Florida State’s BCS dance with Oregon continued for another week with the Seminoles returning to No. 2 on Sunday.
The Seminoles were No. 2, one spot ahead of the Ducks, in the initial standings two weeks ago before the teams swapped positions last week. They went back to their original spots in the standings released Sunday night after Florida State dominated Miami in the second half of a 41-14 win Saturday night in Tallahassee and Oregon was off.
If both teams win their remaining games, the Seminoles aren’t expected to hold their position with Oregon poised to receive another boost because of its strength of schedule. FSU’s remaining four regular-season opponents are a combined 13-21, and none is above .500. Oregon’s four remaining opponents are 23-10 combined.
Florida State (6-0, 8-0 ACC) plays at Wake Forest (4-5, 2-4) on Saturday. The Seminoles will clinch a spot in the Dec. 7 ACC championship game in Charlotte with a victory.
“I don’t worry about it right now,” FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said after Saturday’s game. “We’re going to keep playing and take care of business.”
Alabama remains No. 1 in the BSC standings and polls.
FSU jumped back to No. 1 in the computer rankings and remained No. 3 in the Associated Press, USA Today coaches and Harris polls. The coaches and Harris polls factor into the BCS standings. The Seminoles, though, closed the gap on Oregon, which is No. 2 in all the polls, and received more first place votes than the Ducks in the AP poll.
Miami (7-1, 3-1) dropped four spots to No. 11 in the BCS standings, and Central Florida (6-1, 3-0 American Athletic Conference) moved up two spots to No. 21 without playing Saturday.
The Seminoles are just eight points behind Oregon in the AP poll. The gap was 42 last week. They also had six first-place votes. The Ducks had two.
The margin between Oregon and FSU in the coaches poll is 39 points, down from 64 a week ago.
This is a crucial week for FSU’s chances to play in the BCS title game Jan. 6 in Pasadena, Calif. Oregon plays at No. 5 Stanford on Thursday night while Alabama hosts No. 13 LSU on Saturday. Assuming the Seminoles win, FSU would solidify its grip on being a top-two team if either Oregon or Alabama loses.
The Seminoles outscored Miami 20-0 in the second half Saturday, after the second of Jameis Winston’s two interceptions late in the first half led to a Hurricanes TD, cutting FSU’s lead to 21-14.
Florida State then scored on its first two series of the third quarter to break open the game.
The Noles scored TDs on five of their first seven series, excluding one snap at the end of the half. Winston, though, tossed his fifth and sixth interceptions of the season on the other two series — both in the first half — and the Hurricanes turned both into seven points.
“I was extremely proud of the way he dealt with that and put it behind him,” Fisher said of Winston. “That’s a sign you’re growing, but you have to go through that.”
Winston threw for 325 yards and one TD, a 48-yard screen pass to Devonta Freeman. He was 21 of 29 and completed all but two of his 14 passes in the second half.
Winston acknowledged his uncharacteristic shaky performance at halftime.
“I made a promise to my team. I told them, ‘Guys, I’m not turning the ball over no more,’ ” he said.
Freeman, the Seminoles’ leading rusher who was ignored on the recruiting trail by the Hurricanes’ previous coaching staff coming out Miami-Central High, rushed for 78 yards, had six receptions for 98 yards and scored three TDs, all team highs.
His final score put FSU ahead 35-14 and capped a drive in which Freeman punctuated a 24-yard reception by flashing the Hurricanes’ trademark “U” hand sign.
“It’s just emotional,” Freeman said.
By the fourth quarter, the Doak Campbell Stadium record crowd of 84,409 started chanting “We want Bama.”
Most Seminoles, including Winston and Fisher, downplayed the fans’ bravado, saying all they are thinking about is Wake Forest.
Then there was Timmy Jernigan, the Seminoles’ outspoken defensive tackle.
“We do,” he said about wanting to face the top-ranked Crimson Tide. “I feel like we can play with anybody in the country.”
The Hurricanes are 13th in the Harris poll and 14th in the coaches and AP polls. Miami hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday in a game that could decide who wins the Coastal Division and plays in the ACC title game.
UCF is 21st in the coaches and Harris polls and 19th in the AP poll. UCF hosts unranked Houston on Saturday. The winner gains the inside track toward the conference championship (the AAC doesn’t have a title game), which comes with an automatic BCS bowl bid.
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