TALLAHASSEE -- It has been a rough week at Florida State.

As fans have raged and mourned over a 17-16 upset loss at North Carolina State that might have ended the team’s national title hopes, the Seminoles have had to try to move on in their own way.

“After the game everyone was being kind of sad, and Bjoern [Werner] stood up like ‘we can’t let this crack become a crevice, we’ve got to step it up and move forward,” senior LB Vince Williams said. “I really wasn’t trying to hear that [right then], I was just kind of [thinking] ‘Bjoern, shut up.’ But once I got on the plane I started thinking, like, he’s right, we can’t let that change what we still can accomplish around here. I mean, we haven’t won an ACC championship since 2005 so we still want to get that.”

Not all is lost

Coach Jimbo Fisher said he is, “more encouraged, than discouraged” and reminding everyone that the Seminoles have but one unbeaten season in the school’s history.

“This was a tough thing to get over, everyone was dragging going out there today,” said junior linebacker Telvin Smith on Monday. “It’s part of the moving on process, everyone needed to refocus.”

“It’s definitely in everyone’s head,” said junior safety Terrence Brooks. “It’s tough, I mean I’m probably the worst sore loser I know. I hate losing whatsoever. You’ve just got to own it, people are always going to be down on losing but you just have to find a way to get passed it.”

One talking point Fisher and his players have agreed on is that there’s still a lot that Florida State can accomplish this season, if they can win out that is.

“There’s a lot of ball left, six games left, long season left,” Fisher said. “I’m [still excited] about our team, I look forward to seeing where things go the next six games.

“I liked the leadership after the [loss], I think they’ll step up play very well and have a great end to the season.”

That leadership, particularly from the upperclassmen, will be crucial in the coming weeks as Florida State faces an all-important two-week stretch.

While Boston College is not a particularly daunting opponent, it will give the Seminoles their best shot.

And if FSU has a tough game against BC, it could hurt the Seminoles in the polls again.

UM looming

And next week FSU will travel to Sun Life Stadium and will play Miami.

The temptation to overlook a weaker opponent, something that might have been an issue last week, is present again.

This season the Seminoles have struggled in two road trips, and coming off a tough upset with another road trip ahead, the focus will be key for the next two weeks.

“You can’t change what’s happened, what’s already in the books,” said senior placekicker Dustin Hopkins. “[But we’re] not trying to have a multiple loss season like we have in the past after one letdown.”