Mario Cristobal keeping Miami focused on the present with Florida State clash looming

There's quite a rivalry between the Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles on the gridiron. It's not thought of as one of the biggest college football rivalries — not mentioned along the likes of Ohio State vs. Michigan or Alabama vs. Auburn — but this is a series that goes all the way back to 1951. Heck, since 1970, it's been an annual matchup.

It's a game that means a lot to Miami head coach Mario Cristobal. He played for the Hurricanes from 1989 to 1992, and growing up in Miami, he always knew that the matchup against FSU was a big deal.

“We always knew this as the best rivalry in football coming up,” Cristobal recently said at a news conference. "As a player, that’s always a reason why players chose to go to one of the two respective schools. I mean, college football is the best sport in the world, so the fact that people bring up historical moments and whatnot, it’s not surprising."

Mario Cristobal keeping Miami focused on preparation and not hype

Miami leads the all-time series between the two programs, 36-33, but Florida State has won three out of the last four matchups.

With that said, this upcoming weekend's matchup is a different beast. There have been a lot of big games played between these two rivals, but this will be one of the biggest in recent memory. Miami feels like it's a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, coming into this game at 4-0 and ranked No. 3  in the nation.

In the meantime, Mike Norvell's Florida State team has quickly put last season's 2-10 campaign behind it. The Seminoles are ranked No. 18 in the country, but they're coming off their first loss of the season. It was an upset loss at the hands of Virginia on the road.

The Seminoles will be looking to bounce back and make a statement, while Miami will be trying to make a statement of its own. The game is scheduled for a Saturday night kickoff on Oct. 4 from FSU's Doak Campbell Stadium, and there's going to be a lot said about this one, either way.

From Cristobal's perspective, it comes down to keeping his players and program focused on the here and now. The history, the rivalry and the rankings can all wait. They've got a football game to go and try to win.

"I do think our players, alumni bases, fans, they all understand how intense this rivalry is, but I think our players, more importantly, understand the importance of practice and preparation, and that’s what our focus is on right now," Cristobal said.