Florida State Seminoles Carrying College Football In Sunshine State

Things were looking pretty good through three weeks when Florida State, Florida and Miami were ranked for the first time since 2017. In addition, UCF completed its non-conference schedule unscathed.

Now? Well, thank goodness for the Seminoles because it has been pretty rough for most college football fans this season in Florida, especially since September. True, all seven Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the state could be part of the bowl season. However, with three weeks remaining in the regular season, only two are bowl eligible and four are below .500 with a fifth trending in that direction. In other words, the collective effort has been far inspiring.

Here is a look at how each program has fared and what is ahead.

Florida State (9-0/7-0 ACC)

A win at Pitt on Saturday clinched a spot in the ACC championship game for the first time since 2014. Of course, the ‘Noles have their sights set on something larger. Not that they can afford to be in cruise control. Not with top receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson battling injuries (both sat out Saturday) and with both state rivals looming on the schedule. You just know Miami and Florida would love nothing more than to be a stick in the mud when it comes to FSU’s College Football Playoff aspirations.

The Seminoles host the Hurricanes (6-3/2-3 ACC) on Saturday and, after a visit from FCS member North Alabama (3-7/1-5 United), Mike Norvell’s team could complete a perfect regular season November 25 in Gainesville against the Gators (5-4/3-3 SEC). Louisville is the leading candidate to be FSU’s opponent in the conference championship game. Alas, there are still three weeks remaining in the regular season.

Miami (6-3/2-3 ACC)

The Hurricanes were 4-0, No. 17 in the AP poll and a kneel-down away from defeating Georgia Tech to improve to 5-0. Instead, Mario Cristobal’s unpardonable decision to run a play and not take a knee to close a 20-17 win over the visiting Yellow Jackets resulted in a 23-20 loss. A loss at North Carolina State on Saturday, in which they turned the ball over four times, dropped the ‘Canes below .500 in conference play.

Miami, which clinched bowl eligibility with an overtime victory against Virginia on October 28, plays the ACC’s top two teams in as many weeks. The Hurricanes travel to Tallahassee on Saturday followed by a visit from Louisville (8-1/5-1 ACC). The regular season concludes at Boston College (6-3/3-2 ACC) on Black Friday.

Florida (5-4/3-3 SEC)

A 13-point decision over Tennessee on the third Saturday of September lifted the Gators to No. 25 in the AP poll and had fans in Gainesville thinking their team might be a serious player in the SEC. Well, UF has since lost three of five conference tilts and is in danger of finishing the season on a five-game losing streak and without a bowl to prepare for.

An overtime home loss Saturday to what was a two-win, but tough Arkansas team that fired its offensive coordinator (Dan Enos) earlier the week, dropped Billy Napier to 11-11 in Gainesville and served as a clear reminder that his team has a long way to go. Trips to ranked LSU (6-3/4-2 SEC) and Missouri (7-2/3-2 SEC) the next two weeks followed by a date against visiting and possibly 11-0 Florida State (9-0/7-0 ACC) could combine to serve as additional reminder of how far removed the Gators really are from becoming a serious player in the conference.

UCF (4-5/1-5 Big 12)

The Knights finally – finally! – picked up their first Big 12 victory at fellow former American Athletic Conference foe Cincinnati on Saturday. It was UCF’s first win since September. Though Gus Malzahn’s squad has played some good football in conference play, they found ways to shoot themselves in the football (see West Virginia), fail to close out what would be the biggest collapse in team history (see Baylor) and come up short in hostile territory (see Oklahoma). Indeed, putting 60 minutes together has been a chore.

The Knights, who have the nation’s fourth-leading rushing offense at 227 yards per game, need to win twice in their final three games to attain bowl eligibility in their first season as a Big 12 member. A scorching-hot Oklahoma State (7-2/5-1 Big 12) visits the Bounce House on Saturday before UCF plays its final road game at Texas Tech (4-5/3-3 Big 12). The season finale will be at home November 25 against the other former American program that left for the Big 12: Houston (4-5/2-4).

FAU (4-5/3-2 AAC)

The Owls’ fell Saturday at UAB on a last-second field goal and find themselves needing to win twice in their final three games to be bowl eligible in Tom Herman’s first season in Boca Raton. The next two weeks the Owls will host East Carolina (1-8/0-5 AAC) and conference-leading Tulane (8-1/5-0 AAC) before a season-ending date at Rice (4-5/2-3 AAC). A six-win season would be FAU’s most since Willie Taggart’s team went 11-3 in 2019. A bowl would be the program’s sixth.

USF (4-5/2-3 AAC)

The four wins in Alex Golesh’s first season at USF match Jeff Scott’s (4-26) three-year total. A fast-paced and productive offense churning out 424 yards per game has given the Bulls a chance in all nine games. though the defense at times has looked every bit as bad as it did the past few years. That has been especially the case in losing three straight conference games while yielding an average of 592 yards. Still, the program’s first bowl since 2018 is attainable. The Bulls host Temple (3-6/1-4 AAC) on Saturday, travel to UTSA (6-3/5-0 AAC) for a Friday night affair and close the schedule with a visit from Charlotte (3-6/2-3 AAC) on November 25.

FIU (4-5/1-5 CUSA)

The Panthers ran the table in non-conference play, though their only CUSA victory is over Sam Houston State, which is winless against FBS teams while playing its inaugural season as an FBS member. In order for the Panthers to go a bowl for the first time since 2019, they are likely going to have to win both remaining conference games: at Middle Tennessee (2-7/1-4 CUSA) on Saturday and a season-ending visit from Western Kentucky (5-4/3-2 CUSA). A trip to Arkansas (3-6/1-5 SEC) is sandwiched in between. Offense, or lack of it, has been a problem in Mike MacIntyre’s second season at the helm as FIU has failed to score more than 17 points in either of its five conference defeats.