.David Hale, ESPN Personnel WriterSep 14, 2024, 06:14 PM ETCloseCollege football reporter.Joined ESPN in 2012. Grad of the Educational institution of Delaware.If college soccer were actually an animation, there would've been a second final December, following the board disregarded an unbeaten Florida State crew from the playoff, when Mike Norvell would certainly've ended this was actually as poor as things could acquire, all while unwittingly standing up below a piano perilously being actually elevated to a 20th-floor window.Of course, after Florida State fell to Norvell's former school, Memphis, 20-12 on Saturday, it's completely feasible the Seminoles would certainly favor the piano to reality.Nine months earlier, Florida Condition possessed the planet's sympathy-- a minimum of the parts of the planet that do not shout "S-E-C, S-E-C" at wedding ceremonies, funeral services and children's celebrations. It was quick and easy to just like that group. It was actually a group that battled more difficult after dropping QB Jordan Travis, that gave all it must keep gaining, that skipped its own shot at the playoff certainly not as a result of its very own oversights but as a result of the board's whim.Editor's Picks1 RelatedNow, there is actually no compassion. There is simply a strange mix of shame, frustration and black wit, like spilling a cocktail down the front of your pants.The recipient of the board's decision was Alabama, and traits can've quickly switched toward a bleak 2024 for the Trend, as well. They lost their championship game, swung adieu to the best coach in the sporting activity's history, then found a departure of players in to the website, consisting of 5 who left behind for Tallahassee.And however, on the same day Florida State reached a brand-new nadir, Alabama flexed the same muscle it therefore often did under Chip Saban, obliterating Wisconsin 42-10 responsible for a five-touchdown performance coming from Jalen Milroe.In a much more simply planet, Florida State may possess made a little bit of really good aura after the indignity of its playoff snub. In a much more decent world, Alabama might, merely the moment, be dealt a poor hand.But college soccer has shown, time and again, it doesn't respect fairness, but it does have one heck of a sense of humor.So in Madison, the Trend came to obtain down.Alabama gamers hop all around throughout Jump Around pic.twitter.com/OytiNveT43u2014 Patrick Greenfield (@PCGreenfield) September 14, 2024 As well as in Tallahassee, Fla Condition prepares to load it up and also stuff it in.For Alabama, the lineup turn over just opened space for brand new stars, like fresher recipient Ryan Williams, that caught four receptions for 78 gardens and also a touchdown in Saturday's gain. Williams is merely 17-- birthed merely seven months prior to Saban trained his very first video game at Alabama, certainly not aged enough to also don't forget there was actually a time one thing like an 0-3 start will be unthinkable at Fla State.For FSU, there is actually no very clear course ahead. DJ Uiagalelei has been bad, the ground game has rounded up little, the offending line that was meant typically be actually a strength got manhandled through a Group of 5 program, and also the defense, which played its own finest game Sunday, still contains openings. For the Seminoles, the only silver lining to extract from this awful start to the period is it might possess reduced the course's media valuation sufficient that it may get away the ACC for a common leave charge and some Kohl's cash.Nine months ago, there might be an affordable dispute regarding the comparison resumu00e9s of Alabama and also Florida Condition. On Saturday, during the course of business breathers of the Tide's clunk of Wisconsin, it was possible to flip between advertisements for "9-1-1: Lone Superstar" including a gigantic learn derailment as well as an FSU video game featuring a a lot more horrifying train wreck.To witness what's become of Fla Condition while considering that the committee supplied its own judgment is tough to understand, an avalanche of unending torment usually booked for "Observed" films or even minor weather concerns at LAX.But it's worth looking at how entirely incomprehensible it is actually for Alabama to become right here, as well-- 3-0 along with a road succeed in Big Ten country merely months after Saban's exit. Alabama has actually been actually the design for sustained greatness for a production, and also consistency was usually attributed to Saban's relentlessness. Yet even he reached a factor through which it was opportunity for one thing new, as well as however Alabama keeps on plugging throughout-- one dominant gain after an additional, as reliable as the sunrise.None of this is verification the board obtained its own choice right, of course. That was actually final season-- a different staff, a various time. However it is actually proof that in this turbulent sport, success is fleeting and possibility frequently run-ins past like a Fla Condition linebacker skipping a handle at free throw line of scrimmage.And also at a place like Alabama, a program that has stood defiantly versus the winds of modification for 16 years now, it's regularly much better to enjoy the good things while you have all of them. Because if there's anything we have actually picked up from watching Florida State these previous 9 months it's this: It may constantly receive worse.Jump to: LSU endures|Character shifts|Arizona's most popular group The very first 56 moments of Saturday's game versus South Carolina was far coming from pleasing for LSU.A series of unique groups gaffes, two turn overs as well as some significant runs by Gamecocks QB LaNorris Sellers possessed the Tigers having fun catchup often. South Carolina hopped bent on a 24-10 top, viewed LSU pull ahead of time for a while in the fourth quarter, at that point viewed Rocket Sanders blow up for a 66-yard score.play1:20 Jumping block refuses LSU punting, puts together South Carolina TDMaurice Brown II blocks the LSU punting, which sets up a Raheim Sanders goal to pad the Gamecocks' lead.With lower than 4 mins to play, LSU trailed through 4, and also Brian Kelly had undergone all six stages of grief: Aggravation, indignation, violence, anger, asking to speak to the manager as well as, lastly, contemplating the execution his players.But Garrett Nussmeier used to the saving along with his 29-yard fulfillment to Kyren Lacy to start a 55-yard goal drive to place LSU up 36-33. South Carolina possessed one last fracture at the gain, trying a 49-yard field goal as opportunity ran out, yet it skipped, offering Kelly an opportunity to celebrate a hard-earned succeed just before returning to his office to see film and shriek into a pillow.Week 3 feel shiftsTrending down: Accomplishing all your throwsThe great headlines for Michigan QB Davis Warren is every pass he threw in Michigan's 28-18 gain Arkansas State on Sunday was caught.The bad news is, 3 of them were seen through Arkansas State players.So, here's where we are actually with the standing up for champs: After many years revolving by means of a carousel of quarterbacks who won their placement by locating a golden ticket under a Detroit-style pizza, the Wolverines were dealt with to two periods of J.J. McCarthy as well as believed possibly things had modified for good. As an alternative, Warren is balancing 6.1 yards-per-pass with 2 touchdowns and also 6 choices by means of 3 games.Now, USC is on deck following full week, and Michigan is left behind searching for a response in between Warren or Alex Orji or to wish there is actually yet another QB stashed in Jim Harbaugh's deserted locker behind those packages tagged "signals for every opponent, 2020-2023." Trending up: UNLV's instance for Pac-12 expansionMatthew Sluka led an 18-play, 75-yard touchdown push that ate 9:31 off the appear the 4th quarter Friday night, and UNLV dismayed Kansas 23-20. It was the Rebels' 2nd sway an Electrical power 4 opponent already this period after dumping Houston in the opener. How excellent is that? Getting In Saturday, Northern Illinois' trouble of Notre Dame was the only other Group of 5 draw a power event foe.Like along with everything in Las vega, it is actually a little bit of skill-set and a bunch of luck.play0:40 UNLV in some way generates crazy fumble vs. KansasMatthew Sluka screws up the sphere, yet somehow UNLV preserves ownership after the sphere styles multiple Kansas players' hands.Still, it's risk-free to state Barry Odom possesses the Rebels reaching the top at the correct time, along with UNLV's sales pitch to the expanding Pac-12 currently looking pretty powerful: A major market, an excellent team, and also access to myriad all-night smorgasbords. At that point all Odom needs to accomplish is actually take that Pac-12 payout in potato chips, bet it all on black on a solitary live roulette twist, double down pair of or three even more times, and boost-- UNLV is actually playing with SEC money.Land of the rising Sun DevilsA year ago, Arizona was actually the beloved of the college regulation football planet after a rollicking 10-3 season, while Arizona State was a laughing stock compelled to start a carolers of struggling quarterbacks possibly featuring a pair guys they located hanging around outside a Tempe In-N-Out Burger.What a variation a year makes.Arizona waved goodbye to move train Jedd Fisch, who left for Washington, and also opened this time along with 2 unexceptional gain New Mexico and Northern Arizona just before being up to Kansas State 31-7 on Friday. It was actually Arizona's worst offensive functionality due to the fact that being shut out at Colorado in 2021. The Sunlight Devils, however, found a QB in Sam Leavitt as well as are actually using high after knocking off Texas Condition on Thursday 31-28, beginning 3-0 for the very first time due to the fact that 2019. Arizona State is the shock staff of 2024 thus far (unless you consider bad surprises, which Florida State wishes you don't), and Dillingham's turn-around of a program left behind in disarray after the Herm Edwards time finished exactly as everybody claimed it would certainly.