FSU-Wake Forest: Just How Good Are the Deacons?

Wake Forest defeated No. 21 Florida State last night at BB&T Field.

ESPN called it an upset.

Not so fast, my friend.

The Demon Deacons received very little national attention until last night, when they played 60 minutes of great football to defeat a solid Florida State team.

True, Florida State's offense was questionable all game long, largely due to poor quarterback play by Xavier Lee and Drew Weatherford.

But the Wake defense played well, allowing only two big plays.

Has everyone forgotten that the Demon Deacons are the defending ACC champions?

It has been very difficult to figure out just how good this Deacons' squad is. A week after a near upset vs. Duke, they took control of the football last night and played a solid game.

Riley Skinner's mobility was on display, and his decision-making was spot-on.  The running game improved as the game went on, and, as stated before, the defense played exceptionally well.

After starting the season with losses to Boston College and Nebraska, the Demon Deacons are on a four-game winning streak, with victories over Army, Maryland, Duke, and now Florida State.

One thing we can almost all agree on is that head coach Jim Grobe is among the best coaches in the country.

Many Wake Forest students criticize Grobe for his ultraconservative playcalling and shotgun-draw plays, but there's no doubt that his offensive philosophy is effective. 

Sure, you'll never see a Hawaii-esque 60 points from Wake, but Grobe never calls any play that could kill his team's chances of winning a game.

As a student, I've had the opportunity to see every Deacons game this season, and I strongly believe that Wake Forest deserves to be ranked.

If Riley Skinner had remained in the game in Week One, Wake could easily have pulled off the upset in Chestnut Hill. With Skinner's intangibles and pure passing ability, Wake also could have defeated Nebraska in Week Two, where they only lost by a field goal.

Had Wake Forest won those two games, they would have been ranked higher than Florida State was last night—No. 21.

Therefore, I do not see the win over Florida State as an upset. If those two games had gone differently, Wake Forest would be getting more national attention than they are now.

With last night's victory, the Deacons served notice that they're still a force in the ACC—and will contend for a conference title again this season.

I expect to see a number in front of "Wake Forest" in the not-too-distant future...and when it does show up, be prepared for the hype to surge as it did in 2006.

So go ahead:

Jump on the bandwagon before it's too late.