Florida State Football
In a dramatic finish filled with tension and suspense, the Florida State Seminoles emerged victorious in the ACC championship game, defeating the Louisville Cardinals 16-6. This shocking result has thrown the College Football Playoff picture into further chaos, leaving the selection committee with some extremely difficult choices to make.
As the fourth quarter wound down in Charlotte, North Carolina, a hard-fought defensive battle was coming to its dramatic conclusion. The Seminoles clung to a slim 13-6 lead, but the Cardinals still had a chance to pull off a comeback victory. However, the Florida State defense stood tall, forcing a turnover on downs to seal the program’s first ACC title since 2014.
An Ugly Yet Captivating Game
For most of the game, points were hard to come by. The first half set an ugly tone, with 11 punts, a turnover on downs and just 34 total yards of offense through the first nine drives for both teams. It was captivating yet cringeworthy – like watching a car crash in slow motion. You couldn’t look away despite the lack of scoring.
The second half brought some life to the game. Louisville tied it up with a field goal, before Florida State ripped off a 73-yard touchdown run to grab the lead. The Cardinals responded with a field goal of their own to make it 10-6 heading into the final period.
A Climactic 4th Quarter
As the fourth quarter ticked by, Louisville found themselves with an opportunity to steal the game after forcing the FSU punter to scramble on 4th down deep in Seminoles territory. But their dreams of a comeback were swiftly crushed – quarterback Jack Plummer threw an end zone interception to give Florida State the ball back.
After trading punts, the Seminoles extended their lead to 16-6 on a field goal with just over 3 minutes remaining. That was the final nail in the coffin. When Louisville got the ball back, they failed to record a first down. Victory belonged to Florida State.
Playoff Chaos Ensues
With the dramatic ACC championship victory, Florida State made an emphatic case for their playoff worthiness. But their addition to the mix leaves the College Football Playoff committee in a real bind.
Michigan and Washington appear safely in as the #1 and #2 seeds after conference championship victories. But then it gets messy – you still have SEC powerhouses Georgia and Alabama in the mix along with upstart Texas. And now, the Seminoles have crashed the party.
The committee will have their work cut out for them. Tough decisions must be made, feelings will be hurt. But that’s the nature of having just 4 playoff spots up for grabs. Regardless of the final selections, Florida State just made the process a whole lot harder with their gutsy performance.
After a season filled with crazy finishes, the ACC championship game delivered yet another dramatic closing act. And we still don’t know how this story will end. Buckle up – the next week leading up to final playoff selections will be a wild ride.
