Long before the top two teams in the country were upset late Saturday, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher was not giving up hope.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen these last two, three weeks. Somebody loses a game, a couple of people lose here, and you never know,” Fisher said after FSU’s 41-14 victory at Maryland clinched a spot in the ACC championship game for the Seminoles.
Florida State’s national title hopes still are flickering after Saturday’s surprising results. On Sunday, the Seminoles (10-1) remained at No. 10 in the BCS standings and Associated Press poll and at No. 6 in the Harris poll and moved up one spot in the USA Today coaches’ poll to No. 5.
No one, though, thinks as highly of the Seminoles as Fisher does. Fisher revealed last week that he had FSU ranked No. 4 behind Kansas State, Oregon and Notre Dame on his coaches’ ballot. And with Kansas State being drubbed at Baylor and Oregon falling in overtime at home to Stanford, logic says Fisher’s poll Sunday had the Seminoles No. 2 behind the Fighting Irish.
Saturday’s upsets ramped up the importance of this week’s showdown at Doak Campbell Stadium with rival Florida. The Gators (10-1) are No. 4 in the BCS standings, six spots ahead of FSU, but one spot behind FSU in the coaches’ poll. Florida is No. 5 in the Harris poll and No. 6 in the AP poll.
For the first since time 2000, the teams will meet with both in the top 10.
“That’s why you come to Florida State, to play in a game with the magnitude like Florida,” Fisher said. “Those are the rivalry games. Those are the history games. That’s what you take a lot of pride in.”
Depending on what happens in a handful of other games, Florida and Florida State could be playing only for bragging rights and poll position, or it could be much more.
If Notre Dame wins at struggling Southern California and both Georgia and Alabama handle their rivals (Georgia Tech and Auburn) on Saturday, the Jan. 7 national championship game at Sun Life Stadium will feature Notre Dame against the winner of the Georgia-Alabama SEC title game.
But if last week’s wackiness carries over, then Florida State and Florida could be back in the picture.
A few things have to happen, but the game could actually take on the feel of a national championship semifinal with both teams still clinging to hopes of playing for the biggest prize.
Florida is in prime position despite three weeks of offensive struggles, while Florida State needs a lot more help. FSU, though, could make a significant move in the BCS standings with a victory Saturday.
The Seminoles have lingered at No. 10 in the BCS for several weeks, but with a victory over Florida, they would jump the Gators and likely leapfrog several of the two-loss teams ahead of them, especially those who have lost to Florida.
“We still have a lot of unfinished business,” Fisher said.
All of which is why the Seminoles were reluctant to talk about the Dec. 1 ACC title game after Saturday’s rout. FSU earned the trip to Charlotte, N.C., by winning the tiebreaker with Clemson. Both finished 7-1 in the ACC’s Atlantic Division, but the Seminoles defeated the Tigers in September.
FSU will play in its third conference championship game overall, and its second since Fisher took over three years ago. The Seminoles have not won the ACC crown since defeating Virginia Tech in the inaugural conference title game in 2005.
FSU will face either Miami or Georgia Tech on Dec. 1.
“We’re happy where we are,” said the Seminoles’ Dustin Hopkins, who became the all-time leading scorer among kickers in the FBS on Saturday.
“We’re not satisfied.”
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