Category: Florida State Seminoles

Social media reacts to Alabama making the playoffs over undefeated Florida State

The Crimson Tide inched ahead of undefeated Florida State for the fourth spot in the College Football Playoff, leaving mixed reactions.

The College Football Playoff Committee announced the four teams bound for the semifinals on Sunday, and in a shocking twist, SEC Champion Alabama was awarded the fourth and final spot while undefeated ACC Champion Florida State was left at home as the No. 5 seed.

The Crimson Tide’s victory over top-ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship was enough to give them a boost in the eyes of the committee. CFP chair Boo Corrigan said the decision came down to “who do you want to play and who do you not want to play?”

The Michigan team room did seem unenthused about the idea of playing the Crimson Tide.

Alabama fans and national talking heads alike took to social media to say the committee did the right thing, bringing up how the decision is meant to find the best four teams, not the four most deserving.

Others thought the decision was a slap in the face. ESPN’s Booger McFarland went on a rant, calling the decision a travesty and saying the rankings reflected style points more than a sport.

Others took to social media on his side, saying an undefeated resume should be enough and saying the eye test argument for Alabama was incomplete.

The Florida State team room seemed to share their frustrations when the final spot was announced.

Injured starting quarterback Jordan Travis made a bold statement of his own about how much he believed in his team.

 

Committee selects Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Alabama for the College Football Playoff

The committee chose the SEC and Big 12 champions for their resumes over the undefeated but injured Florida State Seminoles.

The last year of the four-team College Football Playoff structure resulted in the most complex debate in the format’s history.

The committee announced the four playoff teams would be the Michigan Wolverines, Washington Huskies, Texas Longhorns, and Alabama Crimson Tide.

Florida State, who finished 13-0, finished fifth in the rankings. The Georgia Bulldogs, who were No. 1 in the rankings before the conference championship games, fell all the way to sixth.

The argument for the final two spots surely consumed most of the night for the College Football Playoff committee. Michigan and Washington, both dominant and undefeated, were automatic selections, but any combination of the final two spots would break a previous precedent established in other years.

Florida State won the ACC Championship, now the first undefeated Power 5 team ever left out of the playoff. They lost starting quarterback Jordan Travis for the season to a broken leg in their final home game, however, creating a popular argument that they are no longer one of the four best teams.

Alabama defeated Georgia to win the SEC, and no SEC champion has ever missed the playoff, but they were competing for one of the final spots with Texas, who defeated them by two scores in their home stadium earlier in the season.

At the end of the day, the committee’s decision shows the criteria truly does come down to the “best four teams,” not the “four most deserving,” as the committee has said over and over throughout the year. The wrinkle that injuries and strength of schedule can outweigh an undefeated record is sure to shake up scheduling and conference alignment in the future, especially with the best programs in college football already starting to consolidate in the same two or three conferences.

The best images from Florida State’s rainy ACC Championship victory

The Seminoles let their defense do the dirty work in a 16-6 victory through the rain in Charlotte, making their final CFP case.

Florida State outlasted Louisville in a rainy ACC Championship game, coming away with a 16-6 victory despite starting a true freshman quarterback who had only thrown four passes before Saturday.

The Seminoles and Cardinals combined for a single touchdown in four quarters, combining for 407 total yards and 22 first downs for the game. The Cardinals managed to tackle Florida State’s punter before he could kick in what looked like the play of the game, but quarterback Jack Plummer threw an interception in the end zone to halt the momentum. Louisville wouldn’t score another point.

Here are the best photos from Florida State’s gritty victory.

Florida State survives low-scoring affair with Louisville to win the ACC Championship

The Seminoles added a punctuation mark on a 13-0 season with a defensive victory over Louisville in the Charlotte rain.

The Florida State Seminoles outlasted the Charlotte rain and Louisville’s defense for a 16-6 victory in the ACC Championship on Saturday night, cementing a 13-0 season and likely clinching a playoff berth.

The Seminoles, who entered the game No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, entered the game with visions of the semifinals. Wins by Texas and Alabama earlier on Saturday took away their margin for error, however, assuring a loss would eliminate them from the final four. Multiple injuries left the responsibility of that last win on true freshman quarterback Brock Glenn, who had thrown four career passes before Saturday’s game.

The first half was, in a word, ugly. In the opening 30 minutes, the Louisville and Florida State offenses combined for 149 total yards, 10 first downs, and 11 punts. Glenn performed admirably, completing six of his 12 passes for 44 yards, but a missed field goal from 45 yards meant Florida State only led 3-0 at halftime.

The Louisville offense didn’t come alive in the second half, but it started to stir. After gaining 69 yards as a team in the opening half, they gained 56 on the first drive of the third quarter on a drive full of runs and designed screens. The momentum resulted in a game-tying field goal.

The FSU offense wouldn’t let the momentum stay one-sided, however. Junior running back Lawrence Toafili broke off a 73-yard run just minutes later, setting the Seminoles up for the game’s first touchdown.

After exchanging a few more punts, Louisville broke off another long play. Maurice Turner found a seam and raced 41 yards deep into Florida State territory to set up another Louisville field goal.

Then, the Cardinals’ special teams made what looked like the play of the game. Florida State lined up to punt, but Louisville got pressure on Florida State punter Alex Mastromanno and tackled him before he could get the punt off, setting up the Louisville offense just 11 yards from the go-ahead touchdown.

Instead of a glory-sealing touchdown drive, however, Cardinals quarterback Jack Plummer threw an interception in the end zone to hand the Seminoles the ball back, giving FSU life after life. A few punts later, the Cardinals were forced to go for a fourth down and Plummer was pulled down for a sack, bringing the evening’s offense to a merciful end.

Florida State’s win puts them in the driver’s seat for one of the four playoff spots. The CFP committee has never left out an undefeated Power 5 conference champion. All logic points to the Seminoles ending up in the semifinals, leaving the committee to the momentous decision of whether or not to leave Alabama at home.

Florida State freshman Brock Glenn could start the ACC title game

The Florida State Seminoles could have to go with a true freshman quarterback in the ACC title game.

The Florida State Seminoles are set to take on the Louisville Cardinals in the ACC title game in Charlotte.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, the starting quarterback was Jordan Travis. Due to an injury suffered against North Alabama, Tate Rodemaker would have to take over the starting role heading into the annual rivalry matchup against Florida.

Rodemaker would have to leave the game due to a hit by a pair of Gators defenders. He would only miss 55 seconds of the game before he would return to lead the Seminoles to victory over Florida, 24-15. He finished the game with 134 yards passing while completing 12 of 25 pass attempts.

Recent reports indicate that Rodemaker is a game-time decision with a head injury. If he is unable to go, true freshman Brock Glenn will make his first start in the conference championship.

Glenn was a four-star quarterback prospect that was originally committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes before flipping to Florida State. This season he has seen very little live-game action.

Glenn has thrown four passes and one rushing touchdown on four attempts. His first start could come against the No. 1 red zone scoring defense in the ACC.

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis leaves senior night game with severe leg injury

The senior suffered a catastrophic leg injury after an awkward tackle, eventually leaving the stadium in an ambulance with a cast.

Florida State star quarterback Jordan Travis left his final game at Doak Campbell Stadium in the first quarter after a devastating injury to his left leg and ankle.

The senior was injured on an awkward tackle in the closing minutes of the first quarter against North Alabama, his ankle very visible for a few moments. The video can be watched here, but viewer discretion is advised as the injury is quite brutal.

Travis left the game on the medical cart with his injured leg in a cast, and he left Doak Campbell in an ambulance. He pointed to his heart and waved to the crowd as he left the game.

Tate Rodemaker will take over for Travis. The junior completed seven of his eight passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns before Saturday.

 

Best Amazon Prime Big Deals Day deal for each team in the US LBM Coaches Poll

View our favorite Amazon Prime Big Deals Day deals for each team in the US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25.

The college football season is heating up and ranked teams are headed in all directions in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Oklahoma leapfrogged Texas after a convincing win over their rivals. Following suit was another riser in Louisville, who sent Notre Dame down the ladder after a big home win.

No matter what team you pull for, it’s the perfect time to show your support. Amazon Prime Big Deals Day has arrived.

Amongst the slew of deals available on Tuesday, Oct. 10 and Wednesday, Oct. 11, college football’s top-25 will be well represented in the Amazon savings.

Check out our list of featured Amazon Prime Day offers for each team currently in the US LBM Coaches Poll top-25 right here:

Report Card: Grades for Clemson home loss to Florida State

Grades for Clemson’s overtime loss to Florida State.

The Tigers didn’t come out on top against Florida State, but we don’t have to wonder who this team is anymore.

Last week I spoke about how this game will determine who each of these teams are for the remainder of the 2023 season. Factoring in the level of competition they played, this was Clemson’s best game all season.

On the field, they resembled a top-ten team. Cade Klubnik made plays with his arms and feet. The backfield combo of Shipley and Mafah helps keep the offense moving down the field. The defense didn’t allow Jordan Travis to get comfortable and completely negated FSU running game.

So how did they lose this game?

Let’s check out the report card.

The Weekend: Week 4 Games to watch

Conference play is in full effect and its some major games on the slate this weekend.

The first month of the college football season is almost finished, and the oddsmakers have been trying to confuse bettors with strange spreads.

And this week isn’t much different.

At this point, teams are beginning their conference schedule if they haven’t already. This is where we see who can get through the gauntlet of their conference to reach the college football playoffs. Essentially, the conference schedule acts as a playoffs.

Clemson will be in a playoff game this weekend, with rival Florida State coming to town. It’s just one of a few games that will affect the college football playoffs landscape.

Throwback Thursday: A look back at the Bowden Bowl

The Clemson-Florida State rivalry is one of the most entertaining in college football and it started with a father and son. 

The Clemson-Florida State rivalry is one of the most entertaining in college football.

And it started with a father and son.

Bobby Bowden started at Florida State in 1976 and rewrote college football history. Most people recognize Bowden’s most prominent rivals as Florida and Miami.

It wasn’t until 1992 that Clemson became a thorn in his butt when the Noles joined the ACC. Clemson was recognized as a basketball then, but the two programs’ first game as conference foes resulted in a 24-20 Florida State victory. Florida State won the next ten matchups.

Things began to change when Tommy Bowden became head coach of Clemson in 1998, paving the way for the first-ever meeting between a father and a son as opposing head coaches in football.

The first game 1999, won by Florida State 17-14, set a new attendance record of 86,200 at Clemson University’s Memorial Stadium. Tommy Bowden’s first victory came on his father’s birthday in 2003, when his Tigers defeated the third-ranked FSU, putting a dent in their chances of winning the national championship.

During the Bowden Bowl era, FSU won five conference championships, two of which were won by teams that Tommy Bowden coached to victory in 2003 and 2005.

The Bowden Bowl series ended when Tommy resigned as head coach six games into the 2008 football season. Bobby Bowden won the overall series with five wins and four losses.

Even though Clemson ended up on the losing end of the Bowden Bowl, the era helped Clemson become a legitimate football school in the ACC and the country.