FSU Football: How 2017 disappointments were blessing in disguise for Noles

FSU football had a season to forget in 2017 – but when you get right down to it, things might be better now because of such a disaster of a season.

As the final second ticked off the clock inside a half empty stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, the FSU football season was coming to an end with a convincing win in the prestigious Independence Bowl over that powerhouse from Southern Miss – a fitting end to a 2017 campaign that saw the Seminoles have one of their worst years of the last few decades.

The fact of the matter is that the 7-6 season for the Noles, their 41st straight winning season to go along with their 36th consecutive bowl appearance, is not as bad as it could have been. A four game winning streak at the end of the season kept both of those milestones alive and kept FSU football from an embarrassment of a season.

Quite frankly, having a bad season like the Seminoles did in 2017 might have actually been the best thing for the program.

Toward the end of the Bobby Bowden era, you can tell that players were coming to Tallahassee just expecting things to go well without having to work. There was almost a laziness from members of the 2017 team (not all, but some) that showed that when the going get tough, they couldn’t handle adversity. Some of them are no longer with the program, and that might be for the best.

As far as the coaching staff, well I think we can all agree that the time had come for a change considering how fast things were going downhill just four years removed from a national title. It was a staff that wasn’t ready to admit that changes needed to be made and, quite frankly, it was better that everyone move on.

In a sick, twisted way, you can tie the need for change back to the Miami game. The Alabama loss was not as bad for many since…well, it was Alabama. The N.C. State loss was disappointing because the Seminoles were at home and on paper a better team, but given that we were starting a true freshman quarterback the outcome wasn’t as shocking as it could have been.

Losing to the Hurricanes – arguably the most overrated 10 win team in college football last season – might have just been the kickstart needed for a change and a revolution. You’re leading with a minute and a half to go and let them march down the field? That’s where the season was lost when the coaches and some players couldn’t embrace the Miami hate and finish the job.

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So, as FSU football moves into the 2018 season and the Willie Taggart era, the 2017 campaign can be put to rest. But, just like a 7-6 season in 2009 led to a revival, so may a 7-6 campaign last year.