FSU Football: Why 2018 Noles team is still better than 2017 team

FSU football finds themselves in the same spot as they were with two games left last season, but don’t think that the two teams were similar in many ways.

When the FSU football team takes the field on Saturday for their 11th game of the regular season, they know that for the second straight season they can not afford a loss in either of their final two games or else they will say bye bye to a streak of winning seasons dating back to the 1976 season and a bowl streak that started in the 1982 season.

For a fan base that was used to 14 straight seasons of top four finishes as well as countless conference crowns and national titles, the last two seasons have been hell on earth for those in garnet and gold. However, don’t sit there for one second and think the two teams are equal in many ways.

Florida State Seminoles Football

That’s right – the 2018 FSU football team is still a better group than what took the field last season. While I know there are plenty of people, both inside and outside of the Seminoles’ fan base who might think that’s crazy, the reasons why are pretty simple.

For starters, the 2017 team was able to get to .500 in the regular season thanks to a three game stretch at the end that included one of the worst FCS teams (Delaware State), a below .500 Florida team and a rescheduled game against a Louisiana Monroe team with a losing record. That’s not to mention getting wins over a losing record Syracuse team.

This season, the Noles changed out Delaware State for a Samford team who looks like it will finish with an above .500 along with changing ULM for a Northern Illinois team that is one win from clinching a spot in their conference title game – along with exchanging a Duke team that was the cross divisional game for a Virginia Tech team this season that actually beat a Blue Devils team with virtually the same roster from 2017.

If the Seminoles are able to come out and win the final two games of the season to keep both of those long standing streaks alive, they will have two ranked wins on the season – which is two more than they had all of last year.

Second, let us not forget that this is a FSU football team who is learning a completely different offense and defensive scheme from what they had before. We’re not talking about little changes, we’re talking about doing a complete 180 degree turn – if this year’s team can go 7-6 with a new offense while last year’s team went 7-6 with an offense they knew for years, they should be commended.

Critics will point to the lopsided losses and the drop in some stats (being 128th in rushing after being 67th last year or 72nd in total defense after being 23rd last year, which is thanks to being 110th against the pass), but you can also point out that the rush defense is only at 38th after being 32nd last year and the pass offense is up to 26th from 89th last year.

In no way shape or form should FSU football be bragging about anything that has taken place over the last 23 games – but behind the scores tells a story that the 2018 squad should be celebrated slightly more than what took place one season before.