Florida State's Road to the College Football Playoff

SI Staff | Dec 30, 2014

Florida State's Road to the College Football Playoff

Florida State 37, Oklahoma State 31 (Aug. 30)

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In the first of what would be a season full of tight victories, the Seminoles capitalized on a fourth-quarter fumble by Cowboys quarterback J.W. Walsh to pull away for the win. Rashad Greene shines with 203 yards receiving.

Florida State 37, Citadel 12 (Sept. 6)

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The Seminoles raced to a 34-0 margin by the end of the third quarter in a comfortable nonconference victory. Quarterback Jameis Winston efficiently dissected the Bulldogs, completing 22-of-27 passes for 256 yards with two touchdowns.

Florida State 23, Clemson 17 OT (Sept. 20)

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While Winston watched from the sideline as a suspension for yelling an obscene phrase on campus, the Seminoles survived to overtime by forcing a C.J. Davidson fumble at the 14-yard line with under two minutes remaining. Florida State's defense came up clutch again in overtime, stuffing Clemson on fourth-and-one before Karlos Williams sealed the win with a 12-yard touchdown run.

Florida State 56, NC State 41 (Sept. 27)

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After spotting the Wolfpack a 17-point lead in the first quarter and a 38-28 advantage in the third quarter, Winston and the Seminoles offense rallied for four touchdowns in the final 20:06 to come back and pull away. Karlos Williams picked up 126 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Florida State 43, Wake Forest 3 (Oct. 4)

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The Seminoles defense posted its first truly dominant performance, holding the Demon Deacons to 126 yards of offense and forcing three turnovers. Linebacker Reggie Northrup outscored Wake Forest by returning a fumble 31 yards for a touchdown.

Florida State 38, Syracuse 20 (Oct. 11)

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Winston contributed one of his best outings of the season, completing 30-of-36 passes for 317 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The nearly flawless performance helped the Seminoles jump out to a 31-6 lead by midway through the third quarter.

Florida State 31, Notre Dame 27 (Oct. 18)

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The Seminoles' undefeated streak seemed to be over, but an offensive pass interference penalty negated the Fighting Irish's game-winning touchdown pass. After trailing 17-10 at halftime, Winston kicked into high gear in the second half, completing 15-of-16 passes for 181 yards with a touchdown.

Florida State 42, Louisville 31 (Oct. 30)

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The Seminoles embarrassed the Cardinals' highly touted defense with 35 second-half points to erase a 24-7 deficit. Winston rebounded from a horrid three-interception start to pass for 401 yards and three touchdowns while redshirt freshman Dalvin Cook added 110 rushing yards on nine carries with two scores, including the go-ahead touchdowns with 3:46 left. Florida State's defense also chipped in, holding Louisville for 1-of-11 on third downs.

Florida State 34, Virginia 20 (Nov. 8)

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After falling behind at the end of the first quarter, the Seminoles used three second-quarter touchdowns to jump out to a comfortable lead they never relinquished. Greene hauled in 13 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown to lead the offense.

Florida State 30, Miami 26 (Nov. 15)

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Needing a late touchdown to pull the upset, the Hurricanes drove to the Florida State 43, but Jalen Ramsey intercepted Brad Kaaya's deep heave to lock up another win. The Seminoles overcame a 16-0 deficit thanks to Cook, who jumpstarted the offense with a 44-yard touchdown run and finished with 92 yards on seven carries with two scores.

Florida State 20, Boston College 17 (Nov. 22)

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The Eagles wasted their chance to grab a late lead when Alex Howell's 42-yard field goal drifted wide right. Winston methodically drove the Seminoles 66 yards to set up a game-winning 26-yard boot from Roberto Aguayo.

Florida State 24, Florida 19 (Nov. 29)

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Despite four interceptions from Winston, the Seminoles hung on to beat their rivals. Florida kicker Austin Hardin missed two go-ahead field goals in the second half, and quarterback Treon Harris failed to lead the Gators to a game-winning touchdown on their final drive.

Florida State 37, Georgia Tech 35 (Dec. 6)

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Winston rebounded from his dismal outing against Florida to throw for 309 yards and three touchdowns, and the Seminoles claimed the ACC title. Georgia Tech's triple-option attack churned up 331 yards on the ground but couldn't keep pace with an in-sync Florida State offense.