BREAKING: Florida State Moves Back Into Playoff Field Ahead Of Final CFP Rankings

The Seminoles control their own destiny entering the last weekend prior to the final College Football Playoff Rankings.

On the road without the luxury of their starting quarterback, Florida State found itself in a fight with the Florida Gators. The Seminoles staggered early but seemed to find a spark after an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Gators in the latter stages of the second quarter. That led to a strong showing over the final two quarters for the program to remain undefeated.

During a rivalry weekend that provided plenty of close games across the country, winning was all the Seminoles needed to do to earn merit from the playoff committee. On Tuesday night, the latest College Football Playoff Rankings were debuted live on ESPN ahead of conference championship weekend. Florida State moved back up to No. 4 in the nation, meaning if the postseason began today, the program would be headed to the playoffs.

Former Gators Defensive Back Outraged After Florida State Adds Florida to 'Sod Cemetery'

The top six were made up of No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Washington, No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 Oregon, and No. 6 Ohio State. That means the Bulldogs would be matching up with the Seminoles while the Wolverines and Huskies would face off to decide who makes the national championship game in Houston. The Ducks and Buckeyes would be the first two teams on the outside of the playoff bubble.

Other notable teams inside the CFP top-25 rankings include No. 13 LSU, No. 14 Louisville, and No. 23 Clemson. The Seminoles accumulated a 31-24 overtime victory over Clemson, who have won four straight games, in Death Valley in September. Florida State also holds a 45-24 victory over LSU in the season-opener. A win over Louisville in the ACC Championship could provide the program with the needed resume boost to solidify a playoff berth.

Outside of their selection in the College Football Playoff Rankings, Florida State slotted in at No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and No. 4 in the US LBM Coaches Poll this week. The Seminoles secured their 50th bowl appearance in program history earlier this year and will play in the conference championship this weekend for the first time since 2014.

FSU has won 18 consecutive games dating back to last season, the third-longest streak in the nation and second-longest streak in program history. The Seminoles have been ranked in the top 5 for thirteen consecutive weeks and haven't allowed an opponent to score 30 points this year.

Florida State will travel to Charlotte to face Louisville on Saturday, December 2. The game will kick off at 8:00 p.m. and will be televised on ABC in Bank of America Stadium.

---

READ MORE: Former Florida State Running Back Plans To Enter Transfer Portal For Second Time

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the 2023 season.

Follow NoleGameday on Twitter and Facebook