TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Bobby Bowden didn't think about it at the time. Looking back, though, Florida State's late-game goal line stand could maybe, just maybe, be the difference between a trip to the Orange Bowl, home of this year's national championship game, and a lesser BCS bowl.

After all, a 30-7 win over the nation's fourth-ranked team is certainly more impressive than a 30-14 win. And nobody really knows how that fuzzy BCS math works anyway.

"At first I just wanted to keep them off the board, hold them to just one score, Bowden said. "But after I thought about it, yes, that could be the difference."

Bowden said earlier this week that under his calculations, if Florida State was to beat Florida, the third-ranked Seminoles should leapfrog No. 2 Miami, thus securing a spot in Miami.

After Saturday's convincing win, one that will not only help the Seminoles out in the polls but in strength of schedule as well, he reiterated that belief.

"I guess it all comes down to the computer now," Bowden said. "I like that. I'd rather have the computer decide than the people because people have their own biases.

"But that computer better not betray me this year."

While top-ranked Oklahoma faces Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship on Dec. 2, the regular season is over for Florida State. Miami still has Boston College on the schedule, but beating the Eagles isn't like beating a top-five national power and a win isn't likely to push the Canes back over FSU. Thus the only way both Florida schools would make the championship game is a Miami win and if the Sooners lose.

It's a scenario that at least one Seminole, senior wide receiver Marvin "Snoop" Minnis, is hoping for. Miami beat the Seminoles 27-24 earlier this year when a last-second field goal attempt by Florida State sailed wide right.

"I really want to play Miami -- I do," Minnis said. "We didn't play our best game against them that day. We're playing our best football now."

Quarterback Chris Weinke agrees.

"We would love the chance to face them again with the national championship on the line," he said. "It would be a lot of fun to face the only team that beat us this season with a shot at the title."

Two-headed monster, take two
Florida coach Steve Spurrier wasn't kidding this week when he said it didn't matter who started for the Gators at quarterback.

Spurrier went with freshman Rex Grossman at the start of Saturday's game -- for all of one play. After Grossman handed off to Robert Gillespie, he hit the bench, replaced by senior Jesse Palmer.

Palmer also handed off to Gillespie to start his night, but then stayed on until the fourth quarter, completing 17-of-30 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown.

With the game all but out of hand at 27-7, Grossman came back in the fourth quarter, completing 10-of-16 for 98 yards. Both quarterbacks threw an interception.

"People are reluctant to support a two-quarterback system because it isn't done that often," Spurrier said before the game. "It's just like they used to say you can't throw the ball and win in the SEC. It's not so much traditions, but just an old way of thinking that this is what you have to do to win a championship."

Spurrier struggles
Steve Spurrier has little trouble beating up the SEC or just about anyone else he runs into, but when it comes to Florida State, he hasn't quite figured out the potion for victory.

Saturday night's loss was Spurrier's eighth to the Seminoles in 12 games. He's lost just 24 total games in his 10-year career at Florida, meaning that one-third of those losses have come to his biggest in-state rival.

"We got beat thoroughly tonight," he said in a brief postgame statement. "Give Florida State credit because we had to play our best tonight just to be in this game."

Celebrity sightings
College football's annual rivalry brought about a host of celebrities, including baseball free-agent extraordinaire Alex Rodriguez, who was spotted outside the press entrance to Doak Campbell Stadium two hours prior to kickoff.

Also in attendance were newfound Florida political celebrities, including governor Jeb Bush, Secretary of State Katherine Harris and about 60 other legislators.

Inside the numbers
With Saturday's 353-yard performance, Chris Weinke became the ACC's career passing yardage leader. ... Weinke also became just the second quarterback to pass for over 9,500 career yards and win a national championship. Florida's Danny Wuerffel was the other. ... Florida receiver Jabar Gaffney seven receptions gives him 66 on the year, breaking the SEC freshman record. ... The last time Florida State held the Gators to seven points or less was in the 1964. ... With the win, FSU has not lost at home in 51 consecutive games dating back to 1991. ... The game marked the end of the regular season for Florida's State's senior class, which is 56-6 over their five-year career. The group has played in three national championship games, winning one title last year. ... Saturday's attendance of 83,042 was a Doak Campbell Stadium record.

Sign of the times
Sign of the night OK, so maybe all the wisecracks about the presidential election are getting old, but the sign of one Florida State fan Saturday night was perfect. "Hey BCS: Keep counting until Florida State wins."

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer at ESPN.com.