How Florida State can still make the CFP after devastating Week 0 loss to Georgia Tech

Florida State is heading back to the United States after getting upset in Dublin, Ireland. Certainly not an ideal start for a Seminoles team that was snubbed from the College Football Playoff last year and entering this year ranked No. 10. But are their CFP hopes dead after Week 0 alone, especially with the new 12-team Playoff?

In the four-team College Football Playoff era, one loss could've absolutely been enough to eliminate a team from CFP contention. But in this new era of the sport and the postseason, it's hard to see that being the case for Florida State, especially after only one loss to what could be an above-average Georgia Tech team.

Having said that, the margin for error is now slimmer than it was for the Seminoles entering Week 0. What do they need to happen to get a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff? Really, it's not all that complicated.

What Florida State needs to still make the College Football Playoff

To keep their CFP hopes alive and realistic, the Seminoles will likely need quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei to make major strides with his third college program in addition to seeing improvements from the run defense.

The loss to Georgia Tech is doubly costly for Florida State. Not only does it put a tally on the wrong side of the ledger overall but it also puts them at 0-1 in ACC play as well. Winning an ACC Championship was the most likely path to the College Football Playoff to begin with for the Seminoles and likely remains so. But they are behind the 8-ball there still.

With matchups against Clemson and Miami, two of the other favorites in the conference, still to come, FSU still has the room to win those games and get back into the driver's seat of the standings. Again, however, the loss to the Yellow Jackets limits their ability to slip up further and still have a reasonable chance of earning a Top 2 record in the conference and playing in the ACC Championship Game.

The case for an at-large bid is much tougher to make, though wins over Clemson and Miami would serve that purpose the same as it would in the conference. Moreover, a Nov. 9 trip to Notre Dame could also be a feather in their cap there as well.

Florida State isn't completely out of the CFP picture just yet. However, they did make their path much more perilous after Week 0, whether that's eyeing an at-large bid our an automatic qualifier spot as the ACC champs.