Miami might wake up Monday morning as the top-ranked team in college football.

Florida State might still be arguing about how Saturday night's game ended.

And honestly, both situations are pretty understandable.

The third-ranked Hurricanes survived an absolutely ridiculous rivalry game against Florida State, winning 43-35 in double overtime and remaining undefeated.

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The Seminoles fell to 3-4.

And after Georgia and Notre Dame both lost Saturday, the Hurricanes suddenly have an excellent opportunity to claim the No. 1 ranking for the first time since 2002.

But the biggest discussion coming out of Hard Rock Stadium isn't simply Miami's potential rise.

It's the final play.

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Because Florida State believes it should have had a touchdown.

The officials ruled otherwise.

And that decision ended the game.

One Play, Two Very Different Opinions
Here's what happened.

Miami scored a touchdown in the second overtime when Darian Mensah connected with Malachi Toney from three yards out.

Toney then threw a successful two-point conversion pass to Cooper Barkate.

That gave Miami a 43-35 lead.

Florida State needed a touchdown and two-point conversion to extend the game.

Quarterback Ashton Daniels initially appeared to complete an improbable fourth-and-21 pass to Duce Robinson for a touchdown.

But officials called holding on Florida State.

The play didn't count.

That left the Seminoles facing an even more desperate situation.

Daniels launched another pass into the end zone.

Multiple players converged on the football.

Miami defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald came away with it.

The officials ruled interception.

The play went to review.

The ruling stood.

Miami won.

Florida State was furious.

And suddenly, one of the best rivalry games of the season ended with everybody arguing about who actually possessed the football.

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Mike Norvell Wasn't Happy
Florida State coach Mike Norvell made his frustration clear afterward.

He argued that simultaneous possession should favor the offensive player.

And he questioned whether the officials had sufficient evidence to rule that Miami secured the interception.

Quarterback Daniels also believed Florida State had scored.

That's their perspective.

But here's the important distinction.

The officials ruled that Fitzgerald intercepted the pass.

Replay upheld that decision.

That doesn't automatically mean every viewer will agree with the call.

But it also doesn't establish that Florida State was robbed.

Those are two different things.

And without definitive evidence that the officials applied the rules incorrectly, declaring the game stolen would be irresponsible.

There are legitimate questions about the final sequence.

There were also approximately four quarters of football before it.

Florida State had opportunities to win long before the final play.

Florida State Had Its Chances
Here's what makes the loss particularly frustrating for the Seminoles.

They competed.

They made big plays.

And they repeatedly responded when Miami appeared ready to take control.

Daniels threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns.

Robinson caught two late touchdown passes, including a 75-yard score that tied the game with 2:49 remaining in regulation.

That's an impressive response against one of the nation's best teams.

But Florida State also made costly decisions.

The Seminoles failed on two fourth-down attempts inside Miami's five-yard line.

Those are enormous missed opportunities.

Especially in a game that eventually required overtime.

Now, I'm not automatically opposed to aggressive fourth-down decisions.

Sometimes going for a touchdown is the right call.

But when those decisions fail, the coach has to accept the consequences.

And Norvell has enough problems without another game slipping away because his team couldn't capitalize near the goal line.

Miami Has Some Serious Offensive Talent
Let's give the Hurricanes credit.

Mensah completed 23 of 34 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. He also threw the critical two-point conversion in overtime.

Toney was outstanding. The standout receiver caught 11 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Javian Mallory added 108 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

That's a pretty impressive collection of offensive performances.

And Miami needed every bit of it.

The Hurricanes weren't particularly dominant.

They didn't overwhelm Florida State.

They simply made enough plays to survive.

That's important.

Because championship contenders aren't going to win every game by three touchdowns.

Sometimes they have to find a way through ugly, uncomfortable situations.

Miami did that Saturday.

But the Hurricanes also exposed some weaknesses that better opponents could exploit. Miami Hurricanes

The No. 1 Ranking Is Suddenly Available
Here's where Saturday's result becomes a national story.

Five of the top seven teams lost.

According to the Associated Press, that had never happened on the same regular-season Saturday in the poll's history.

Georgia lost to Auburn.

Notre Dame lost to BYU.

Indiana lost to Ohio State.

Alabama lost to Tennessee.

Texas lost to Florida.

Miami survived.

The Hurricanes are now 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the ACC.

And they have a legitimate argument for becoming No. 1.

But they're not the only team with a case.

Ohio State beat Indiana.

BYU beat Notre Dame.

Texas Tech remained undefeated.

Utah remained undefeated.

So while Miami appears positioned to climb, nothing is official until Sunday's AP poll is released.

And considering what happened to the last two teams ranked No. 1, maybe Miami fans shouldn't be in too much of a hurry to celebrate.

Texas lost to an unranked Oklahoma team last week.

Georgia lost to unranked Auburn this week.

That's the first time since 1990 that the top-ranked team has lost to an unranked opponent in consecutive weeks.

Not exactly a comforting trend for whoever takes over.

Florida State's Coaching Situation Isn't Getting Easier
Now let's talk about Norvell.

Because this is becoming a serious problem.

Florida State is 3-4.

The Seminoles are 1-3 in ACC play.

And while Saturday's performance was competitive, the result was another loss.

Norvell's team has now lost 22 of its last 32 games.

That's an ugly stretch for a program with Florida State's history and expectations.

Yes, the Seminoles played hard.

Yes, they nearly upset an undefeated rival.

And yes, the final officiating decision was controversial.

But moral victories only go so far.

At some point, Florida State has to start winning football games.

And Norvell knows that.

The Seminoles have an open week before hosting Clemson on October 31.

That's another significant test.

If Florida State continues losing, the pressure on the coaching staff will only intensify.

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