Canes Beat Noles, No Apologies Needed; Let’s Unpack It

Ok, so I have now taken the necessary time to digest what I saw at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night. On some nights, the processing can begin immediately after the game. On others, it takes over a full day to recover.

This weekend, it was the latter for me.

Let’s start with the final score. Canes 43, Noles 35.

Yes, Miami was favored by over three touchdowns. But when has that ever mattered in this rivalry? These teams circle this game every year when the schedule comes out, and the sole goal for the team in the series that is down and out, is to ruin the team chasing a title.

In some years, that meant the Canes trying to upset the Noles. In this season, it meant FSU trying to derail what has so far, been a perfect Miami season.

Anyone that watched the Seminoles play through the first five games of their season, knew that the betting line meant nothing. This team was one that looked more than formidable against SMU, Alabama, and Louisville, in spurts. This was not an untalented roster.

The thing that has held FSU back, has been their lack of discipline, questionable coaching calls, and eventual in-game mistakes, that ultimately has led to their demise.

The game Saturday night was no different.

The better team won, while the losing team and their fans (I remember these days), made excuses about the referees, the coaching, and ‘if we could have just made one play here, or one play there, we could have won’.

But 21-point underdogs are that, for a reason. They find ways to lose, while championship teams find ways to win. And it rarely has to do with the what-ifs.

So to begin to unpack this game, let’s start with the atmosphere. It was electric. It is always electric when these two teams face off, but for it to be one of those truly special nights, it takes more than just a rivalry game.

It takes stakes.

The two loudest games I have been to at The Rock, have been 2017 Notre Dame, and 2017 Virginia Tech. The Irish game that year, is the loudest I have ever heard a stadium. I have experienced the Orange Bowl, and many road venues that are considered to be the top and loudest stadiums in the country. That night was different.

The game Saturday falls right behind those two games for me. The reasoning is simple. As the game went on it became increasingly uncomfortable for us Canes fans. Some fanbases and teams fold under that atmosphere, but the Canes and their fans seem to thrive in it.

Give us the most dire circumstances, and helpless possible outcomes, and we come alive. Something about overcoming insurmountable odds, screams Miami, and has always been a calling card for the best moments in Canes history.

So Saturday night brought out the best in Canes fandom. A shaking stadium, where nobody could hear anything going around them. Eventually, that broke the Seminoles.

Miami will be criticized for playing down to their competition. But I see things differently. I saw the Noles playing UP to theirs.

There is no shame in struggling to win a game against your rival, where your quarterback seemed just a little off. Every title team in history was challenged on their worst days against inferior competition. It happens.

But the champions win those games.

We saw Saturday five of the top seven teams lose. Several to unranked teams. That is the beauty of college football.

So Canes fans, take a deep breath, and exhale. We woke up today as the #1 team in the country for the first time in over two decades. (More on this tomorrow).

The rest of the college world reacted like they would back in the day. Canes got lucky, Refs gave the Canes a gift. The rest of the top teams in the country lost, so you are lucky, or else you would have dropped in the rankings.

I even saw one person who shall remain nameless, say online, the Canes had to win, to protect the gambling interests in Vegas.

Imagine, people getting so dysregulated that the Canes are back on top, that they suggest Vegas was the reason for the outcome.

My response was simple. Miami was favored by three touchdowns, regardless of the outcome in overtime, Noles bettors won. Except the ones that bet FSU on the moneyline. And anyone that placed that bet, is a gambler Vegas would be happy to pay out. They may even give that gambler some bonus bets to keep them coming back.

The real reason everyone is upset, is because the Canes are back to being one of the most hated brands in college football. And they are very good. And have no shame in telling everyone they are very good. Nobody, from any fanbase, wants to see the Canes on top.

And this feeling is getting all too familiar for anyone that was alive back in the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s.

My final thought from this game would be this. Canes fans, embrace the hate. Don’t engage those who think what is happening with the current version of the Canes, is luck.

Our time has come once again, and a close win over an inferior talented rival, and everyone on the outside’s reaction, only confirms that.