FSU Football 2017 Non-Conference Schedule Ranked Among Toughest
By Jason Parker
FSU football will bookend their 2017 schedule with two games against the back-to-back division champs in the SEC – enough to get them on this list.
Dating back to the early history of the program, FSU football has rarely shied away from playing a tough schedule. From making a name for the program in its early years to former head coach Bobby Bowden’s mentality of “anyone, anytime”, the Seminoles consistently rank among one of the best when it comes to having a tough non-conference slate.
While head coach Jimbo Fisher has gone to the bakery a couple times and added a cupcake to the schedule almost every season (looking at you in 2017, Delaware State), the ‘Noles have played the likes of Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss to go along with their yearly battle against the Florida Gators.
In 2017, it will be no different for FSU football as they will start the year with the two time defending SEC West champion Alabama Crimson Tide – and end with the two time defending East champion Gators. That alone was enough to give the Seminoles the third toughest non-conference schedule next season according to ESPN.com:
"1. Pitt Panthers (Youngstown State, at Penn State, Oklahoma State, Rice)2. Florida Gators (vs. Michigan in Arlington, Texas, Northern Colorado, UAB, Florida State)3. Florida State Seminoles (vs. Alabama in Atlanta, Louisiana-Monroe, Delaware State, at Florida)“…In 2017, they open the season against No. 1 Alabama in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta, a heavyweight matchup that could serve as a precursor to a clash we could see again later in the year in the College Football Playoff.”4. Texas Longhorns (Maryland, San Jose State, at USC)5. USC Trojans (Western Michigan, Texas, at Notre Dame)6. Georgia Bulldogs (Appalachian State, at Notre Dame, Samford, at Georgia Tech)7. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (vs. Tennessee in Atlanta, Jacksonville State, at UCF, Georgia)8. South Carolina Gamecocks (vs. N.C. State in Charlotte, Louisiana Tech, Wofford, Clemson)9. Oklahoma State Cowboys (Tulsa, at South Alabama, at Pittsburgh)10. Clemson Tigers (Kent State, Auburn, The Citadel, at South Carolina)"
Fans will notice one interesting thing about this list: every single team plays someone else on the list while the Panthers, Gators and Seminoles are the only teams listed who will play two non-conference games against teams who finished ranked last year.
With future schedules including more meetings with Notre Dame along with contests against Boise State, West Virginia and whoever else is in the works, FSU football should consistently have one of the tougher schedules in the country based on the growing strength of the ACC and their non-conference slate.