Stats show FSU Football best in college game last four decades

FSU football is sitting home for the first time in over three and a half decades, but there is no doubt they are the best team when it comes to the numbers.

As the calendar turns to the year 2019, you will have to forgive FSU football fans if we aren’t quite accepting about what took place during the previous season. You see, we as Seminoles don’t have much experience – heck some of us have none at all – with seeing the Noles having a losing season or not making it to a bowl game.

Since the 1976 season began (that’s 43 campaigns for those non-math majors like myself), the Seminoles have had losing seasons just two of those years and not made it to a bowl game four of those times – sadly, both of those numbers are increased by a 5-7 performance this season that has plenty of people concerned.

But, to my fellow FSU football fans, take solace in the fact that when it comes right down to it, there really is no better team in college football over much of the last four decades than the one that plays inside Doak Campbell Stadium each football season.

A look at the stats over the past 40 seasons (form 1979 to 2018) of the Seminoles along with rivals Florida and Miami in addition to the top 10 teams when it comes to wins in FBS history show the Seminoles on top when it comes to winning seasons and bowl game appearances.

"Winning SeasonsNo. 1 Florida State – 39No. 2 Ohio State – 38No. 3 Florida, Michigan and Oklahoma – 37No. 4 Alabama, Miami and USC – 36No. 5 Nebraska and Penn State – 35No. 6 Notre Dame and Texas – 32No. 7 Tennessee – 30"

"Bowl Appearances No. 1 Florida State – 38No. 2 Michigan – 37No. 3 Nebraska and Ohio State – 36No. 4 Alabama and Florida – 34No. 5 Miami, Oklahoma and Penn State -32No. 6 Tennessee – 31No. 7 Texas – 30No. 8 USC – 29No. 9 Notre Dame – 27"

Now, to me what is the most impressive thing about FSU football’s stats there is the fact that even in a time during the 1980s and early 1990s when there weren’t nearly as many bowl games as there are now, the Seminoles were still being selected to play in the postseason – while at the same time, teams like Notre Dame and USC were staying home despite having a winning year.

Look, deep down inside I know that this is not going to change the fact that we are dealing with a losing season and not playing in a bowl game. I know it hurts all of us in garnet and gold – hell, I never saw it in my lifetime before this season.

With that being said, there is no taking away that for the last four decade, the road to winning in college football comes right through Tallahassee and sits at the doorstep of the FSU football team.