Florida State Reaping Rewards Of Not Being In The SEC
By Erik Lambert
Oct 4, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Travis Rudolph (15) carries the ball for a touchdown against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the fourth quarter at Doak Campbell Stadium. Florida State Seminoles defeated the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 43-3. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Being #1 in the nation usually means a team has the most talent, and Florida State has plenty. However, there is another big reason why they are still on top. It’s for the simple fact that they don’t play in the SEC. While the Seminoles bask in a much more comfortable and manageable ACC conference, the college football world was treated to a prime example of why the Southeastern Conference was and is the best in collegiate athletics.
#6 Texas A&M routed by #12 Mississippi State
It started early when the Texas A&M Aggies, considered one of the hottest team in the country went on the road to face an unassuming but deceptively good Mississippi State team that was fresh off beating LSU. Led by quarterback Dak Prescott, who scored five touchdowns, the Bulldogs took command from start, building a 28-10 lead by halftime. Meanwhile, the much more publicized Kenny Hill was intercepted three times and under pressure all day. Once again the Aggies fell with a high ranking and a clear path to the national championship.
#3 Alabama upset by #11 Mississippi
By far the bigger surprise of the afternoon was when Alabama went in to face the always underdog Ole Miss. Both teams were undefeated but the Crimson Tide were the obvious favorites. They certainly played like it in the first half, building a comfortable 14-3 lead. Things began to shift midway through the 3rd quarter when rising Rebels quarterback Bo Wallace cut the lead to four. Alabama extended to seven prior the 4th quarter, but from there it was all Wallace. He tied the game with just over five minutes left and then stunned the NCAA landscape when he struck again barely three minutes later.
In the midst of this chaos and magnificent competition, Florida State was busy eating up a cupcake opponent in Wake Forest 43-3. In truth the Seminoles only have one real opponent left on their schedule to be wary of, and that’s #9 Notre Dame. Other than that it might as well be a red carpet escort to the playoffs. Time to count the lucky stars because it’s fair to assume their reign would be vastly different in the SEC.