ORLANDO — Amid the proliferation of early-season walkover games, the few high-level matchups that exist can take on exaggerated importance. They feel so definitive, even if they sometimes aren’t. Preseason optimism only grows for the winners while it evaporates for the losers.
That’s why fans of No. 5 LSU beat a hasty retreat from Camping World Stadium in the fourth quarter, their pace of exit powered by fresh disgust. And it’s why No. 8 Florida State fans howled and whooped and Tomahawk Chopped late into the night in and around the stadium after a 45–24 beatdown of the Tigers.
Stow away the palpable emotions of the night, and this is the truth: a top-10 showdown in Week 1 is not a must-win game in the College Football Playoff Era. The loser is rarely, if ever, evicted from the playoff race. (Although LSU coach Brian Kelly came close to declaring that the purple-and-gold world has ended as we know it. More on that later.)
