FSU Football: Magazine Ranks Noles No. 3 in Preseason Poll
By Jason Parker
FSU football is expected to be a top ranked team when the 2017 season starts – and Athlon Magazine has become the latest to jump on the bandwagon.
There is no secret that the expectations are high for FSU football entering the 2017 season. There are plenty of people out there, from experts to fans, who think the Seminoles are the team to beat in the ACC this season and – baring a melt down of epic proportions – a favorite to land one of the coveted four spots in the College Football Playoff.
With the summer months coming, more and more preseason polls will come out from various media outlets and other areas that should confirm those expectations. The latest one comes from Athlon Sports, who released their preseason Top 25 as part of their preview magazines that have started to take over news stands across the country.
Florida State Seminoles Football
According to their preview, FSU football is the third best team in the country, which would send them back to the playoff for the first time since the inaugural edition back in 2014:
"The balance of power in the ACC should shift back to Tallahassee in 2017….Now as a sophomore, (quarterback Deondre) Francois is expected to take his game to the next level and help carry this team to a CFB Playoff berth. That’s certainly within reach for the sophomore, but he also needs more help from the offensive line and receiving corps.Florida State will be tested right away with a matchup against Alabama in Atlanta to open the season. The Seminoles host Miami, NC State and Louisville in key conference games, but a matchup at Clemson and a road date at Florida will determine whether or not Fisher’s team can finish in the top four."
The preview went on to praise the Seminoles’ defense, namely stars like Josh Sweat, Brian Burns, Demarcus Christmas, Derrick Nnadi along with secondary members Tarvarus McFadden and Derwin James. At the same time, they said the team will need a breakout season from wide receiver Nyqwan Murray and Auden Tate – adding the run game should be fine with both Jacques Patrick and Cam Akers filling in for Dalvin Cook.
Must Read: Two FSU Games Ranked Among Those With Highest Stakes in 2017
The road won’t be easy, as Athlon put five opponents FSU football will face this season in their preseason rankings (Alabama No. 1, Clemson No. 7, Florida No. 16, Louisville No. 18 and Miami No. 23) – with a sixth possible of the Seminoles meet Virginia Tech (ranked No. 25) in the ACC Championship Game. In previous list, Athlon ranked FSU’s schedule the second toughest this season while ranking Francois (who is on the cover of their national edition) the 13th best quarterback in the FBS entering the spring.