FSU Football: Magazine ranks Noles in top 50 entering 2019 season

FSU football knows they have plenty of work to do entering the 2019 season, but one magazine believes they are still one of the better teams in the game.

After a season in 2018 where the FSU football team finished with their first losing campaign in over four decades (and no, it doesn’t get any easier to write that no  matter how much time passes), there is a decent chance that more history could be made heading into the 2019 season for the Seminoles.

If the Noles do not start the preseason ranked in the polls, it will be just the third time since the 1978 season that the Seminoles have started the season unranked (joined by the 1982 and 2008 seasons) and will give more ammo to those who wrongly want head coach Willie Taggart on the hot seat.

Of course, it has been documented by many – including us here at Chop Chat – about how last season was the perfect disaster of a lot of factors: poor coaching from the previous administration, Taggart not fully preparing for how difficult the task was going to be, injuries and a schedule that was among the toughest in program history.

All of that is why many think FSU football will rebound in 2019 – I’m not talking ACC championship, but at least a bowl game – and one magazine has them in their top half of the rankings entering spring football.

Athlon Magazine ranked all 130 teams at this point in the year and put the Seminoles at No. 50 at this point in the year – not something to brag about, but also a reason for hope.

"Keeping quarterback James Blackman healthy, and finding ways to spark big plays out of running back Cam Akers will be priorities for new play-caller Kendal Briles. End Brian Burns is a big loss for the defense, but nose guard Marvin Wilson and defensive back Jaiden Lars-Woodbey are both back."

The magazine added that offensive line issues – which would be the title of the autobiography for the 2018 season if there was one – will still be the number one concern for FSU football next season…not exactly breaking news there, but I get it.

The Seminoles were one of four teams that had losing records last season who the magazine ranked in their top 50, with Nebraska at No. 19, Tennessee at No. 47 and USC at No. 48. In all the cases, the magazine used quarterback experience as their main reason why they ranked all higher than the Noles.

Personally, and I know I am going to be called a homer for my alma mater, I would still take FSU football over either of those three teams right now. James Blackman has the talent to compete with almost every defense he will face and I will put our speed and athletes against any of the other three all day, every day.

Now, the last two seasons that the Seminoles didn’t start the season ranked they finished with records of 8-3 and 9-4 respectively – and I’m pretty sure that all FSU football fans will take nine wins right now without asking questions after what took place last season.