A slice of humble pie

The GIST: In a Week 1 dominated by blowouts, Monday night’s lone game stood out as No. 10 Florida State suffered a brutal 28–13 home loss to underdog Boston College. This wasn’t just any upset, though — it’s an existential crisis for the Seminoles.

The context: Last year, FSU fans finished the regular season full of self-righteous rage after the undefeated ’Noles — reeling from star QB Jordan Travis’ season-ending injury — were snubbed by the College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee.

• Slightly humbled by their subsequent Orange Bowl smackdown, the Seminoles remained steamed. Convinced their ACC membership was partially to blame for the slight, they’re now suing the conference for the right to leave and join the SEC.

The latest: Still indignant, FSU’s overhauled roster kicked off this season in a full-blown spiral. Monday’s shocking loss comes on the heels of their Week 0 embarrassment by Georgia Tech, planting ’Noles head coach Mike Norvell directly in the hot seat.

• In the wake of those losses, Florida State fell from preseason No. 10 to completely unranked this week — they didn’t receive a single vote in yesterday’s AP poll. Pain.

Zooming out: In previous years, two losses meant a team’s shot at a CFP berth evaporated, but with this season’s field expanding from four teams to 12, that’s no longer the case — leaving hopeful ’Noles fans saying, “So you’re telling us there’s a chance?”

• If they can run the table in dominant fashion — and if Georgia Tech and Boston College continue to impress, thereby justifying FSU’s losses — the ’Noles could still find themselves in the CFP mix come December…but it’s a long shot. Who knows, anything could happen.

The GIST: Four of the country’s most elite teams — No. 1 Texas, No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Wisconsin, and No. 18 Minnesota — went head-to-head at this weekend’s Women’s College Volleyball Showcase in Milwaukee, WI, offering an illuminating peek into the season ahead.

Minnesota logs huge upset over Texas: The always-competitive Gophers are often edged out of the national spotlight by their ultra-talented Big Ten counterparts, but with Monday’s massive five-set dub over the defending champs, Minnesota proved they can beat the best. Outside hitter (OH) Julia Hanson led Minne with 19 kills, putting the volleyball world on notice.

Wisconsin takes it in the teeth: Even with a hometown crowd, the Badgers had a brutal Labor Day weekend, dropping Sunday’s match against Texas and Monday’s tilt against Stanford to start the season 0-3. Ouch.

• There’s still hope for Wisco, though — all three of their season-opening losses came against Top-5 teams, and their schedule is considerably easier from here on out.

• Another silver lining? Reigning Player of the Year Sarah Franklin is in peak form, racking up a blistering 43 (!!!) kills across the weekend’s two matches. The Badgers have some kinks to work out, but Frank’s hitting is definitely not one of ’em.

Stanford emerges victorious: Of the four teams at the Showcase, only the Cardinal finished undefeated. Stanford always starts their season with the toughest possible schedule, and so far, it’s paying off — the vibes are higher than ever.

• Also higher than ever? OH Elia Rubin’s vertical. The Card’s star captured a 19-kill double-double (double-digit kills and digs) on Sunday, then followed that up with a 20-kill double-double on Monday. Holy moly.

• Up next, Stanford’s punishing pre-conference gauntlet continues against No. 23 Marquette on FloSports at 8 p.m. ET tonight. Can’t wait.

The GIST: As preseason hype gives way to IRL results, let’s take a gut check on how NCAA athletes and teams are faring. Here’s who’s hot and who’s cold after a few weeks of fall sports action.

🔥 Cam Ward, Miami football: The Hurricanes’ QB leapt caught fire during his team’s huge road win over in-state rival Florida on Saturday. The now–No. 12 ’Canes were rewarded with a seven-point bump in yesterday’s rankings, and Ward suddenly finds himself atop Heisman Trophy watchlists.

❄️ Florida State women’s soccer: The hits keep coming for the no-luck ’Noles: After last week’s disappointing draw with now-unranked Georgia, FSU’s women’s soccer squad fell from the poll’s top spot for the first time in 11 months. Tough week for football and fútbol in Tallahassee.

❓ QR codes on helmets: This week, the NCAA banned Oklahoma State football from adding QR codes linking to the school’s NIL collective to their helmets, but public opinion on the fundraising move remains mixed. Tacky, or creative? Tell us your take by replying to this email.