by one point has only added to the agony and ecstasy felt by the two teams when the clock hit all zeros. Taking a bit away from the Gators’ impressive streak is the commentary that those games were more lost by Tennessee than they were won by Florida.

Sep 26, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Micah Abernathy (3) and teammates react after they lost to the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 28-27. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

It’s unfair to the players and coaches who earned those victories, but it’s part of the reason analysts like Kirk Herbstreit are willing to hop on the Tennessee bandwagon.

Another win over Tennessee would put Florida in the driver’s seat again in the SEC East. It could also deal a serious blow to the state of the UT football program. After months of offseason hype, if the Volunteers can’t beat the Gators in Neyland Stadium, the perception of Tennessee being “back” will change drastically.

Beat FSU, finally

Florida’s six-game winning streak over Florida State ended in 2010 with a 31-7 thumping by the Seminoles in Tallahassee. It proved to be more than just a loss, beginning a drastic shift of college football power in the Sunshine State. Tim Tebow was gone. Meyer was on his way out. The Noles were back.

If not for a 37-26 Gators victory in 2012, FSU would have its own six-year streak. Considering how few Florida fans want to look back on the one successful season of the Will Muschamp era (2011-14), it almost feels like the Noles’ three-year winning streak should be six.

Nov 28, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles linebacker Terrance Smith (24) reacts against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida State Seminoles defeated the Florida Gators 27-2. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

A win over FSU in 2016 would be huge on multiple fronts. It would prevent any grumblings from starting within the fans about issues with Jim McElwain. It would give the team some momentum heading into 2017. Most important, recruits would see that the Gators were back on even footing with one of college football’s top teams of the past four years.

The Gators would rather …

End the regular season with a win over Florida State.

UF’s streak over Tennessee is impressive, but the FSU rivalry is truly experienced every day of the year by coaches, players and fans all over the state. It’s felt around water coolers from the panhandle to the Keys, and it looms large in recruiting battles from Jacksonville to Miami and everywhere in between.

A win over the Seminoles would give McElwain a victory against all three of Florida’s major rivals in his first two seasons, preventing any feelings of the Big 3 having the Gators’ number. It also would show that the Gators can actually compete with the big boys after a miserable three-loss finish to the 2015 campaign at the hands of FSU, Alabama and Michigan by a combined score of 97-24.

A theoretical 12-of-the-past-13 against the Volunteers would still look impressive in 2017 (or even 12-of-14 in 2018). Another 365 days without a win over the Seminoles is too much to ask of Gator Nation.