FSU Football: Time to face real possibility of a losing season

FSU football has gone over four decades without having a season under .500, but the remaining schedule gives little hope of that streak continuing.

Here’s a question for all of the FSU football fans that are loyal readers to this site: how many of you were born on or after November 21, 1976? If you’re like me and you fall into that category, you have never witnessed something that the old school Seminoles fan base had to deal with for a majority of the first 30 seasons the Noles played.

After losing to Virginia Tech on November 20, 1976, the Seminoles finished that season with a record of 5-6 under their first year head coach – a guy by the name of Bobby Bowden. So, anyone who was born after that day has never actually seen FSU football have a losing season.

Florida State Seminoles

It’s something that not many schools can brag about as the Seminoles have had a winning record each of the last 41 seasons. Nebraska has the all time record for winning seasons at 42 while Penn State has the all time record of 49 seasons of .500 or better, with a  5-5 season in their streak.

It’s something that has given us bragging rights among rivals in the state of Florida, where the Miami Hurricanes have had two losing records in the last 11 seasons entering this year while the Florida Gators have had two losing records in the last five seasons entering 2018.

It’s also something that could be coming to an end this FSU football season at the rate things are going. I don’t say that to be an alarmist or someone jumping off the Seminoles’ ship, but someone who is looking at the cold reality of what lies ahead.

Yes, last season the Noles were 1-3 at one point and 2-5 at another – an argument some will say about why things can turn around. While they still could, the remainder of the regular season in 2017 for FSU football included losing record teams Syracuse and Florida, FCS cupcake Delaware State and a rescheduled game with Louisiana Monroe.

Even if, best case scenario, the Seminoles win their next two games (Northern Illinois and Louisville) to be 3-2 before their October 6th showdown at Miami, the Noles would have seven remaining games that include road trips to the Canes, N.C. State and Notre Dame as well as home games against Clemson, Wake Forest, Boston College and Florida.

Which one of those three games are certain wins for FSU football so they can be .500 entering a bowl game? Once again, I’m not saying it can’t be done – but on paper, the chances are minimal. What happens if the Seminoles spilt their next two games and enter the Miami game with a 2-3 record? Do you think their are four games the Noles would win easily?

The Seminoles have been here before – in 2009, the Noles were 2-4 entering the second half of the season before finishing with a .500 regular season record and winning the bowl game in Bowden’s finale. But that wasn’t a team learning a brand new offense or one that faced such a tough schedule over the second half of the season (all four wins against teams below .500).

Can the Seminoles turn this thing around and surprise everyone? Of course, as a team with the talent of FSU football can not be ignored. At the same time, the cold reality of what could be ahead needs to be realized to avoid the shock if it does take place.