.David Hale, ESPN Workers WriterSep 14, 2024, 06:14 PM ETCloseCollege football reporter.Joined ESPN in 2012. Graduate of the Educational institution of Delaware.If college regulation football were an animation, there will've been an instant final December, just after the board shunned an undefeated Florida State team coming from the playoff, when Mike Norvell would've concluded this was as poor as things could obtain, all while unwittingly standing underneath a piano perilously being actually uplifted to a 20th-floor window.Of course, after Florida Condition fell to Norvell's past college, Memphis, 20-12 on Sunday, it's totally possible the Seminoles will like the piano to reality.Nine months ago, Fla State had the globe's compassion-- at least the portion of the world that don't shout "S-E-C, S-E-C" at wedding celebrations, funerals and also children's events. It was actually very easy to as if that group. It was actually a team that dealt with harder after losing QB Jordan Travis, that gave all it had to maintain winning, that skipped its own chance at the playoff certainly not due to its own errors yet as a result of the committee's whim.Editor's Picks1 RelatedNow, there is no sympathy. There is actually just an unusual mix of shame, stress and also darker humor, like splashing a drink down the front of your pants.The beneficiary of the committee's choice was Alabama, and factors could possibly've quickly changed toward a gloomy 2024 for the Tide, also. They shed their playoff game, swung bye-bye to the best trainer in the sport's past, at that point observed an exodus of players in to the gateway, including five that left for Tallahassee.And yet, on the exact same day Florida Condition reached a brand new low point, Alabama bent the very same muscular tissue it so frequently performed under Chip Saban, annihilating Wisconsin 42-10 behind a five-touchdown performance coming from Jalen Milroe.In a much more only world, Fla State might possess gained a little bit of excellent aura after the outrage of its own playoff snub. In a much more reasonable world, Alabama might, simply when, be given a bad hand.But college football has actually proven, time and again, it doesn't care about fairness, but it does have one hell of a sense of humor.So in Madison, the Tide concerned acquire down.Alabama gamers dive all around in the course of Jump Around pic.twitter.com/OytiNveT43u2014 Patrick Greenfield (@PCGreenfield) September 14, 2024 And also in Tallahassee, Florida State prepares to stuff it up and also pack it in.For Alabama, the roster turnover simply clearance for new celebrities, like fresher receiver Ryan Williams, who caught four receptions for 78 yards and also a touchdown in Saturday's win. Williams is actually simply 17-- birthed just seven months prior to Saban coached his 1st activity at Alabama, certainly not old adequate to also keep in mind there was actually a time one thing like an 0-3 beginning would be unimaginable at Florida State.For FSU, there's no clear road forward. DJ Uiagalelei has been nasty, the ground game has actually rounded up little bit, the repulsive line that was actually expected typically be actually a durability obtained battered through a Group of 5 program, and the defense, which played its ideal game Saturday, still has plenty of gaps. For the Seminoles, the only silver edging to draw from this unhappy start to the period is it may have decreased the plan's media evaluation good enough that it can easily get away from the ACC for a basic leave expense and some Kohl's cash.Nine months earlier, there could be an affordable dispute regarding the relative resumu00e9s of Alabama and Fla State. On Sunday, throughout office breathers of the Trend's thumping of Wisconsin, it was actually feasible to turn between adds for "9-1-1: Lone Star" featuring an enormous train derailment and also an FSU game including a much more terrible learn wreck.To witness what is actually happened Fla State in the time given that the board delivered its own decision is hard to comprehend, an avalanche of nonstop woe typically set aside for "Found" motion pictures or even small weather condition problems at LAX.But it costs thinking about exactly how totally incomprehensible it is for Alabama to be below, as well-- 3-0 along with a street succeed in Big Ten nation just months after Saban's departure. Alabama has actually been actually the model for sustained achievement for a production, and also congruity was normally credited to Saban's relentlessness. Yet even he got to an aspect through which it was time for something brand new, as well as however Alabama keeps plugging throughout-- one prevailing gain after another, as reliable as the sunrise.None of this is actually verification the board obtained its choice straight, certainly. That was actually final time-- a different group, a various time. But it is actually verification that in this particular turbulent sport, effectiveness is fleeting and also possibility usually run-ins past like a Florida State linebacker skipping a deal with at the line of scrimmage.And also at an area like Alabama, a system that has actually stood up certainly versus the winds of improvement for 16 years right now, it's regularly far better to enjoy the good things while you have all of them. Since if there's everything we have actually gained from seeing Fla State these past nine months it's this: It can easily regularly get worse.Jump to: LSU survives|Character changes|Arizona's best group The 1st 56 mins of Saturday's activity versus South Carolina was much from enjoyable for LSU.A series of special groups gaffes, two turnovers and some major operates by Gamecocks QB LaNorris Sellers possessed the Tigers playing catchup often. South Carolina leapt bent on a 24-10 lead, saw LSU draw ahead temporarily in the 4th one-fourth, at that point saw Rocket Sanders take off for a 66-yard score.play1:20 Leaping block denies LSU punting, sets up South Carolina TDMaurice Brown II obstructs the LSU punt, which puts together a Raheim Sanders goal to pad the Gamecocks' lead.With less than four minutes to participate in, LSU routed by four, and also Brian Kelly had undergone all six stages of agony: Aggravation, indignation, animosity, rage, asking to contact the manager and also, lastly, contemplating the completion his players.But Garrett Nussmeier used to the rescue with his 29-yard finalization to Kyren Lacy to boost a 55-yard goal drive to put LSU up 36-33. South Carolina had one final crack at the win, attempting a 49-yard basket as time expired, yet it missed, providing Kelly a possibility to commemorate a hard-earned gain just before going back to his workplace to enjoy film as well as shout into a pillow.Week 3 character shiftsTrending down: Completing all your throwsThe excellent updates for Michigan QB Davis Warren is every pass he threw in Michigan's 28-18 sway Arkansas State on Sunday was actually caught.The trouble is, 3 of all of them were actually found through Arkansas Condition players.So, below's where our company are with the speaking up for champs: After many years rotating through a slide carousel of quarterbacks that succeeded their setting by locating a gold ticket under a Detroit-style pizza, the Wolverines were actually addressed to two times of J.J. McCarthy as well as assumed maybe points had actually transformed for good. As an alternative, Warren is actually averaging 6.1 yards-per-pass along with 2 touchdowns and 6 choices by means of three games.Now, USC gets on deck following full week, and also Michigan is actually left trying to find an answer between Warren or even Alex Orji or even to hope there's an additional QB stowed away in Jim Harbaugh's left locker responsible for those containers identified "indicators for each challenger, 2020-2023." Trending up: UNLV's instance for Pac-12 expansionMatthew Sluka led an 18-play, 75-yard goal drive that ate 9:31 off the appear the fourth one-fourth Friday night, and UNLV distressed Kansas 23-20. It was actually the Rebels' 2nd sway an Electrical power 4 challenger actually this time after ditching Houston in the opener. How impressive is that? Entering Saturday, Northern Illinois' upset of Notre Dame was actually the only various other Group of 5 win over an energy association foe.Like with just about anything in Las vega, it's a little capability as well as a great deal of luck.play0:40 UNLV somehow thinks of outrageous fumble vs. KansasMatthew Sluka fumbles the ball, however in some way UNLV maintains things after the round styles multiple Kansas players' hands.Still, it's secure to say Barry Odom possesses the Rebels peaking at the right time, along with UNLV's sales pitch to the increasing Pac-12 right now appearing quite powerful: A significant market, a really good crew, and access to myriad all-night smorgasbords. Then all Odom requires to do is take that Pac-12 payment in potato chips, bet it all on dark on a solitary roulette spin, double down two or even 3 even more times, and advancement-- UNLV is playing with SEC money.Land of the rising Sunshine DevilsA year earlier, Arizona was actually the darling of the university soccer planet after a frisking 10-3 time, while Arizona State was actually a laughing sell pushed to begin a chorus of straining quarterbacks potentially including a pair people they found hanging around outside a Tempe In-N-Out Burger.What a variation a year makes.Arizona waved goodbye to head instructor Jedd Fisch, that left behind for Washington, as well as opened this season along with 2 ineffectual sway New Mexico and also Northern Arizona just before being up to Kansas Condition 31-7 on Friday. It was actually Arizona's worst repulsive functionality because being actually shut out at Colorado in 2021. The Sun Devils, alternatively, located a QB in Sam Leavitt and also are actually riding high after discontinuing Texas State on Thursday 31-28, beginning 3-0 for the first time due to the fact that 2019. Arizona Condition is actually the surprise staff of 2024 thus far (unless you consider negative unpleasant surprises, which Fla State wishes you don't), and Dillingham's turn-around of a system left in mess after the Herm Edwards age finished specifically as everybody stated it will.