College Basketball

Who Should FSU Fans Root For in CFB Playoff Title Game?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:55 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Jason Parker/FanSided via Chop Chat

FSU fans will be watching Alabama and Clemson play for the national title for a second straight season – and wondering who to root for.

For the third time in the last four seasons, it will be a matchup of the ACC against the SEC for the college football national championship – and a battle Alabama and Clemson for the second straight time. Those two teams are familiar to fans of FSU football for a variety of reasons.

There are going to be some in Garnet and Gold who will find themselves cheering for the Crimson Tide to bring home a fourth title in the last six seasons, while others will be rooting on the Tigers in their quest for a first title in 35 seasons.

Needless to say, there is an argument to be made for both sides. Here are the reasons why you should root for each team come Monday night in Tampa.

Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Bo Scarbrough (9) celebrates with head coach Nick Saban and linebacker Ryan Anderson (22) after winning the 2016 CFP semifinal at the Peach Bowl against the Washington Huskies at the Georgia Dome. Alabama won 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

If you’re a true Seminole, you’re cheering for the Tide.

Unlike other conferences that pay too much attention to rooting for teams just because they are in the same conference, the ACC tends to be free spirits – with fan bases openly rooting against each other in games such as this.

After the Tigers defeated the Seminoles each of the last two years, why would we want to support them at all? We should want them to suffer with the same kind of pain that we felt this past October in a three point loss.

There is no better team to inflict that pain than the one Nick Saban has put together as he goes for his sixth national title all time (fifth with Alabama). You look at what’s going on with this team and they may be the best of the recent champs – even while being led by a freshman quarterback.

On top of that, fans of FSU should want the Crimson Tide to be riding high entering the 2017 season – when they will open the year against the Seminoles in Atlanta. If the ‘Noles can defeat the back-to-back champs, they put themselves in the drivers seat for the playoffs next year.

Dec 31, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; The Clemson Tigers celebrate after the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2016 CFP semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Clemson Tigers won 31-0. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The world NEEDS Alabama to lose, so we must all cheer for a Tigers win!

On this very site, we have taken shots at conferences like the SEC and Big Ten for the seemingly dumb idea of rooting for a conference rival to succeed because it will make the rest of the conference “look good”. With that being said, think about what a Clemson win would do for the ACC.

Already having the best bowl season in their history, the ACC has spent most of the last 25 seasons being incorrectly thought of as FSU and the eight dwarfs at the start (now 13). Even with the success of teams like Clemson and Virginia Tech, the lack of national titles from non-Tallahassee schools has hurt its reputation.

Clemson is fully capable of beating Alabama – especially since they are being led by the player who should have won the Heisman Trophy, quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Tigers have a basic idea of what they will see from last year’s game, and one of the hardest things to do in college football is beat the same team twice.

A win by the Tigers would give the ACC two of the last four titles and solidify its place as one of the best – if not THE best – conferences in college football. More importantly, it would restore humanity and slay the evil empire dragon that is Alabama football.

Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive end DeMarcus Walker (44) and head coach Jimbo Fisher (R) celebrate after defeating the Michigan Wolverines 33-32 at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

We’re FSU football fans…we don’t root for anyone else unless they are playing Florida or Miami!

We have plenty of good reasons to dislike both teams…Clemson slightly more since we play them each year and haven’t met the Crimson Tide since the 2007 season. But still, watching them win those titles and Nick Saban be his usual jerk self has made us dislike them just as much as other teams.

So instead of picking a side just because you think it’s the popular thing to do, go ahead and root against both teams. Root for each team to commit a turnover on each drive…or maybe root for the officials. Hell, you can even root for a sinkhole to open up inside Raymond James Stadium and swallow both teams whole!

The only time we move our allegiances from the garnet and gold even for a moment is when a team is playing our two hated rivals. Since neither the Crocs or Tropical Storms are playing in this one, there is no reason to stray from the herd.

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