Just when you thought you had seen everything in 2020, something happened you couldn’t see that likely cost Florida a shot at the national championship.
Florida appeared to be a shoo-in against an LSU team that was 3-5 and had self-imposed a bowl ban this week.
The Gators were tied at 34 with LSU on Saturday in fog-shrouded Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida appeared to top the Tigers on a late drive. However, two things flew after a third-down play.
The first was the shoe — cleat? — of one of the LSU’s Kole Taylor. Florida DB Marco Wilson threw it 20 yards and was flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty.
THE SHOE THROW THAT GAVE LSU THE 1ST DOWN
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 13, 2020
The drive continued thanks to Wilson’s gaffe. And through the fog, LSU’s Cade York drilled a 57-yard field goal for the 37-34 lead.
I can hardly believe it.
Cade York sends a 57-yard field goal through the uprights, and #LSU has the 37-34 lead with 23 seconds left in this game. pic.twitter.com/CSIre3aFZO
— Crissy Froyd (@crissy_froyd) December 13, 2020
By the way, York's 57-yarder is the longest field goal in #LSU history. https://t.co/EXs0cxtL3m
— Brody Miller (@BrodyAMiller) December 13, 2020
The lead stood when Florida missed a last-second field-goal attempt from 51.
The loss proved crushing to the sixth-ranked Gators’ College Football Playoffs hopes. It also doesn’t help the SEC.
If Florida should defeat Alabama in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 19, it could create major issues for the conference. Would a Crimson Tide team that didn’t win its conference championship and was coming off a loss get a bid for the final four?
And it seems the longest of long shots that a Gator team with two losses would be considered.