For those of you who don't know I have been a Florida State football fan my entire life. I grew up going to games as a kid. There has been a ton of highlights and nearly as many disappointments. We deemed the 2000's as the "Lost Decade", where FSU seemingly hit the lowest point in nearly 25 years as Wake Forest traveled to Tallahassee and manhandled FSU 30-0.
Florida State has played in 6 national championship games and I have attended 5 of them:
- 1993 - Florida State 17 Nebraska 16 - Did not attend (Just turned 3 years old)
- 1996 - Florida 52 Florida State 20 - Attended the game.. unfortunately
- 1998 - Tennessee 23 Florida State 16 - Attended the game.. The trip to Arizona was amazing though!
- 1999 - Florida State 46 Virginia Tech 29 - Attended the game!!! Go Noles!
- 2000 - Oklahoma 13 Florida State 2 - Attended the game.. I am blaming you Mark Richt
- 2013 - Florida State 34 Auburn 31 - Attended the game!!! Jameis da Gawd!
Once Bobby Bowden retired/was asked to leave and Jimbo Fisher took the helm things got better quickly. He lead FSU to become National Champions in 2013 and to the College Football Playoffs the following year. There have been many fans and pundits alike who have come to some interesting observations.
- Was it Jameis Winston that made Jimbo Fisher?
- Is there a cultural problem at Florida State?
- With all of the 4 and 5 star talent FSU brings in nearly every year, how can the team be this bad?
Yes, Deondre Francois went down in the first game against Alabama with a torn patellar tendon, which put him out for the rest of the season.
Yes, there has been a ton of attrition on the wide receiver unit.
- Ja'vonn Harrison is no longer with the team
- Da'Vante Phillips got kicked off the team for multiple felony charges
- Auden Tate has been playing injured all year
- George Campbell showed some flashes, but injured a core muscle in his stomach and is out for the year
Currently, FSU sits at 3-5 and 3-4 in the ACC, good enough for 4th place in the division. It was just 10 days ago that FSU traveled to Boston College, where the Noles got demolished 35-3 against the Eagles. The Noles won their first home game this season after escaping a nailbiter against Syracuse 27-24.
What's next for Florida State?
Coaching Changes
I would imagined there is going to be some serious turnover on the coaching staff. I won't speculate on the specific names, but I would imagine anywhere between 3-7 coaches will not be with the team next year.
Philosophy Changes
Florida State has ranked near the bottom in terms of offensive pace and 4th down conversions. Jimbo needs to become a little more aggressive. Florida State currently ranks 125 out of 130 team in terms of total first downs. The only teams with less first downs include: Florida, Georgia Southern, Charlotte, Kent State, and UTEP.
Cultural Changes
There seems to be no leadership on the team. Back in 2013, all of the players got after it every single day in practice making each other better. Not all leaders are vocal, but it usually is the vocal leaders that make the difference.
How will the Noles play against Clemson this weekend?
Prediction: Clemson 38 Noles 20