FSU Football | Playoff Hope's Remain, ACC Championship Up Next..
When we set up expectations for the 2023 Seminoles at the Renegade Report we were met with a fair amount of criticism and skepticism but here sit on Sunday November 26th 12-0 (8-0).
History Repeats Itself
Florida State Football is officially back to it's rightful spot amongst the sports elite. Despite what you may hear or read from pundits and national sports writers across the country The Noles are one win away for their second playoff berth in the four team Era. If you have followed FSU for decades then you know just how fitting this outcome would be.
It was the Florida State Seminoles and Bobby Bowden that went wire to wire in 1999 winning the second ever BCS Title. This was the year after playing in the initial BCS Title game in 98. Fast forward to 2013 and a Jameis Winston led team went 14-0 claiming the final BCS Championship of all time. Next up?
The four team CFB playoff began as we know it in the 2014 season and wouldn't you know it, another undefeated season culminating in an appearance in the first ever CFB playoff. This one ended in an a heartbreaking loss to Oregon and Marcus Mariota that left a sour taste in the mouth of fans for years to come. Here we are nine years later and it's deja vu all over again and I expect Florida State to appear in the final four team playoff.
Imposter Syndrome
There is a narrative that has been floated all year really but more and more the last month as it looks.more and more likely FSU will secure a playoff berth. Apparently there are some fans and writers alike out there who would rather be left out of the playoff as 13-0 conference champion than play in it. Their reasoning being they would rather beat a lesser team an a NY6 game than be embarrassed in a repeat performance of 2014.
All I can do is thank the heavens Mike Norvell and his coaching staff would never think like this in a million years. If you press someone with this outrageous opinion they will tell you a blowout loss will hurt the perception of the program more than being left out by the committee and I couldn't possibly disagree more. Being left out would be a much worse indictment on the program than losing to one of the top four teams in the nation.
Also lost in this mindset is the fact that experience in said playoff is more valuable than I could even imagine putting into words. You have a group of guys that have come together and completely transformed the Noles football program in four short years who deserve every single experience that comes along with the CFBP and I pray they earn thar opportunity. With the expanded twelve team playoff coming for the 2024 season you have the ability to expose every returning player and coach to the highest level of the sport. A playoff that you will likely be competing in year in and year out for moving forward.
First Things First, The ACC Title Game
One of the things that came with Clemsons winning streak over FSU was elimination from competing in the ACC title game before November for almost a decade straight. That would all come to an end this year even if we had lost to Clemson in week four due to the ACC finally dropping divisions. That point became a moot one when the Noles took down Clemson for their only home loss of the year.
In 2022 after a four game win streak the Noles crashed into a three game losing streak in the heart of ACC play finishing up 5-3 in conference. There was no such slide in 2023 with a perfect 8-0 record in conference. The question became who would the Noles face in Charlotte. For a while it seemed to be a three way race between, Duke, UNC, and Louisville team just cruising along with the easiest schedule in the league.
That three way battle only lasted a few weeks as both UNC and Duke would end up dropping FOUR conference games Louisvilles only loss coming at Pitt. Second place was another under the radar team NCSU who just finished up 9-3 (6-2) with a mauling of the aforementioned UNC Tarheels. If I'm being honest I'm much more comfortable seeing Louisville in Charlotte than the wolfpack.given our history and the other worldly disrespect they have been shown by the media, polls, and playoff committee.
Florida State has opened as a 5.5 point favorite versus Louisville this Saturday by most all of the Vegas books. The game kicks off at at 8 PM ET on Saturday, December 2 from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The over/ under is currently set at 53. Stay tuned right here at The Renegade Report this week as we will have in-depth breakdowns and predictions headed into the match-up!