FSU football will continue their tradition of playing a non-conference slate unlike many others when they start 2019 against a Group of Five power team.
Since joining the ACC for the 1992 season, the FSU football team has continued a tradition of playing games against non-conference foes that other teams across the sport would run from as fast as possible. Why, just this decade alone, the Seminoles have played games against Power Five teams like Alabama, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to name a few.
The Noles have also gone out and played games against teams from the Group of Five and Independents – schools like BYU and Notre Dame, for example. That group will get a new member next season when FSU football hits Interstate 10 and goes over the Jacksonville to open the season.
Their opponent? For the first time ever, the Seminoles will take the field agains the Boise State Broncos – a team who was UCF before it was cool to be UCF, as the men from the blue turf were the first ones to really show that non Power Five teams can play with the big boys starting when they beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl over a decade ago.
After the Noles had their worst season record wise in over four decades, it’s now also a game that has become even more important to see if last year was just a fluke for the Seminoles – with both ESPN and CBS Sports calling the game one of the most “anticipated” and “intriguing” games of 2019, respectively.
"ESPN.comNo. 7 – Boise State remains one of the top Group of Five teams in the country, and locking in the Seminoles for a two-game series remains a scheduling win. Meanwhile, Florida State cannot afford a loss to open the season — not after a disappointing first year under Willie Taggart."
"CBSSports.comNo. 8 – …While it’s understandable that coach Willie Taggart needs time to even put together an offensive line, he’ll only get so much if he continues to lose. Boise State always wants to prove itself against college football’s blue bloods, but Florida State could use a win here."
The opener for FSU football will be among another monster opening week of games in both the state of Florida (with Miami and Florida facing off in Orlando) and across the country (games like Auburn-Oregon, North Carolina-South Carolina and Houston-Oklahoma among others).
In reality, this game means so much more for the Seminoles than the Broncos – who are flying all the way across the country and don’t have to play with 80,000 screaming Noles fans inside Doak Campbell anymore because of the money driven move that sent this game to Jacksonville. Boise State wins just by having a good game and even more so if they get the actual win.
If FSU football loses their season opener for the third straight year (and second time under Taggart), that seat under the Noles leader will get even hotter before he even knows it. A decent showing won’t do – the Seminoles must leave TIAA Bank Field with a victory.
The teams are scheduled to meet again in the 2020 season out in the state of Idaho, but with the Noles moving their home game to a neutral site you can almost bank on that game being bought out and this being a one time thing – especially with the Seminoles going to Atlanta in the 2020 season to play West Virginia as of now.