The buzz surrounding the future of Jimbo Fisher in Tallahassee has drowned out most of the chatter regarding bowl streaks.
But Florida State still has one game left in the regular season, and it will determine whether or not the Seminoles will be playing over the holidays.
The 'Noles need to beat the University of Louisiana-Monroe Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium to extend their streak to 36 straight years of heading to a bowl game.
Originally, there were no plans to reschedule this game after it was postponed due to Hurricane Irma.
That was until it became clear the Seminoles weren't going to reach the six wins needed to qualify for bowl eligibility unless they played ULM.
Being invited to a bowl game would give FSU players an additional 15 practices and allow underclassmen to continue their growth on the field heading into next season.
"You can develop young guys, work on specific things you have," Fisher said. "It's a huge deal in their development."
With a loss, Florida State would have its first losing season since Bobby Bowden's first year as head coach in 1976 (not counting 2006 and 2007, when wins were taken away from Bowden by the NCAA due to an academic scandal).
Saturday's game is set for a noon kickoff and will air on ACC Network Extra.
That last sentence says all you need to know about how highly anticipated this matchup is.
The Seminoles opened as 27 point favorites over the Warhawks, who enter the game with a 4-7 record and the second worst defense in the nation (534.6 yards allowed per game).
Meanwhile, Florida State's defense was at its best in last week's 38-22 win at Florida, taking control of the rivalry game early on with three first half takeaways, including two which were returned for touchdowns.
Sophomore defensive end Brian Burns continued his strong finish to the season with five tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble that was returned for FSU's first touchdown of the afternoon.
True freshman quarterback James Blackman had one of his best performances in the win over the Gators, even if his statistics weren't pretty (10-21, 128 passing yards, 2 TD, INT).
"No matter what you've done, you have to remember every time you touch the ball, there's going to be a responsibility," Fisher said. "I think that's where he's grown. Truly understanding the magnitude of that and every decision you make, you're making so many as a young player. The way you're handing the ball off, making a run check, which he did in that game a couple of times, made a couple big run checks that we split out."
Cam Akers will also have an opportunity to show his growth Saturday and could etch himself a spot in Seminoles history.
Akers is just 76 rushing yards away from passing Greg Allen for the second most rushing yards in a season as a true freshman, and Akers could even eclipse Dalvin Cook's record of 1,008 yards if he runs wild for more than 195 yards in the regular season finale.
"When you get on those kind of lists with those kinds of people, it's not just talent that puts you there," Fisher said. "It's character, it's toughness, it's discipline, it's sacrifice. I think what those young guys realize, those numbers around here by some of those guys, how they're earned. God blessed you, but they also have a special inside to be be able to get to that level."
Here's more on Florida State's final game of the regular season, and possibly Fisher's last game as the Seminoles' head coach.
MATCHUP TO WATCH:
FSU FANS VS. JIMBO FISHER
Let's face it: Florida State should win this one just by showing up.
What will be more interesting to keep an eye on is how Seminoles fans greet Coach Fisher throughout the course of the afternoon.
Jimbo has restored this program to greatness and proven the 'Noles can be perennial contenders in a post-Bowden world.
So even if it becomes clear he's leaving, will fans still love him or begin to loathe him?
Substantiated news may surface concerning where Fisher will be next year before the game is actually played.
Whether it does or not, the cheers or boos Fisher receives will be the most interesting aspect of Saturday's game.
X-FACTOR:
JACQUES PATRICK- FLORIDA STATE
Jimbo Fisher has gone out of his way to praise the play of senior running back Jacques Patrick, who will be playing his final game at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Patrick has shown grit in his return from what was originally believed to be a season-ending injury, and it's been fun to see him succeed late in the season after his return.
The Timber Creek High School graduate posted 67 yards (64 after contact) on 15 carries in the Florida win, and it would be great to see him top 100 yards in his swan song.
"I was very proud of the way he ran in the game," Fisher said. "He was huge in the game. The big run we don't think about was the third and 15 after the called touchdown back that we end up getting the third touchdown to go ahead. They went to a blitz, we checked into a run, made a guy miss, made a 14-yard run. We were able to score a touchdown instead of having to kick a field goal there. Also a huge play, the check-down, the run. He's doing a great job."
THE PICK:
FLORIDA STATE 55, ULM 10
If this is Fisher's final game as a head coach, at least he'll leave with a dominant performance, albeit against an extremely overmatched opponent.
The Seminoles salvage a disastrous start to the season with three wins in their last four games (including one over Florida) to get to six wins and keep the bowl streak alive.
I'm sure fans will be sitting at the edge of their seats to find out whether they'll be making the trip to Shreveport for the Independence Bowl, Annapolis for the Military Bowl, or Charlotte for the Belk Bowl!