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FSU Football: Does Willie Taggart have toughest opener of new P5 coaches?

By Jason Parker

ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 30: A Florida State Seminoles cheerleader runs a flag on the field before a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 30: A Florida State Seminoles cheerleader runs a flag on the field before a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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FSU football will be debuting their new head coach, Willie Taggart, on Labor Day against Virginia Tech – the toughest game of the new Power Five coaches.

In just over seven months (way too far away in my thoughts), FSU football will open the 2018 season and also the era of Willie Taggart as the head coach of the Seminoles. Instead of playing a FCS foe or someone from a Group of Five conference in the opener, the Noles will face a Hokies team they might see in December for the ACC crown.

Much has been made of the schedule this season for the Seminoles – including a three game stretch of Clemson, N.C. State and Notre Dame – but the opener is what will shape the season. Win and FSU football has the momentum to start the season, while a loss means plenty of people will think the toxic 2017 has rolled over to this season.

According to one website, Taggart doesn’t just have an important opener – he may have the toughest opener of the 13 new coaches at Power Five schools this season. FBSchedules.com ranked the games from easiest to toughest, with Florida State / Virginia Tech coming in third:

"Taggart is one of only three new head coaches in the Power leagues to open against a team that ESPN has ranked in its Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2018 and the only one to kick off with a conference game. Taggart is 2-15 as a head coach vs. ranked teams and has never faced the Hokies…"

The two coaches ranked as having tougher games are Tennessee’s Jeremy Pruitt (with the Vols taking on West Virginia) and Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith as the Beavers open up against Ohio State. With all due respect, both coaches are facing tough games because their teams are likely going to get beat down in those openers.

Taggart has showed during his career that he does not back down from a challenge – and getting FSU football back to a national title isn’t going to be the most difficult thing in the world, but it’s going to take some work considering how the former regime did nothing last season once the team dropped to 2-5 after the loss to Boston College.

Next: 3 reasons Seminoles win ACC title this season

Of note, the rival Florida Gators and their new coach, Dan Mullen came in No. 11 for their opener against Charleston Southern while the former coach of the Seminoles, “Combover John”, came in last for that tough Texas A&M opener against Northwestern State.

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