Thoughts From the Morning After: FSU 31 Notre Dame 27

Oct 18, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) celebrates as running back Karlos Williams (9) dives for a touchdown in front of Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith (9) in the fourth quarter at Doak Campbell Stadium. Florida State won 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Each Sunday morning after a Florida State game, ChopChat editor Patrik Nohe gives his thoughts from the morning after.

At the end of Saturday night in Doak Campbell Stadium the scoreboard read: “FSU 31 Notre Dame 27.”

It was a tight one, but FSU survived.

The Seminoles are still undefeated, still riding a 23-game win streak and still right in the thick of the college football playoff race.

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Florida State is also the biggest villain in college sports right now.

Somewhere, Miami Hurricanes fans are jealous, making jilted comments about Notre Dame and the nation at large, “you used to call us your criminals. That was our pet name.”

That’s because right now, Florida State is doing a better job of being the college football world’s Miami than the Hurricanes are. The Seminoles already have the bad boy persona, they have that swagger and they continue to win despite the rest of the nation openly rooting against them.

“You can say whatever you want. ‘Is this team as dominant? Is it this? Is it not as spectacular?’ This team understands how to win,” said Jimbo Fisher after the game. “It has character. It has culture. And it’s about developing this group into the best football team it can be.”

Florida State is still a ways away from being the best team it can be — Notre Dame had little trouble shining a light on FSU’s trouble spots — but the Seminoles just have that uncanny knack for pulling games out this year. Whether it was hanging on against Oklahoma State in the opener, out-lasting Clemson in Tallahassee, a furious comeback in Raleigh or a final stand against Notre Dame with the world watching on Saturday night, FSU just keeps moving forward and racking up W’s.

Saturday’s result, just like the other three games FSU has battled to win this year, ended with FSU fans’ hearts racing and the rest of the country’s hearts broken. Notre Dame had chances to beat FSU, the Irish could have just as easily won that game against the Seminoles. And many will claim the officials late pass interference call was akin to a wrestling heel cheating to retain a title.

Let them.

Because that’s the ultimate irony with this Florida State team. All year the coaches and players have said they do not care what the media says. They’re not listening. They don’t want to hear it. It doesn’t matter.

And with each win that becomes more and more true.

The nation may hate FSU — it may curse at the Seminoles, call their quarterback names, call Jimbo Fisher names, call the program dirty, call the team overrated — none of it matters.

All FSU has to do now is win, the Seminoles’ destiny is in their own hands.

Don’t like them? Beat them.

Otherwise stop crying and they’ll see you when the playoff starts in January.

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