.David Hale, ESPN Staff WriterSep 14, 2024, 06:14 PM ETCloseCollege football reporter.Joined ESPN in 2012. Grad of the Educational institution of Delaware.If college regulation football were an animation, there would've been an instant last December, following the board snubbed an unbeaten Florida State team coming from the playoff, when Mike Norvell will possess ended this was as negative as traits could possibly obtain, all while unwittingly standing underneath a piano perilously being actually lifted up to a 20th-floor window.Of course, after Florida Condition was up to Norvell's past school, Memphis, 20-12 on Saturday, it is actually totally achievable the Seminoles would certainly favor the piano to reality.Nine months ago, Fla State possessed the world's compassion-- at the very least the parts of the world that do not chant "S-E-C, S-E-C" at wedding ceremonies, funerals and youngsters's parties. It was actually quick and easy to as if that group. It was actually a team that combated more challenging after losing QB Jordan Travis, that provided all it needed to maintain succeeding, that skipped its own chance at the playoff not because of its very own oversights but due to the committee's whim.Editor's Picks1 RelatedNow, there is no sympathy. There is simply a peculiar mix of embarassment, irritation as well as dark humor, like splashing an alcoholic beverage down the face of your pants.The named beneficiary of the board's selection was Alabama, and factors could possibly've easily shifted toward a gloomy 2024 for the Trend, too. They shed their championship game, swung bye-bye to the best instructor in the sport's past, at that point viewed a departure of players right into the website, featuring 5 who left for Tallahassee.And yet, on the same time Florida State reached a brand-new nadir, Alabama bent the very same muscle it so usually did under Chip Saban, obliterating Wisconsin 42-10 responsible for a five-touchdown efficiency from Jalen Milroe.In a much more just world, Florida Condition could've earned a little bit of excellent karma after the indignity of its own playoff snub. In an even more reasonable planet, Alabama might, simply the moment, be dealt a poor hand.But university football has proven, repeatedly, it doesn't care about fairness, but it carries out have one hell of a sense of humor.So in Madison, the Tide came to receive down.Alabama gamers hop all around during the course of Dive Around pic.twitter.com/OytiNveT43u2014 Patrick Greenfield (@PCGreenfield) September 14, 2024 As well as in Tallahassee, Florida Condition prepares to stuff it up and also pack it in.For Alabama, the lineup turnover only clearance for new superstars, like freshman recipient Ryan Williams, that captured 4 balls for 78 backyards as well as a touchdown in Sunday's succeed. Williams is simply 17-- born only 7 months prior to Saban trained his 1st game at Alabama, certainly not outdated sufficient to also always remember there was a time one thing like an 0-3 start will be inconceivable at Florida State.For FSU, there's no crystal clear path forward. DJ Uiagalelei has been actually terrible, the ground activity has actually summoned bit, the objectionable line that was expected or else be actually a strength obtained manhandled by a Team of 5 plan, and the defense, which played its own finest game Sunday, still teems with gaps. For the Seminoles, the only silver lining to derive from this unpleasant beginning to the time is it may have lowered the program's media assessment sufficient that it may get away the ACC for a conventional departure expense as well as some Kohl's cash.Nine months earlier, there might be an affordable discussion about the comparison resumu00e9s of Alabama as well as Florida State. On Saturday, during the course of commercial breathers of the Trend's clunk of Wisconsin, it was feasible to turn between ads for "9-1-1: Lone Star" featuring a huge train derailment as well as an FSU game featuring a much more terrible train wreck.To witness what is actually become of Florida Condition while considering that the board supplied its own judgment is tough to understand, a barrage of nonstop woe generally set aside for "Saw" motion pictures or even minor climate issues at LAX.But it's worth thinking about just how completely incomprehensible it is actually for Alabama to become right here, also-- 3-0 with a roadway gain in Big Ten nation merely months after Saban's exit. Alabama has been actually the design for continual achievement for a production, and that uniformity was normally credited to Saban's relentlessness. However even he reached an aspect in which it was opportunity for one thing new, and yet Alabama keeps connecting throughout-- one dominant gain after another, as reputable as the sunrise.None of the is actually verification the committee got its own choice straight, of course. That was last period-- a various team, a different opportunity. But it is actually proof that in this particular turbulent sport, greatness is fleeting and also possibility usually brushes past like a Florida State linebacker overlooking a handle at free throw line of scrimmage.And even at an area like Alabama, a course that has actually stood up defiantly against the winds of change for 16 years right now, it's always better to value the beneficial things while you have all of them. Since if there's just about anything our company've gained from watching Florida Condition these past 9 months it's this: It can consistently acquire worse.Jump to: LSU endures|Vibe changes|Arizona's best crew The first 56 minutes of Sunday's activity versus South Carolina was actually much from pleasurable for LSU.A series of exclusive crews gaffes, 2 turnovers and some large operates through Gamecocks QB LaNorris Sellers possessed the Tigers playing catchup typically. South Carolina leapt out to a 24-10 top, viewed LSU pull ahead of time quickly in the 4th quarter, at that point viewed Spacecraft Sanders take off for a 66-yard score.play1:20 Jumping block rejects LSU punt, sets up South Carolina TDMaurice Brown II shuts out the LSU punt, which establishes a Raheim Sanders touchdown to pad the Gamecocks' lead.With less than 4 mins to participate in, LSU routed through four, and also Brian Kelly had looked at all 6 stages of grief: Disappointment, indignation, violence, rage, asking to talk to the manager and also, finally, pondering the completion his players.But Garrett Nussmeier rode to the rescue along with his 29-yard completion to Kyren Lacy to start a 55-yard goal drive to place LSU up 36-33. South Carolina had one last crack at the gain, seeking a 49-yard field goal as time expired, yet it overlooked, providing Kelly an odds to commemorate a hard-earned gain before going back to his office to enjoy film as well as scream into a pillow.Week 3 feel shiftsTrending down: Accomplishing all your throwsThe really good headlines for Michigan QB Davis Warren is actually every successfully pass he included Michigan's 28-18 win over Arkansas State on Sunday was actually caught.The trouble is actually, 3 of all of them were actually seen through Arkansas Condition players.So, listed here's where our team are actually with the defending champs: After decades turning by means of a slide carousel of quarterbacks that succeeded their position by discovering a gold ticket under a Detroit-style pizza, the Wolverines were actually handled to 2 seasons of J.J. McCarthy and thought perhaps factors had transformed once and for all. Rather, Warren is averaging 6.1 yards-per-pass with two goals and six picks by means of 3 games.Now, USC gets on deck following week, and Michigan is actually left behind trying to find a response between Warren or even Alex Orji or even to wish there is actually an additional QB tucked away in Jim Harbaugh's abandoned locker responsible for those packages classified "signals for each rival, 2020-2023." Trending up: UNLV's case for Pac-12 expansionMatthew Sluka led an 18-play, 75-yard goal drive that chewed 9:31 off the clock in the 4th one-fourth Friday evening, and UNLV dismayed Kansas 23-20. It was actually the Rebels' second draw an Energy 4 enemy currently this season after disposing Houston in the opener. Exactly how exceptional is actually that? Going Into Saturday, Northern Illinois' trouble of Notre Dame was actually the only other Group of 5 sway an electrical power association foe.Like with anything in Las vega, it's a little bit of ability and also a considerable amount of luck.play0:40 UNLV somehow creates wild fumble vs. KansasMatthew Sluka fumbles the sphere, yet in some way UNLV preserves things after the sphere flairs various Kansas gamers' hands.Still, it is actually risk-free to say Barry Odom possesses the Rebels topping at the correct time, with UNLV's sales sound to the broadening Pac-12 now appearing quite sturdy: A huge market, a great crew, and access to myriad all-night buffets. At that point all Odom requires to carry out is take that Pac-12 payout in chips, bet all of it on black on a singular roulette spin, double down 2 or 3 even more times, and boom-- UNLV is having fun with SEC money.Land of the rising Sun DevilsA year earlier, Arizona was actually the darling of the college football world after a rollicking 10-3 time, while Arizona Condition was a laughing inventory obliged to start a chorus of having a hard time quarterbacks possibly featuring a couple guys they located standing by outside a Tempe In-N-Out Burger.What a distinction a year makes.Arizona swayed adieu to move trainer Jedd Fisch, that left behind for Washington, as well as opened this time along with 2 unexceptional wins over New Mexico and also Northern Arizona prior to being up to Kansas State 31-7 on Friday. It was Arizona's worst outrageous functionality due to the fact that being shut out at Colorado in 2021. The Sunlight Devils, meanwhile, discovered a QB in Sam Leavitt and also are using higher after eliminating Texas State on Thursday 31-28, starting 3-0 for the first time due to the fact that 2019. Arizona Condition is the surprise group of 2024 up until now (unless you consider bad unpleasant surprises, which Fla Condition wishes you do not), and Dillingham's turn-around of a plan left behind in wreckage after the Herm Edwards age finished specifically as everyone mentioned it will.