Florida State, Notre Dame meet once again with poll implications
21 years after the last time the two schools met with national title hopes on the line, the Seminoles and Fighting Irish take to the gridiron Saturday night in Tallahassee.
Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) drops back to pass against the Syracuse Orange during the second quarter at the Carrier Dome, Oct 11, 2014, in Syracuse, NY.
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports/REUTERS
It's another big weekend of college football, with the biggest game taking place Saturday night in Tallahassee, Florida, between Florida State, ranked No. 2 by The Associated Press, and fifth-ranked Notre Dame.
The game will be played at 8 p.m. Eastern time and can be seen on ABC.
Both schools have been championship contenders in the past and this year is no different. Notre Dame has won 11 national championships, the last of which occurred in 1988. The Seminoles have three, beginning in 1993 and most recently last year. Past college football champions have been determined by finishing on top of the national polls after holiday season bowl games. This season will be the first where a selection committee will pick the teams to compete for the national title by way of a bowl game playoff series, leading to a championship game.
The last time these two schools met with so much on the line was in 1993. Florida State was top ranked and Notre Dame No. 2 as they headed into a mid-November showdown. The Fighting Irish would come out on top that day, but the Seminoles would take home the national championship trophy after winning the Orange Bowl the following January.
Both Notre Dame and Florida State are currently in the playoff picture, with identical 6-0 records. Both teams are led by athletic quarterbacks who can make plays by running and passing the football. Both Florida State's Jameis Winston and Everett Gholston of Notre Dame wear the number 5 on their respective jerseys.
Other games worth watching Saturday include No. 7 Alabama hosting 21st-ranked Texas A&M (3:30 p.m. Eastern time on CBS), No. 11 Oklahoma versus No. 14 Kansas State (Noon ET on ESPN), 12th-ranked Texas Christian taking on No. 15 Oklahoma State (4 p.m. Eastern on Fox Sports 1), and No. 17 Arizona State playing host to No. 23 Stanford (10:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN).