Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.
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Dolphins continue to roll, but tough road looms
All certainly is great for the Dolphins at the moment.
Miami won its fifth straight game on Sunday, easily dispatching the Houston Texans to take advantage of a recent schedule that also featured the Browns, Bears, Lions and Steelers.
Kudos should go to Miami for taking advantage of that schedule and winning those games, because those teams still feature professionals and it’s not easy to win five games in a row in the NFL.
But things are about to get a lot tougher for the 8-3 Dolphins.
Miami will hit the road for three straight games, the first two being back-to-back treks across the country to play the 49ers in San Francisco and the Chargers in Los Angeles.
Then, the Dolphins will have to get their winter gear out of the closets for a December showdown in Buffalo.
By the time the Dolphins return home to play Green Bay on Christmas Day, we should fully know what their prospects for an AFC East title are.
Seminoles end losing streak to Gators, but Clemson loss could be hurtful
The good news for Florida State — OK, the best news — was that the Seminoles finished the season 9-3 and ended a three-game losing streak to rival Florida by knocking off the Gators, 45-38, in Tallahassee on Friday.
Fans stormed the field and the Seminoles rightly celebrated not only beating a rival, but the end of a turnaround season.
However, the bad news is that Clemson’s loss to South Carolina on Saturday might mean the Seminoles go to a lesser bowl.
Had Clemson finished the season with one-loss, it could’ve been in the mix for a College Football Playoff Spot, which might have put Florida State in a New Year’s Six Bowl.
But with Clemson eliminated from the playoff, the winner of the ACC Championship game between the Tigers and North Carolina will get what’s likely to be the ACC’s lone spot in a New Year’s Six game.
UCF earns rematch with Tulane
It wasn’t for easy for Central Florida in the “War on I-4″ game against South Florida, but the Knights prevailed, 46-39, to advance to the American Athletic Conference Championship game.
Had the Knights beaten Navy the week prior, they would be hosting the game.
Instead, UCF will once again have to travel to Tulane, where UCF earned a 38-31 win on Dec. 12.