FSU football had one of the best teams in college football history in their 2013 title season – thanks to the players much more than their coaches.
When the history books are written about college football, the chapter about best teams is going to heavily include the 2013 edition of FSU football – a Seminoles team that went 14-0 and won the school’s third national title by basically beating the heck out of everyone in the regular season and then having an epic comeback in the final BCS title game.
This was a Noles team that finished in the top five of both total offense and defense for the season – something that no other team has done in at least three decades. Not the 2001 Miami Hurricanes, not the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers – no one has been better as a team than what FSU football put on the field that season.
It’s something that the members of the coaching staff during that year will put on their resume for years to come and brag that the title was won because of their coaching. While FSU football did benefit a percentage by the men in hats and polos on the sideline, let us set the record straight right now.
The 2013 national title was won by players like Jameis Winston, Devonta Freeman, Kelvin Benjamin, Timmy Jernigan, Lamarcus Joyner and dozens more – in spite of what the coaches were doing.
Now, there is no doubt that the coaching staff of that season did do their job when it came to recruiting the talent to Tallahassee…and some of the play calling during the season had moments of brilliance, so it’s not all a waste. But that being said, the 2013 team was so talent laden that not even former offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden could have screwed up this offense.
The 2013 FSU football team was a well oiled machine that happened to come together at the right time with a mixture of talented veterans and young players who had the ability to come out and play right away – it was a team where you didn’t need much of a game plan other than get the ball in the end zone on offense and stop the opponents from scoring on defense.
Let us not forget that while this is the same staff that led the Seminoles to a national title, seven of the nine members of that assistant coaching staff – along with their “fearless leader” who is petting puppies in East Texas now – were on the same staff that needed a three game winning streak, including a make up game, just to become bowl eligible in 2017.
I’m not putting all the fault for what took place last season on the men in hats, but if they are going to be praised for what took place seasons ago then they get blamed for last season since they were the common denominator. These were the coaches who were too busy looking back to adapt to a game that, quite frankly, is already different from what it was in 2013.
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When FSU football fans remember what took place nearly five years ago against Clemson, Miami, Florida, Auburn and the other 10 victims, make sure to thank the real leaders from that team – the men in garnet jerseys, gold pants and helmets.