FSU Head Coach Jimbo Fisher isn't worried about team's poll ranking
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The Florida State Seminoles (9-0, 7-0 ACC) remain No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series poll, following its 59-3 victory over Wake Forest University.
Head coach Jimbo Fisher said he was proud of his team’s performance and ability to remain focused in all three phases of the game.
“We came out extremely efficient early in the game,” Fisher said. “This team is doing a real nice job of eliminating that clutter.”
“Clutter” is a buzzword around the program as the team tries to remain focused on weekly progress.
Fisher refers to any hype surrounding the team’s chance of possibly being in the BCS National Championship as clutter.
Stanford University’s win over the University of Oregon helped FSU keep a lock on the No. 2 spot in the BCS poll.
However, junior running back Karlos Williams reiterated Fisher’s words and remained unmoved by the polls.
“It’s clutter,” Williams said. “You can’t play football with a cluttered mind. There’s other stuff I have to take care of besides worry about the BCS standings.”
Oregon’s loss also allowed other teams to improve their rank in the BCS' top five.
Alabama stayed at No. 1 after its win over rival Louisiana State University.
Ohio State University moved up to No. 3. Stanford, the only one-loss team in the top five, is now No. 4, and Baylor University advanced past Oregon to claim the No. 5 spot following a 41-12 rout of Oklahoma University.
If the ‘Noles can win the rest of their games this season, they will likely find themselves in their first national championship since 2000.
However, Outland Trophy candidate and junior defensive tackle Tim Jernigan is also dismissing the “clutter.”
Jernigan, who leads FSU's defensive linemen in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss, said he has been trying to stay away from all media outlets and “all the extra stuff.”
“It’s a good thing that they’re talking (about us),” Jernigan said. “But at the end of the day, you just have to stay humble and stay within the team.”
After defeating Wake Forest, Fisher improved his win percentage to .800, as he has amassed 40 wins to only 10 losses in his tenure as FSU’s head coach.
Even with all the success, Fisher’s mentality is to take it one game at a time.
“I don’t think about it,” Fisher said. “I try to live in the moment and learn from preparation.”
Fisher is preparing his team for its final ACC contest against Syracuse University. With a win, the ‘Noles will have their first 10-0 start since 1999, which was the last time the team won a national championship.