Joel Klatt: Florida State has one of the easiest College Football Playoff paths in the country
Florida State is off to its best start in at least a decade, and maybe even longer. With a bye week coming up this, the Seminoles will end the month of September with a 4-0 record and impressive wins over LSU and Clemson.
The victory over the Tigers was particularly satisfying as Florida State hadn’t beaten Clemson since the Seminoles last made the College Football Playoff in 2014.
Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt explained how great of a start it has been for Florida State on a recent episode of the The Joel Klatt Show.
“Florida State won a massive game against Clemson,” Klatt said. “This, more than anything else is just a huge hurdle for them because it’s something that they haven’t been able to do really for the better part of a decade. I know for a long time, it’s just beat Clemson, in particular, in that building. Clemson has owned the ACC. Now all of a sudden, Clemson has two losses in ACC play, which means we’re likely going to see two other teams play for the ACC Championship.”
The Seminoles won Saturday’s game at Clemson, 31-24, in overtime. Jordan Travis threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns with Keon Coleman catches both touchdown passes.
Coleman has emerged as one of the better receivers in the country. He has 17 catches for 256 yards and six touchdowns on the year.
“I’m looking at this Florida State team and I’m thinking to myself, 4-0 through those first four games is remarkable,” Klatt said. “I didn’t think that they were going to do it so more power to them. They went out there and, in a large respect, allowed their great players to go win games. Second half against LSU, Keon Coleman. became a huge part of that game plan. Late and, in particular, in overtime, where do they go? Keon Coleman. Letting their quarterback make plays and that’s what great teams do.”
The first third of the season success has turned Florida State into a major contender heading into the final two months of the regular season.
They are currently ranked as the No. 5 team in the country with a clear path towards the ACC Championship Game, as well as the College Football Playoff.
“They have set themselves up right now to be what some would consider the best resume team in the country,” Klatt said. “Although I think that that’s debatable to some degree and a team that’s certainly going to be considered a national championship caliber contender. I don’t disagree with that. That is a great September. Mike Norvell has done a heck of a job with that organization and that program.”
The schedule for Florida State looks very promising the rest of the way for a run at the playoff. Games versus Syracuse, Duke and Miami — all 4-0 after the first four weeks of the season — will all be held at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.
The Seminoles do have to play their season-ending game versus Florida in The Swamp. But they also avoid North Carolina and NC State on their schedule.
“This is going to be Florida State’s conference to lose,” Klatt said. “They are on a path right now when you look at their schedule where you say to yourself, they probably, from this point on, have about as easy a path to the playoff as anybody in college football. Maybe other than Georgia because of what’s going on in the SEC. I just don’t think the SEC is very good this year. Really at all. The East is weak. The West is weak and Georgia is probably really good. Florida State and Georgia likely have the two easiest paths to the playoff of anybody in college football.”
Klatt then added that the Seminoles deserve extra praise for what they have done to start the season. They scheduled a difficult non-conference game and had to go on the road to one of the most difficult places to play this past decade.
It was a no joke start, and they’ve proven they are no joke.
“You’ve got to credit Florida State because they, at least, have paved that path for themselves,” Klatt said. “Georgia has gotten to sit around and play absolutely nobody, look around and realize we’re definitely the best team in the SEC. That’s not the case for Florida State. Florida State has earned it. They’ve gone out there and beaten LSU, gone out there and beaten Clemson on the road, which is tough to do.”