.David Hale, ESPN Staff WriterSep 14, 2024, 06:14 PM ETCloseCollege football reporter.Joined ESPN in 2012. Graduate of the University of Delaware.If university football were a cartoon, there would've been a minute final December, after the board brushed off an undefeated Florida State team from the playoff, when Mike Norvell would certainly've ended this was as bad as points might obtain, all while unknowingly standing up under a piano perilously being uplifted to a 20th-floor window.Of training program, after Fla State was up to Norvell's past school, Memphis, 20-12 on Saturday, it is actually completely feasible the Seminoles would certainly choose the piano to reality.Nine months ago, Florida State had the world's sympathy-- at the very least the portion of the planet that don't shout "S-E-C, S-E-C" at wedding events, funerals and kids's events. It was actually quick and easy to like that crew. It was actually a team that combated harder after losing QB Jordan Travis, that provided all it had to always keep gaining, that skipped its shot at the playoff not due to its very own mistakes yet because of the board's whim.Editor's Picks1 RelatedNow, there is actually no compassion. There is just an unusual mix of shame, disappointment and darker wit, like spilling an alcoholic beverage down the front of your pants.The beneficiary of the committee's decision was Alabama, as well as traits might've effortlessly switched toward a bleak 2024 for the Trend, as well. They lost their playoff game, swung adieu to the best coach in the sport's background, at that point viewed an exodus of gamers right into the website, including five that left behind for Tallahassee.And yet, on the exact same time Florida Condition hit a brand-new low point, Alabama bent the same muscle mass it therefore usually did under Nick Saban, obliterating Wisconsin 42-10 behind a five-touchdown functionality coming from Jalen Milroe.In a much more merely globe, Fla State might possess gained a little bit of good aura after the outrage of its playoff snub. In an even more fair globe, Alabama might, just once, be dealt a bad hand.But college volleyball has shown, over and over, it does not care about justness, but it performs possess one heck of a feeling of humor.So in Madison, the Tide involved receive down.Alabama gamers leap all around during the course of Jump Around pic.twitter.com/OytiNveT43u2014 Patrick Greenfield (@PCGreenfield) September 14, 2024 As well as in Tallahassee, Florida State is ready to pack it up as well as load it in.For Alabama, the roster turn over only opened space for new stars, like fresher recipient Ryan Williams, that caught 4 balls for 78 yards as well as a touchdown in Saturday's gain. Williams is actually simply 17-- born just seven months before Saban trained his first activity at Alabama, certainly not aged sufficient to also remember there was actually a time something like an 0-3 start would be inconceivable at Florida State.For FSU, there's no clear pathway onward. DJ Uiagalelei has been bad, the ground video game has summoned bit, the outrageous line that was intended typically be a durability obtained manhandled through a Group of 5 program, and the defense, which played its own greatest activity Sunday, still has lots of holes. For the Seminoles, the only silver edging to derive from this difficult beginning to the time is it might have lowered the system's media valuation enough that it can escape the ACC for a regular departure fee and also some Kohl's cash.Nine months earlier, there could be a reasonable debate regarding the relative resumu00e9s of Alabama and Fla Condition. On Sunday, in the course of office breaks of the Tide's clunk of Wisconsin, it was actually achievable to flip between ads for "9-1-1: Lone Star" including a large learn derailment and an FSU game including a much more horrible learn wreck.To witness what is actually become of Florida Condition while since the committee provided its own judgment is actually tough to know, a barrage of ceaseless misery typically booked for "Saw" movies or even minor climate concerns at LAX.But it deserves looking at exactly how utterly incomprehensible it is actually for Alabama to be below, as well-- 3-0 along with a street gain in Big Ten nation simply months after Saban's exit. Alabama has actually been the model for sustained achievement for a production, and that uniformity was generally credited to Saban's relentlessness. Yet also he reached a factor in which it was actually opportunity for something brand new, as well as but Alabama goes on connecting along-- one dominant succeed after one more, as trusted as the sunrise.None of this is actually proof the committee got its choice straight, naturally. That was last time-- a different crew, a various time. Yet it is verification that in this chaotic sporting activity, effectiveness is fleeting as well as option frequently brushes past like a Fla Condition linebacker missing a take on at the line of scrimmage.And also at a place like Alabama, a course that has stood up certainly versus the winds of adjustment for 16 years right now, it's regularly far better to appreciate the advantages while you possess all of them. Since if there is actually just about anything we have actually learned from enjoying Fla Condition these past nine months it's this: It may constantly acquire worse.Jump to: LSU survives|Feel shifts|Arizona's best staff The first 56 moments of Saturday's video game versus South Carolina was far coming from enjoyable for LSU.A set of special crews gaffes, two turnovers and also some big runs by Gamecocks QB LaNorris Sellers had the Tigers having fun catchup typically. South Carolina leapt out to a 24-10 top, found LSU draw in advance temporarily in the 4th one-fourth, then saw Rocket Sanders take off for a 66-yard score.play1:20 Jumping block refuses LSU punting, puts together South Carolina TDMaurice Brown II obstructs the LSU punting, which puts together a Raheim Sanders touchdown to pad the Gamecocks' lead.With lower than 4 mins to play, LSU tracked through four, and Brian Kelly had actually gone through all 6 phases of trouble: Disappointment, indignation, hostility, anger, asking to talk to the manager and, ultimately, considering the implementation his players.But Garrett Nussmeier used to the rescue with his 29-yard completion to Kyren Lacy to boost a 55-yard touchdown drive to place LSU up 36-33. South Carolina had one last crack at the win, attempting a 49-yard field goal as time ended, yet it skipped, providing Kelly an odds to commemorate a hard-earned win before going back to his workplace to enjoy film and howl in to a pillow.Week 3 atmosphere shiftsTrending down: Completing all your throwsThe great updates for Michigan QB Davis Warren is every successfully pass he included Michigan's 28-18 win over Arkansas State on Sunday was caught.The bad news is, three of them were gotten through Arkansas Condition players.So, below's where our team are along with the speaking up for champs: After years turning by means of a slide carousel of quarterbacks that won their placement through discovering a golden ticket under a Detroit-style pizza, the Wolverines were addressed to 2 times of J.J. McCarthy as well as assumed possibly points had changed permanently. Instead, Warren is actually balancing 6.1 yards-per-pass along with 2 touchdowns and six picks with three games.Now, USC is on deck next week, and also Michigan is left behind searching for a solution in between Warren or even Alex Orji or even to wish there's an additional QB stowed away in Jim Harbaugh's deserted storage locker responsible for those containers tagged "signs for each challenger, 2020-2023." Trending up: UNLV's scenario for Pac-12 expansionMatthew Sluka led an 18-play, 75-yard goal push that ate 9:31 off the clock in the fourth quarter Friday evening, and also UNLV distressed Kansas 23-20. It was actually the Rebels' second get an Energy 4 enemy presently this season after dumping Houston in the opener. Just how exceptional is actually that? Getting In Saturday, Northern Illinois' upset of Notre Dame was the only various other Team of 5 draw an energy conference foe.Like with just about anything in Vegas, it is actually a little skill-set as well as a lot of luck.play0:40 UNLV in some way creates wild fumble vs. KansasMatthew Sluka stumbles the ball, but somehow UNLV retains possession after the round touches a number of Kansas players' hands.Still, it's secure to state Barry Odom possesses the Rebels peaking at the right time, with UNLV's sales sound to the broadening Pac-12 currently looking rather powerful: A significant market, an excellent team, and also access to myriad all-night smorgasbords. At that point all Odom needs to perform is take that Pac-12 payment in potato chips, wager everything on dark on a solitary live roulette spin, double down 2 or even 3 additional opportunities, and also advancement-- UNLV is playing with SEC money.Land of the climbing Sunlight DevilsA year earlier, Arizona was actually the favorite of the college soccer world after a rollicking 10-3 time, while Arizona State was actually a laughing supply required to begin a chorus of battling quarterbacks potentially featuring a couple men they found waiting outside a Tempe In-N-Out Burger.What a distinction a year makes.Arizona swayed bye-bye to move instructor Jedd Fisch, that left for Washington, and opened this time along with 2 ineffectual gain New Mexico as well as Northern Arizona prior to being up to Kansas State 31-7 on Friday. It was Arizona's worst offensive performance considering that being actually shut out at Colorado in 2021. The Sunshine Devils, on the other hand, located a QB in Sam Leavitt as well as are riding higher after knocking off Texas State on Thursday 31-28, starting 3-0 for the first time since 2019. Arizona Condition is the shock staff of 2024 up until now (unless you consider bad shocks, which Florida Condition hopes you don't), as well as Dillingham's turn-around of a course left in ruin after the Herm Edwards time finished exactly as everyone said it would certainly.