The first round of rankings from the College Football Playoff committee are here, and while it was top-heavy for the SEC, Florida State’s place at No. 2 bodes well for the ACC. It helps, too, that while Louisville and Clemson are all but eliminated from the playoff picture, they both found their way into the Top 25 -- adding some overall value to the conference.
Plenty will change in the coming weeks as those SEC teams knock one another down the rankings, so the key for both of the ACC’s remaining contenders is simple: Just keep winning.
Florida State Seminoles
Record: 7-0 (4-0 ACC)
Rank: No. 2
Next big obstacle: Thursday night's game at Louisville
Reason for optimism: Florida State is undefeated, and that’s something only two other teams in the nation can say. That alone is the biggest check mark in FSU’s column, and the Seminoles' position at No. 2 in the first playoff committee rankings -- as, it’s worth noting, the only non-SEC team in the top four -- puts them squarely in control of their own destiny. Aside from Thursday’s showdown in Louisville against the Cardinals’ tough D, the worst of FSU’s schedule is behind it, and coach Jimbo Fisher has said from the outset of the season, this was a team that would get stronger as the year progressed.
Cause for concern: Start with this week’s game. Louisville is getting healthy at just the right time on offense, and the Cardinals’ defense is clearly one of the best units in the nation. FSU, meanwhile, is dealing with a new round of off-field controversy and coming off a win that was both emotionally and physically draining. Yes, FSU’s No. 2 ranking is a good place to be at the moment, but the question still remains: Can the Seminoles withstand a loss?
Who they’ll be rooting for this week: Obviously, the Seminoles will be rooting for themselves on Thursday. That’s the biggest issue of the week. Beyond that, the SEC promises to feast on itself a bit more this weekend, which should clarify a top six that’s crowded with four SEC teams. And just in case Florida State is saddled with a loss somewhere along the way, it would be a big boost if Clemson and Notre Dame could keep winning to help solidify the Seminoles’ overall profile. But none would be bigger than an Oklahoma State win over Kansas State that would both knock off another top contender and add some cache to FSU’s nonconference schedule.
Duke Blue Devils
Record: 6-1 (2-1 ACC)
Rank: No. 24
Next big obstacle: Duke is a four-point underdog on the road against Pitt this week, so the Blue Devils should worry about taking care of immediate business before looking too far ahead.
Reason for optimism: David Cutcliffe has made a habit of shrugging off the prognosticators and focusing his team on simply winning the next game. The preseason rankings meant nothing to Duke, and so he’ll no doubt have the Blue Devils primed for this week’s matchup, regardless of their standing in the first playoff committee rankings. And while Duke does remain a long shot at No. 24, it can also afford to sit back and watch the other conferences beat up on one another at the top, while it wouldn’t have to face another ranked team until the ACC title game. It’s a clear path to an 11-1 season, and with a win over FSU in the ACC championship game, Duke could be one of the few one-loss teams with a conference title to its credit.
Cause for concern: That relatively easy path to the ACC championship game is both a blessing and a curse for Duke. It might make the final record look impressive, but the committee is clearly examining schedules in search of big wins, and Duke simply won’t have them. The nonconference slate was brutal, and the ACC’s pedigree -- particularly in the Coastal -- won’t help. In essence, even if everything falls perfectly into place for Duke, it would reach decision time for the committee with a win over FSU as its only impressive victory.
Whom they’ll be rooting for this week: The better the Coastal performs, the better things are for Duke, but there’s only so much rebuilding to be done there. What the Blue Devils really have to hope for is utter chaos around them, and that starts with some serious upsets. Wins for Arkansas, Stanford, Illinois and, particularly, Kansas, a team Duke thumped in September, would all set the dominoes falling.