Florida State finishes the season right where it began -- No. 1 in the nation and poised to complete the first wire-to-wire run at the top spot to the national championship in college football history.

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A Jan. 4 Sugar Bowl victory over Virginia Tech would give the Seminoles the only prize the eight-time ACC champions coveted at the season's outset.

Perhaps the Seminoles weren't as dominant as they should have been -- or thought they could be -- in running the table.

There was the 17-14 scare at Clemson, in the father-son showdown that gave Bobby Bowden his 300th career victory. And there was the 41-35 shootout victory over Georgia Tech that really wasn't as close as the final score might have indicated. And, yes, the 'Noles were less than dominant through four quarters on many occasions.

While all of those things are true, the 'Noles still managed to outscore their opponents by more than three touchdowns (21.7 points) per game. And they did it against a schedule that was ranked as the sixth toughest in the country by the BCS computers.

And they did it under the dark October skies resulting from the arrest and suspension of All-American wide receiver Peter Warrick and the dismissal of running mate Laveranues Coles. They did it with a quarterback, Chris Weinke, who was attempting to recover from a career-threatening neck injury. And they did it while refusing to be engulfed by the same pressure that swallowed potential national-title contenders like Penn State, Arizona, Nebraska, Kansas State, Florida and defending national-champion Tennessee.

The Seminoles weren't always the most efficient team in the country; simply the most best. They can complete their run by beating the Hokies, who ran the table without facing anything resembling the pressure that burdened FSU from its opening kickoff against Louisiana Tech on Aug. 28.

FSU's biggest concern at this point is managing the 45-day layoff from its emotional 30-23 win at Florida on Nov. 20 to the showdown on Bourbon Street.

It's the one thing Bowden's club failed to do last season, losing its edge during a 44-day layoff leading up to its Fiesta Bowl national-title game with Tennessee.

"I think we'll practice longer and get in one more scrimmage this year so we're not as rusty," Bowden said.

This time, FSU has Weinke, Warrick, defensive tackle Corey Simon and kicker Sebastian Janikowski -- arguably among the top players in the country at their respective positions -- focused on finishing the task at hand.

Considering the ground that's been covered along the way, don't bet against the 'Noles completing the work at hand.

The Personnel File

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chris Weinke, Jr., QB. Just nine months after facing spinal surgery that threatened to end his playing days, Weinke was back on the field for the opener against Louisiana Tech. Not only did he enjoy one of the best seasons in school history, including an ACC-leading 3,103 passing yards, to go with 25 touchdowns, the 27-year-old former minor-league baseball player provided the team with the kind of savvy leadership it needed to make its unbeaten run.

"I've got to be one of the luckiest guys,'' Weinke said. "I'm just grateful I have another opportunity. I'm as excited as ever to play in a game of this magnitude.''

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Corey Simon, Sr., DT. Not since FSU legend Ron Simmons has an interior defensive lineman dominated play the way Simon did in his final campaign. Fourth on the team in tackles, including 20 for losses, Simon went all out on every down, providing leadership by example and through his emotional play. There's no way of calculating how important the Simon-called team meeting was when the 'Noles were facing the October crisis surrounding Warrick's arrest and suspension.

COACH UPDATE: Bobby Bowden (230-53-4 in 23 years at FSU; 303-85-4 in 34 years overall). Bowden's 24th season with the 'Noles might have been his most difficult in terms of dealing with off-field troubles, but it still stands to be his most rewarding. FSU is on the verge of completing the first unbeaten season in school history with a second national championship this decade. It would be a handsome award for the third winningest coach in college history, who signed a new contract that makes him the second highest-paid coach in the game and will ostensibly keep him around through 2004.

STRENGTHS: Though underwhelming in victory at times, the 'Noles are balanced on both sides of the football. Their offense and defense ranked 14th and 17th nationally, respectively. FSU boasts the nation's strongest interior defensive line, what is sure to be next season's finest linebacking corps, and ample secondary depth. They have the nation's top kicker (Sebastian Janikowski) and most electric offensive player (Peter Warrick); a veteran quarterback and enough skill players in reserve to stock most starting lineups.

CONCERNS: The pass rush isn't what it used to be, managing just 29 sacks, and the 'Noles are still one of the most penalized teams in the country. Beyond that, it's hard to find a flaw (save for the occasional secondary breakdown).

Noteworthy

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE: In the 1990s, no one has done it better than FSU. The 'Noles have amassed a staggering 108-13-1 record, the best in any decade in Division I-A history. They've lost just once at home and won eight consecutive ACC titles, ranking in the top 10 in 164 of the last 174 Associated Press polls.

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT: Three Seminoles were up for major awards -- and kicker Sebastian Janikowski brought one home, winning the Groza Award for the second consecutive season.

Corey Simon was a finalist for the Lombardi, Outland and Nagurski awards (losing the Lombardi and Nagurski to Sugar Bowl rival Corey Moore). Peter Warrick was considered the favorite to win the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver (given by his hometown Tallahassee Quarterback Club), but that honor went to Stanford's Troy Walters.