FSU Football: CBS Writer Predicts ‘Noles To Win National Championship
By Kelvin Hunt
FSU football has one of the toughest schedules in all of college football in 2016. However, one CBS writer believes they’ll be hoisting their fourth National Title trophy at the end of the season.
The ‘Noles are not the odds on favorite to win it all in 2016, but they are one of the teams that could make some noise if everything goes right and they catch a break or two.
Right now, if you were to bet $100, you’d win $1,600 if the ‘Noles were the 2016 champions.
CBSSports.com’s Ben Kerchval gave his five bold predictions for 2016 and he had the ‘Noles in the No. 1 spot.
"1. Your 2016 national champion will come from the ACC … but it won’t be Clemson.That’s because it’s Florida State. What’s bold about picking a blue-blood program to win a national title, you ask? Nothing by itself, but let’s examine a few things.Clemson figures to be the preseason ACC favorite after making a national championship appearance last season. After all, the Tigers’ offense could historically great with all of its returning pieces. However, don’t sleep on the Seminoles, which also return their entire offense. And unlike Clemson, many of FSU’s key defensive players are returning, too. Among them are defensive end Josh Sweat and safety Derwin James, both of whom saw plenty of game action in 2015.Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher did an outstanding job in a rebuilding year by winning 10 games. After losing 29 players to the draft from 203-15? That’s a big deal. Remember, too, winning a national title starts with recruiting. The general rule of thumb is that you need to recruit at a top-10 level to compete for national championships. Over the last four years, FSU has averaged a top-five recruiting class.The concern for FSU in 2016 revolves around the passing game, both with the consistency of the receivers and in the pass protection. The passing attack doesn’t need to be prolific, but if it can take pressure off running back Dalvin Cook, the offense becomes a lot more dangerous."
There’s nothing crazy in his reasoning at all. The ‘Noles have one of the most talented teams in all of college football.
The passing game is the big unknown factor going into 2016 because the starting quarterback hasn’t been named at this time.
Redshirt freshman Deondre Francois seems to have the edge at the moment, but redshirt senior Sean Maguire is almost fully healthy after missing all spring. He’ll give Francois a push in fall camp to determine who the starter will be.
Francois doesn’t know the offense near as well as Maguire, but can do things on the field that Maguire can’t. Will talent and potential win out over experience? I expect the former to win out.
Kerchval is correct in that the FSU football defense should be near elite status this season. They lost Jalen Ramsey and couple of others, but return excellent talent across the board.
Next: Game By Game Breakdown of 2016 FSU Football Schedule
If the ‘Noles can navigate a tricky early schedule and defeat Clemson, there’s no reason why FSU football won’t have an excellent shot at winning it all.