Florida State And The National Championship: The Complete History

Which came first, the Florida State Seminoles getting good enough to win national championships, or FSU joining the Atlantic Coast Conference?

The question remains open for debate. The 1990 and 1991 Seminole teams came close to conquering Miami to rank No. 1 by the end of two seasons, without a College Football Playoff to settle the score. But it was following the ACC's welcome in 1992 that FSU became a dynasty, winning seven bowl games in 10 seasons while earning national championships in 1993 and 1999.

Head coach Bobby Bowden's team needed to win two dramatic games to lift those trophies. In 1993, FSU players were reckless enough to chirp that the No. 2-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers hailed "from down on the farm," which inspired Tom Osbourne's underdogs (+17.5) to play scrappy offense and furious defense, procuring a one-point lead late in the fourth quarter. Florida State kicker Scott Bentley nailed a 22-yard field goal with 21 seconds left to give FSU its first of three national championships in college football.

Bowden's 1993 champions set new national records on offense and defense. Starting quarterback Charlie Ward won the Heisman Trophy while also preparing to lead the FSU Seminoles Men's Basketball team to March Madness success, becoming one of the era's most prominent multi-sport athletes. Defensive back Corey Sawyer snagged an ACC-high six interceptions for the 1993 Seminoles, going on to play six NFL seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets.

The program's second run to a national title in 1999 looked easy, at least when it came to the final scores. Led by QB Chris Weinke and a bruising defense, the Seminoles made history by going wire-to-wire with a No. 1 ranking while winning 12 straight games by an average margin of about 22 points. But it was the national championship game against Virginia Tech that fit the motto, "It was closer than the score indicates."

FSU raced out to a 28-7 lead in the championship game. The Virginia Tech Hokies, however, had a young quarterback at the helm named Michael Vick. Vick produced over 300 combined yards and led Virginia Tech to a thrilling third-quarter comeback, giving the Hokies a brief 29-28 lead going into the final frame. Weinke hit wide receivers Ron Dugans and Peter Warrick for fourth-quarter TDs and a two-point conversion, combining with future NFL placekicker Sebastian Janikowski's field goal to add up to a 46-29 Sugar Bowl victory.

Janikowski won 1999's Lou Groza Award as the top PK in college pigskin. Warrick went on to have a solid NFL career, but it was his teammate Anquan Boldin who became a Pro Bowl performer in later years.

FSU hadn't exactly fallen on hard times in the late 2000s. Coach Bowden never finished a season with a losing record following his debut team's 5-6 mark in 1976. But by 2012, following 35 losses in a span of seven seasons from 2005-11, the Seminoles were ripe for an upgrade. New HC Jimbo Fisher found just that in quarterback Jameis Winston, who was about to lead FSU to its third national championship.

Fisher's team put the FBS on notice in 2012, winning an ACC championship and the Orange Bowl with Winston as a redshirt understudy. When the blue-chip NFL prospect took over the helm in 2013, the FSU Seminoles soared to a 12-0 season record. They then defeated Duke 45-7 in the ACC Championship Game, and qualified to face Auburn in a battle of No. 1 versus No. 2 in the BCS National Championship. Florida State's eventual 14-0 squad finished the season as the highest-scoring team in Division I history.

Auburn still put up a fight for the ages. Winston led two fourth-quarter comebacks in a game that the No. 2-ranked Tigers led most of the way, hitting WR Kelvin Benjamin with just 13 seconds to go to give FSU a 34-31 win and another national title. Winston was honored with a Heisman Trophy and the MVP award. 

The bookends remain in place for Tallahassee's finest to ascend in the CFP. Eastern football has gotten stronger as programs migrate away from the West in conference affiliation. Florida State's powerful recruiting rankings combine with a solid foundation for NIL deals and efficiency.

Most of all, the CFP's new format will help teams from power conferences like the ACC. Not only by letting more ACC representatives into each bracket, but by giving high seeds easier games against mid-major visitors and the momentum of playoff victories going into the College Football Playoff's final rounds. 

It's not a question of whether Florida State will finish ranked No. 1 again. It's a question of when, and of whom the university's next national championship hero of the gridiron will be.