Florida State Football: 'Noles Unfazed by Latest Rankings Changes

The Florida State football team has opened 4-0 and has remained No. 1 in the AP poll but dropped to No. 2 in the coaches poll.

Still, coach Jimbo Fisher and the players have chosen to ignore the rankings and the changes.

"We can't control the polls," Fisher said. "All we have to do is keep winning. If we keep winning and doing what we do, we'll be fine."

One starter, tailback Karlos Williams, said Monday night that he didn't even know about the drop in the coaches poll until the topic was brought up by a reporter.

"It's about playing football," Williams said. "It's about wins and losses. We don't pay attention to it. It's called clutter."

Fisher loves to use the word "clutter" to describe what he considers unnecessary chatter about the program. He prefers to focus on improving his team and the program while preparing for Saturday's opponent.

FSU has been able to survive a challenging first month of the season, which has included "clutter" from the suspensions of wide receiver Jesus "Bobo" Wilson for the season opener and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston for the Clemson game.

The Seminoles' 4-0 start has extended FSU's winning streak to 20 games. But a year after winning 12 of 14 games by 30 or more points, FSU escaped with a six-point win over Oklahoma State at Arlington, Texas, held off Clemson for a six-point overtime win and trailed 24-7 at North Carolina State before rallying to win 56-41.

FSU has won all three of its games against Football Bowl Subdivision teams while short-handed. Along with the suspensions of Wilson and Winston, three key Seminoles—defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. (concussion), defensive tackle Nile Lawrence-Stample (torn pectoral) and tailback Mario Pender (concussion)—missed the NC State game with injuries. Lawrence-Stample is out for the season.

Players feel like their mettle should be rewarded. Instead, it's been met by doubt.

"I don't have no doubts about Florida State," Williams said.

Some voters, however, do have doubts. Voters like style points, and FSU hasn't been winning like the 2013 team. FSU's win over the Wolfpack required a second-half rally, and despite putting up 535 total offensive yards and eight touchdowns, voters have adjusted their ballots.

FSU received 26 first-place votes in the coaches poll, a drop from the 36 first-place votes from the Sept. 21 poll. The Seminoles are still winning, but they are lacking when it comes to style points, a measure that is intangible but also clearly essential to voters.

"People can put us at 25; I really don't care," safety Tyler Hunter said. "We're still undefeated. We have to go out this week and play the game."

The polls don't hold quite the weight they once did. The BCS standings are now a thing of the past, and the four teams that earn spots in the College Football Playoff will be picked by a selection committee following the conference championship games on Dec. 7. The committee's first picks will be released on Oct. 28.

Up next for FSU is a home game with Wake Forest and then a road trip to Syracuse on Oct. 11. A potential top-10 showdown with Notre Dame (4-0) on Oct. 18 in Tallahassee, Florida, looms—a game that could feature two unbeaten teams that will have a tremendous impact on the national championship picture.

Bob Ferrante is the Florida State Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bob on Twitter. All statistics are courtesy of seminoles.com. All recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.