How FSU Football can still win ACC Atlantic Division in 2017

FSU football is still looking up at a few teams, but with what happened this weekend the divisional title is not out of their grasps just yet.

As the clock hit triple zeros inside a sparsely packed Wallace Wade Stadium last Saturday, the FSU football team was celebrating their second win of the season, a 17-10 closer than it should have been victory over the Duke Blue Devils. For the Seminoles, it was their second win of the season with both of those games coming against ACC foes.

However, it was things that took place the day before in western New York and just a little bit later  on Saturday in northern Kentucky that – as hard as it may be for even the most diehard Noles fan to think about – actually put the Seminoles back in the race for the Atlantic Division title and a shot at their first ACC championship since the 2014 season.

While at 2-3 on the season you would think FSU football has a lot more important things to worry about (becoming bowl eligible, having a winning season, etc.), the fact they are still in the hunt is pretty intriguing. Here’s what the Seminoles have to do the last half of the season.

Win Their Remaining Four Conference Games

While you never want to lose at all, the Seminoles have been helped by the fact that two of their conference losses were against Coastal Division foes (Miami and Duke).  The Noles don’t have the tiebreaker over N.C. State after their loss earlier this season, but have one over Wake Forest and would have the tiebreaker over Clemson – which right now are the three teams ahead of them.

Get Help From Their Friends

Assuming Florida State can overcome the odds and win out their remaining ACC slate, they only team left to worry about would be the Wolfpack, who sit at 6-1 on the season with that one loss being to open the season against South Carolina.

From the easier said than done department, the Seminoles would need the men from Raleigh to lose three of their remaining four conference games. Basically, the Noles would become huge fans of Clemson, Boston College, Wake Forest and UNC in the month of November. While it wouldn’t be surprising to see them lose two of those games, three might be a lot – but its doable.

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If those things take place, the Seminoles would find themselves as the 8-3 champions of the Atlantic Division and play the Coastal champ – possibly a rematch with the Hurricanes – in Charlotte this December. With the ACC already hurting to keep a team in the playoff system, that would be something that would drive the conference crazy…which would be glorious.