Allowing 41 actually wasn't too bad. It was slightly lower than the projection. FSU closed -21.5 and the total was bet up to 64.5, so that equates to 43-21.5
My sister called on Saturday morning, hoping for a positive vibe. I told her I thought we would allow something in the 50s.
I didn't see anything outrageous. We lined up in aggressive sets and simply lack manpower. Don't kid yourself, even a stacked Canes defense would have considerable trouble against a talent like Winston on the road. He actually masks some of their deficiencies. That's the troubling aspect. Florida State didn't look nearly as solid in many positions as a year ago. Next year we catch them at home but they figure to be better overall than they are right now.
I'm thrilled we beat the Gators. That was the realistic opportunity, but one that hardly was a given. We always figured to be at least a 13 point underdog at Tallahassee, and that's a severe longshot. Too many Canes fans got carried away with the early season success and had an unrealistic view of the hurdle we faced against the Seminoles.