Tag: Florida State Seminoles

Oklahoma Sooners soar after beating Texas, now No. 5 in latest AP Poll

Oklahoma enters the top five of the AP Poll after beating Texas in a classic Red River Rivarly win.

Oklahoma’s win over Texas significantly impacted the more prominent college football picture. Entering the contest, the winner of the game had over a 70 percent chance of making the College Football Playoff. The Sooners won and virtually control their destiny to the CFP. If they win out, including winning a Big 12 championship for the last time, they’ll be in the CFP.

Their win against Texas moved them up in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, confirming that it will be impossible to keep them out of the postseason as long as they keep stacking wins. The Sooners’ win against the then-ranked No. 3 Longhorns was good for a seven-spot leap, now slotting them as the No. 5 team in the nation.

The rest of the top five looks like this: Georgia remains at one, Michigan at two, the Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 3 after defeating Maryland, and the Florida State Seminoles in the fourth spot as they rolled right past Virginia Tech.

Behind the Sooners, things get more congested as Penn State, Washington, and Oregon slot in six through eight. At No. 9, you’ll find the Texas Longhorns, who fell six spots after losing Saturday. Their season is still far from over, and the position they are in allows them to have a chance to fight their way back into serious consideration for the CFP. To round out the top 10 are Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans after they needed triple overtime to beat the Arizona Wildcats.

The only remaining Big 12 team in the AP Top 25? Lance Liepold’s Kansas Jayhawks took new Big 12 members, UCF, to task by scoring 51 points at home Saturday.

Oklahoma’s entry back into the top 10 marks the first time they’ve been there since mid-September last year. The Sooners will get a bye this week, allowing the ability to rest up and recharge physically and mentally after their emotional Red River win.

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Miami lingering in FSU’s rearview mirror, per FPI

The Seminoles have a 50.8% chance to win the ACC, according to FPI, but they’re only 5 spots above Miami in the model’s rankings.

Through four games, Florida State has passed each test on its schedule. They took care of LSU by multiple scores on a neutral site, and they beat Clemson in Death Valley for the first time since 2013.

Seminole fans surely hope that’s not the last time they hear the phrase “for the first time since 2013” this season, but just because they vanquished Dabo Swinney doesn’t mean they should start engraving their names on the ACC trophy. At least, ESPN FPI doesn’t think so.

The Seminoles have finally climbed above a 50% chance to win the conference this week, but the models have the Seminoles as the 10th-best team in the country. Their in-state rivalry, the Miami Hurricanes, remain undefeated and sit just 15th, maybe more of a threat than FSU fans anticipate.

Here’s how ESPN’s models have the ACC after Week 5.

Team Record Conference Record FPI (National Rank) Win Conference % Make Playoff %
Florida State Seminoles 4-0 2-0 19.9 (10th) 50.8% 27.5%
Miami Hurricanes 4-0 0-0 16.7 (15th) 18.2% 9.4%
Clemson Tigers 3-2 1-2 16.1 (17th) 2.0% 0.2%
North Carolina Tar Heels 4-0 1-0 12.8 (21st) 8.9% 2.7%
Syracuse Orange 4-1 0-1 12.0 (22nd) 2.6% 0.4%
Duke Blue Devils 4-1 1-0 11.4 (23rd) 7.1% 0.6%
Louisville Cardinals 5-0 3-0 10.3 (27th) 10.1% 0.7%
North Carolina State Wolfpack 3-2 1-1 2.2 (52nd) 0.1% —
Pittsburgh Panthers 1-4 0-2 0.9 (58th) — —
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 2-3 1-1 -0.7 (67th) — —
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 3-1 0-1 -0.9 (70th) — —
Virginia Tech Hokies 2-3 1-0 -1.6 (71st) 0.1% —
Boston College Eagles 2-3 1-2 -6.6 (94th) — —
Virginia Cavaliers 0-5 0-2 -7.2 (97th) — —

How good is Dillon Gabriel in big games at Oklahoma?

Dillon Gabriel is now in his second season in Norman so let’s look at how well he plays in big games.

The Oklahoma Sooners are set to take on the Texas Longhorns in the biggest game of the season. This has brought up a lot of questions about how good Oklahoma’s gunslinger is in big games.

Many have thought [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] just doesn’t get it done when the game matters most. But what do the numbers say?

For this, we have to establish what are “big” games.

Let’s look at games against teams that were ranked when they played Oklahoma or a rival. The only exception to this is the Kansas State Wildcats last year who were not ranked when they played the Sooners but of course, we know the Wildcats went on to win the Big 12.

So, the games we’ll focus on are against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, [autotag]Kansas State Wildcats[/autotag], [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag], [autotag]Oklahoma State Cowboys[/autotag] and the [autotag]Florida State Seminoles[/autotag]. In those games, Gabriel completed 61% of his passes, averaged 346 total yards, had 15 total touchdowns and only had two interceptions. The Sooners were also 3-2 in those games.

The 61% isn’t great. That’s the number that has to be higher. The 346 total yards per game and the 7.5:1.0 touchdown touchdown-to-interception ratio is elite.

For comparison his opponent on Saturday, Quinn Ewers, is completing 57% of his passes, averaging 303 total yards per game, 15 total touchdowns and six interceptions in similar games. His team is 4-3 in such games.

Ewers obviously has the win at Alabama and also played a full game against the TCU Horned Frogs in 2022, but the numbers are at least comparable. This isn’t to say who is better in the big games, instead, it’s to show Gabriel is comparable to what Ewers has done so far in his career.

So, while Gabriel hasn’t been great in big games, he’s been pretty good. He’s been good enough that Oklahoma fans should feel confident heading into the Cotton Bowl. Now, that doesn’t mean he will play well on Saturday. We all know this game is much different than any big game you’ve played in before.

But if there was ever a game Gabriel could put the criticism to rest, this is the game.

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Dabo Swinney remains highest-paid ACC coach by margin

Dabo Swinney may not have the start he wanted at Clemson this year, but he’s still the ACC’s highest-paid coach by more than $3.5 million.

USA TODAY  released its database for college football’s highest-paid coaches earlier this week, and Clemson‘s Dabo Swinney led all ACC coaches by more than $3.5 million.

The only active coach in the conference with a national championship with his current program (North Carolina‘s Mack Brown won with Texas), Swinney is also the only ACC coach among the top 10. At more than $10.8 million, he slots between Alabama‘s Nick Saban and Georgia‘s Kirby Smart as the 2nd-highest paid in the country.

Mike Norvell, who has Florida State on the verge of a College Football Playoff appearance, follows Swinney at $7.3 million. Brown, with his reputation, is lower than one might expect on the list. Read below to see where each coach in the conference compares to his peers.

Name Team 2023 Salary National Rank Total Buyout
Dabo Swinney Clemson $10,884,775 2nd $64,000,000
Mike Norvell Florida State $7,300,000 15th $42,209,583
Pat Narduzzi Pittsburgh $5,875,817 28th N/A
Jeff Brohm Louisville $5,550,000 31st $31,416,667
Dave Doeren NC State $5,024,390 35th $10,307,926
Mack Brown North Carolina $5,000,000 36th $2,812,500
Dave Clawson Wake Forest $4,284,656 42nd N/A
Tony Elliott Virginia $4,250,000 43rd $19,475,000
Dino Babers Syracuse $4,063,138 46th N/A
Brent Pry Virginia Tech $4,000,000 51st $12,650,000
Jeff Hafley Boston College $3,120,012 55th N/A
Brent Key Georgia Tech $2,800,000 60th $7,213,333

Duke’s Mike Elko and Miami’s Mario Cristobal, since their schools are private, did not have a salary listed in the database.

Penn State moves ahead of USC in updated US LBM Coaches Poll

Penn State’s slow start at Northwestern didn’t hurt them in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Nittany Lions move up this week.

Which do you value more, a slow start and strong finish or a strong start and slow finish? In the eyes of the coaches voting in the weekly US LBM Coaches Poll this week, it is better to end the game on a high note rather than establish dominance early on. The evidence to back that up is Penn State moving ahead of USC within the top 10 of this week’s coaches poll, which was updated Sunday afternoon following the results of Week 5.

Penn State and USC swapped spots in the top 10 of this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll with Penn State moving up to no. 6 and USC dropping to no. 7. Penn State overcame a sluggish start on the road against Northwestern before walking away with a dominant victory on the scoreboard. Meanwhile, USC took a big lead on the road at Colorado only to sweat a few bullets in the second half as the Buffaloes made a surge in the second half of the Pac-12 contest.

There was some other slight movement within the top 10 this week, although Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio State remained in the top three spots, respectively. Texas moved one spot ahead of Florida State following a win against Kansas (Florida State was idle) with the Longhorns moving up to no. 4 and Florida State dropping to no. 5. Alabama also returned to the top 10 this week following a big win at Mississippi State. The spot in the top 10 opened up Friday night when Utah was upset by Oregon State. Utah dropped 9 spots down to no. 19 this week.

Here is the full US LBM Coaches Poll for this week. Below is a detailed look at the current top 10.

Florida-Georgia game makes it on ‘amazing’ nicknames list

Bothe rivalries with Florida State and Georgia made the list of “amazing” rivalry nicknames.

There’s a lot of rivalry nicknames in college football.

Some are ridiculous. Some will make you laugh. Some will you make you feel the intensity of two neighboring schools duking it out on the gridiron.

The Florida Gators have a few rivalry nicknames, including the third Saturday in September when the Orange and Blue take on the Tennessee Volunteers. The name is significant to the feud, reminding fans of both sides to circle the date is prepare for the SEC East battle.

Banner Society sports writer Jason Kirk did his research and looked through 178 different rivalry nicknames, tiering the rivalries that he thought were and the ones that were “amazing.”

The Florida Gators made the list twice.

The rivalry games with Florida State and Georgia have different styles of nicknames.

Florida’s annual battle with the Seminoles has a very straightforward name, The Sunshine Showdown. Two major colleges in the Sunshine State face off to find the better team.

Kirk listed the rivalry in the tier, “We have something beyond a very general location in common, even if it’s just a more specific location!”

It is bland, but people get the point right away.

Florida’s hatred for the Georgia Bulldogs is evergreen. Fans from across Georgia migrate to Jacksonville, Florida, to watch the tilt that usually determines the future SEC East champion. It also has a grade-A nickname.

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

Depending on game time, fans grab a drink (beer or cocktail) and tailgate the day away until kickoff. It’s BBQ madness and the autumn atmosphere is perfect.

Kirk tiered the feud in, “The 20 Best, actually ranked.”

The game landed at No. 8 on the list, finishing ahead of names like the Red River Shootout (previous nickname of Texas–Oklahoma rivalry) and The Iron Bowl (Auburn–Alabama).

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Florida State’s biggest ACC threat? Miami, according to ESPN FPI

ESPN FPI gives the Florida State Seminoles nearly a 50% chance to win the ACC, but their biggest threat comes from an in-state rival

With the Clemson Tigers winless in their first two conference games, there will be a new ACC champion for just the second time since 2014.

Florida State, who marched into Death Valley last week and left with a comeback victory in overtime, has the inside track at the playoffs after wins over the Tigers and No. 12 LSU. On the stat sheet, the favoritism is deserved, The tough opening schedule gives them the second-best strength of record in the country. But ESPN’s FPI says the Seminoles still have less than a 50% chance to win the conference crown, a good reminder of how young the college football season still is.

Consensus opinions seem to point toward North Carolina, led by quarterback phenom Drake Maye, as the ones who can squash the Seminoles. If Duke can put a second feather in their cap against Notre Dame on Saturday, the Blue Devils will surely fly up the board. And ESPN’s models seem to think Syracuse shouldn’t be taken lightly. But the biggest threat comes from farther south, a 4-0 ACC team not making much national news now.

The Miami Hurricanes sit inside the top four in the conference in scoring offense, rushing offense, passing offense, scoring defense, and rushing defense. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, a year removed from first-round buzz, has the second-highest QBR in the country.

After this week against Georgia Tech, Miami plays the Tarheels and Clemson back-to-back. If they sweep those, the Nov. 11 game against Florida State could be for ACC supremacy.

Here’s how ESPN breaks down the percentages:

Team W-L Conf. W-L FPI (Rank) Win Conference % Make Playoff %
Florida State 4-0 2-0 19.9 (10) 48.2% 30.4%
Miami Hurricanes 4-0 0-0 16.9 (15) 18.3% 11.3%
North Carolina Tar Heels 4-0 1-0 13.5 (19) 10.2% 4.3%
Louisville Cardinals 4-0 2-0 11.6 (23) 9.9% 1.9%
Syracuse Orange 4-0 0-0 13.4 (20) 7.7% 3.4%
Duke Blue Devils 4-0 1-0 10.8 (28) 4.7% 1.4%
Clemson Tigers 2-2 0-2 14.1 (17) 0.7% 0.0%
NC State Wolfpack 3-1 1-0 2.5 (53) 0.3% 0.0%

Late Seminoles goal spoils UNC comeback attempt

The top-ranked UNC women’s soccer nearly knocked off No. 3 Florida State on Sunday, Sept. 24. A late Seminoles goal forced a 3-3 tie.

The top-ranked UNC women’s soccer team was minutes away from knocking off a fellow ACC rival – third-ranked Florida State – on Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill.

Kate Faasse put home a beautiful cross from Ally Sentnor in the 86th minute, sending the Dorrance Field crowd into a frenzy. The Tar Heels ran towards each other in celebration, knowing very well they had a job to finish.

Pressure was on FSU to score, but also UNC to hold its slim lead with minutes to go.

Unfortunately, with seconds to go, the Seminoles’ Mimi Van Zanten shot a deflected Emmie Allen save into the top portion of the net for a 3-3 tie.

The Tar Heels should be proud of their effort, considering they trailed until Maddie Dahlien’s 77th-minute goal. They went head-to-head with an FSU team expected to contend for the ACC crown once again.

Sentnor started the Carolina scoring in the 42nd minute, netting her team-high fifth goal off a save from Seminoles keeper Cristina Roque.

Next up for the Tar Heels is a rivalry matchup with N.C. State on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Wolfpack’s Dail Soccer Field. UNC downed their Raleigh rivals, 2-0, in Chapel Hill last year for its 400th home win.

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College Football Power Rankings: Ohio State beats Notre Dame, Oregon makes a statement

The Ohio State Buckeyes got a big win over Notre Dame and moved up in the College Football Power Rankings after week 4 action.

Week four provided some fantastic matchups across the country. There was a lot of buzz about the weekend leading into this week’s games, and college football fans were treated to a fantastic slate of contests on Saturday.

This week had College Football Playoff ramifications as several ranked undefeated teams faced off.

We’re beginning to see a bit of separation between the teams that are legit contenders and the teams that will be battling for bowl eligibility.

With that, let’s take a look at this week’s College Football Power Rankings.

Dropped Out: Iowa Hawkeyes

Jordan Travis, Florida State survive Clemson in overtime

A Jordan Travis TD pass lifted Florida State over Clemson in OT in ACC play

Florida State remains undefeated after defeating Clemson for the first time since 2014.

It took overtime on Saturday but the Seminoles got a touchdown and shut down the Tigers to escape with a 31-24 ACC victory.

The winning score was 24 yards from Jordan Travis to Keon Coleman.

Clemson, which is now 2-2, cost itself … big time.

The Tigers looked like they were going to take a two-score lead but quarterback Cade Klubnik fumbled after a devastating hit by Kalen DeLoach.

The Seminole LB collected the football and ran it back for a game-tying TD.

Then, Clemson had a chance to kick a 30-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter but Jonathan Weitz, who had been scheduled to start a job on Wall Street last week, missed the kick.

Earlier, his parents were thrilled when he made his first field goal.