The Seminoles started freshman third-stringer Brock Glenn at quarterback, and he finished 8 of 21 for 55 yards.
— Florida State coach Mike Norvell said the possibility of leaving his unbeaten Seminoles out of the College Football Playoff shouldn’t even be discussed.
It almost certainly will be.
Florida State made things as difficult as possible on the CFP selection committee, using a dominant defensive performance to beat No. 15 Louisville 16-6 on Saturday night for the fourth-ranked Seminoles’ first Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 2014.
The Seminoles moved to 13-0, but even that doesn’t guarantee a spot in the four-team playoff after Alabama knocked off No. 1 Georgia for the Southeastern Conference championship and Texas, which beat Alabama this season, won the Big 12 title.
No Power Five team has ever gone unbeaten, won its conference title and failed to make the playoff.
Seminoles fans held up signs reading “Win and we’re in!” But Florida State’s offensive performance and unsettled quarterback situation created some doubt about whether it’s one of the four best teams in the country.
The Seminoles started freshman third-stringer Brock Glenn at quarterback, and he finished 8 of 21 for 55 yards. Their offense gained just 3.4 yards per play.
“We just beat a top 15 team with a true freshman quarterback,” Norvell said. “I don’t care what people think. We win. We win. And if we get the opportunity to go play in the national semifinal it’s going to be a challenge, but I believe in this team, I believe in what they can do and I believe in who they are.”
Norvell got heated, pounding his fist on a table and saying, “You know what, they have showed up every single week and done it.
