FSU fans vote: the Seminoles’ best-ever games, ranked from No. 50 to No. 41

Florida State football fans have started publishing their votes for the program’s best-ever games, releasing the first chunk of a list that stretches across 80 seasons and 898 games. In the reveal of games ranked No. 50 through No. 41, the focus is not on seasonal consistency but on specific moments that defined eras, tilted rivalries, and helped set the standard for what FSU would become.

Among the opening highlights are wins over Miami and Florida, two matchups that carry extra weight in the Seminoles’ regional identity. The countdown frames those victories as part of a larger story about how FSU established itself as a national brand, not just a conference contender, with moments that fans remember years, even decades, later.

The list also points to a “stunning debut” by a future Heisman winner, a reminder of how game days in Tallahassee have occasionally served as launch pads for transcendent individual careers. While the reveal’s broader description does not name the player in the available text, it emphasizes the idea that certain FSU games were so memorable that they foreshadowed future greatness on the national stage.

Another item in the No. 50 to No. 41 range is described as a game that “marked the beginning of the Bobby Bowden-led FSU dynasty.” The context for that claim is tied to a controversial endgame in which Florida State had an opportunity to tie the game with less than a minute left and, according to the account, used time and personnel in a way that ultimately produced a different outcome.

The controversy centered on the placekicking sequence and a late decision from Bowden. The account describes Derek Schmidt as normally reliable after already making two field goals, but also missing an extra point and multiple field-goal attempts. It also recounts a turnover on downs after a muffed snap on another field goal try, and then a late attempt by FSU’s kicking unit to get the score back to a tie before Bowden reconsidered.

Bowden’s quoted explanation in the reveal attributes the miss to wind conditions and a change of mind about whether to force a tie. He said he did not think Florida State deserved to lose, referenced what he had decided previously in a similar one-point situation, and added that if he had to do it over, he would kick. He also pointed to the wind affecting the kicker as part of why the final outcome went the wrong way.

The reveal adds an additional layer of significance beyond the single game: it says that, despite the loss, the 1987 team began a 14-year run of finishing in the top four of the polls, including two national titles. That is the kind of through-line that makes an all-time-games list feel more than nostalgic, because it connects one result to the program’s sustained championship trajectory.

As the countdown continues week by week, the No. 50 to No. 41 window sets expectations for what FSU fans may prioritize in later entries. The early choices suggest a blend of rivalry statements, individual-debut milestones, and coaching decisions that shaped seasons and long-term reputation. Readers will likely look for whether the list increasingly favors postseason drama, specific statistical peaks, or the “turning point” games that fans believe changed FSU’s national standing.