Big regular-season games don't mean much in the expanded world of the College Football Playoff, and they might not mean much for Florida State or Notre Dame if both teams are as good as expected…
Of course, Florida State vs. Notre Dame will be a big-time matchup.
Now, before we get into the fun, let's get this reality out of the way.
What really matters for Florida State is winning the ACC Championship, and at least if the team is really good, that means everything…almost.
The new CFP awards the top four teams in the conference a top-four spot and a first-round bye, meaning FSU could lose this one and still win the ACC title and a top-four seed. do The big problem for FSU is if they don't win this game and win the ACC Championship.
A 10-2 record would pretty much guarantee Florida State a trip to the CFP, and a 10-3 record would get them in the CFP even if they miss out on the ACC title, so winning this game would be really big.
And then there's Notre Dame. Even if they go 12-0 and dominate everyone, they still can't get higher than a No. 5 seed. Conference winners can only get in the top four, but with their schedule, a win here could clinch a top-12 spot.
Whatever happens, it matters. Five things to know about Florida.
It seems like a million years ago now, but in 2020, a powerhouse Clemson University team was 6-0 when it traveled to South Bend to take on the unbeaten Irish. With Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence sidelined with COVID, superstar rookie DJ Uiagalelei emerged with a chance to do something special.
The Irish won a close game, 47-40, but Uiagalelei did his part in the loss, throwing for 439 yards and two scores and running for two touchdowns.
In 2022, Uiagalelei returned to Notre Dame as a starter for the 8-0 Tigers and had a tough day throwing for 191 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 35-14 blowout loss.
He transferred to Oregon State last season and is now a mainstay on Florida State's offense, and if everything goes as expected at this point in the season, the fifth-year senior will have a chance to win his third championship in South Bend.
Jarrett Barth was a Florida State pass rushing star last season and is now with the Los Angeles Rams. The Noles will be pressuring from all sides, including Georgia transfer Marvin Jones Jr., but it's Patrick Payton who will be stepping up a notch after a seven-sack season.
But despite pressure from the Seminole front…
Assuming all is well in the world and Leonard is healthy and fine, he needs a day off.
Florida State's defense should remain outstanding against the run, but it will have to contain a good passing attack. The 13-1 team last year struggled against Boston College, Louisiana State and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.
In those three games, plus a blowout win in the bowl game at Georgia State, FSU has allowed passers to complete over 56 percent of their passes. FSU hasn't had any issues against other teams.
As long as the Irish passing game stays functional, the offense should progress…
It helped a little, but it should have been a great pass rush, and Florida State has some dangerous defensive backs no matter what the Irish do with deep shots.
The duo of Fentrell Cypress and Azaleigh Thomas will be highly anticipated coming into this game after intercepting 17 passes last season, and while it's a bit of a stretch to say they're one of the team's greatest strengths, it's not too far off the mark.
Coming into this, the Noles may be a bit overrated.
Thinking about it for a few months, if you keep throwing this warning out there, Florida is very, very That's cool. The schedule isn't easy, but the home game against Clemson will be their biggest test yet.
Remember, everyone has an opinion on FSU and most will have some doubts about the team after they missed the College Football Playoff despite going 13-0, which isn’t how it should be, but who doesn’t like a college football game like this hyped up in November?
They had some close games against mediocre teams, and a tough battle against a Clemson team that didn't perform to its usual potential, but they did win the ACC Championship against a Louisville team that had beaten Notre Dame.
It's not like the Noles played in the Big Ten or SEC last season.
This Florida State team should come out strong.
While he still resents being ignored by CFB last season, this year's team should play at an entirely different level with dangerous matches on a weekly basis.
But the Irish defense will be able to exploit Uiagalelei and get their own offense in balance early on. This game could turn Notre Dame into a bona fide national title contender, but it will be interesting to watch until Uiagalelei throws his second interception of the game.
The results will be as expected.
Notre Dame 23, Florida State 20
– Florida State University 2024 Preview
Five things you need to know
– August 31: Texas A&M
– September 7: Northern Illinois
– September 14: Purdue
– September 21: University of Miami
– September 28: Louisville
– October 12: Stanford
– October 19: Georgia Tech
– October 26: Navy
