FSU Football: Why Noles should start 2019 season ranked in Top 25

FSU football was ranked for exactly one week last season – the first one – but that should not be a trend broken come the 2019 season.

As the FSU football team prepared to start the 1978 season – their third under head coach Bobby Bowden and coming off the first 10 win season in program history and just their second win in a major bowl game – the Seminoles found themselves starting the season ranked for just the second season ever.

In the 40 seasons that followed from 1979 until 2018, the Seminoles found themselves not ranked to start the season just twice – 1982 and 2008. With all those 6-5 or 7-6 season over that span, the Noles were always given the benefit of the doubt the following year.

Last season, FSU football had a number by their name for exactly 60 games minutes all season after getting thumped in the opener by Virginia Tech in a season that ended with the first losing campaign in over four decades – a stat that would not be conducive to thinking the Seminoles will start this season off ranked.

Florida State Seminoles Football

But, the Seminoles should start off the year with a number when they host Boise State in Jacksonville on August 31st – and not just because of tradition, but because of what will be put on the field.

Look, there is no excuse for what took place last year when it comes to the losing record but there are plenty of factors that play a role in what took place – the dumpster fire that was left by the previous schedule and arguably the hardest schedule of opponents in the program’s history (just one finishing the regular season with a losing record) being the main factors.

If you are going to judge the Seminoles being ranked on the 2019 season, you take a look at situations like problem players (Deondre Francois among them) being gone. The Seminoles return the core nucleus of talent on both sides of the ball and have had a year to work under head coach Willie Taggart’s system.

More importantly, FSU football does – if they play like they are capable of – have a legit shot of starting off the season with a 5-0 record heading into the Clemson game on October 12th. Heck, I think there are a lot of Seminoles fans who would take a 4-1 record heading into that game and be happy.

Pollsters would like to know they aren’t going to be made a fool of – they want to know the Seminoles aren’t going to lay an egg in the opener against the Broncos and make those who voted for the Noles look stupid. Those expecting a season in 2019 like what you saw last year are few and far between at this point, and the Noles should be given a chance to show it.

I’m not saying the Seminoles should be sniffing the top 10 or 15 or even top 20 at this point – but FSU football should at least continue this streak heading into what we all hope will be a redemption tour for the garnet and gold.