The hype was already building for the first top-10 battle between Miami and Florida State in over a decade as the No. 8 Seminoles traveled to play Virginia on Friday night. All they had to do was get past a UVa team that hadn’t beaten a top-10 opponent at home in 30 years and the stage would be set.
Unbeaten Miami would be traveling to take on unbeaten Florida State next week in a rivalry showdown that would be the talk of college football. After all, the last time Miami and FSU met in a top-10 matchup, FSU used its win over the Hurricanes as a springboard on its way to the 2013 BCS national title.
But if anyone from the ACC is going to contend for the national championship this season, it will be Miami.
While Florida State’s stunning 46-38 loss to Virginia on Friday night didn’t completely disqualify the ‘Noles from College Football Playoff contention, it recalibrated expectations for a team that saw its stock soar following a Week 1 upset win over Alabama.
Florida State may be light-years better than it was last season, when it finished 2-10. But it proved against Virginia that it’s not as great as its stunning upset of the Crimson Tide suggested.
That’s bad news for the the ACC, which is down to one legitimate national-title contender before the end of September.
It’s also bad news for college football, which could have benefitted from the nostalgia provoked by a week of anticipation leading up to a top-10 showdown between Miami and Florida State. Next week’s game at FSU’s Doak Campbell Stadium will still be significant, but Florida State’s loss to Virginia reduces the buzz.
FSU can reclaim some momentum by beating Miami next week, but such an outcome would only further muddy the ACC’s aspirations of winning its first…
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