FSU Football: The good and the bad from 2019 schedule

FSU football now knows when they will be taking the field next season and there is plenty for fans of the garnet and gold to be happy and worried about.

In the continuing mission for the FSU football team to put the disastrous 2018 season behind them, the Seminoles can now look squarely into the future with the release of the 2019 schedule on Wednesday from the ACC – a schedule that includes plenty of potential roadblocks but also plenty of hope for a much better season coming up.

For head coach Willie Taggart, the writing is on the wall that despite it being just his second season the pressure is on to turn things around after the first losing season in over four decades for a program that has been spoiled by success over the years.

Taggart will have a chance to be challenged early and often next season, but there won’t be that insane slate of games at the end of the year like what the Seminoles faced last season that ultimately doomed them. Aside from that, here’s a look at both the best and the worst takeaways from the 2019 slate of games for the Noles.

The Good

• FSU football replaces non-conference games against teams like Notre Dame and Northern Illinois with Boise State and Louisiana Monroe, which is clearly a step down. I’m not saying the opener with the Broncos won’t be tough and the Seminoles can’t lose that game, but I’d rather face them than head back to South Bend.
• The Seminoles will get to face the Miami Hurricanes a little bit later in the season – and while it’s not the traditional middle of the season they usually play, it’s right around that time where Miami’s will has been destroyed and they become an average team.
• With there being two bye weeks this season, the Seminoles lucked out getting both played before their toughest games (Clemson and Florida) heading into the season.

The Bad

• FSU football faces a hot Virginia team early in the season (September 14th) and heads to Boston College (November 9th)  the week after playing at home against Miami. I wouldn’t have minded seeing those two weeks reversed.
• Playing Boise State in Jacksonville was done for two reasons – a quick payday and likely to have an excuse to cancel next year’s trip to Idaho – but it makes an already weaker home schedule outside of the Miami game and maybe N.C. State look like a joke.
• Along those lines, having two back-to-back moments during the season does not do a lot for fans from areas like South and Central Florida – who already have to get hotels and make full weekends out of the long trips to Tallahassee and can’t just head home after the game like North Florida fans. Having games spread out increase the chances of having those fans be able to make more games.

The Bottom Line

Look, we all know that the ACC doesn’t do a lot of favors for the Seminoles on the football field – still waiting for an apology for that blown call in the Miami game last year – but this slate of games was not that bad. There is plenty to work with and hope that the Noles can get back to a winning season in 2019.

Now, Taggart and FSU football must realize that is in front of them and take advantage of it to get back to where the Seminoles belong.