FSU football knows that in five months they are going to have another challenging opener, but one site says they have the best Power Five chance to lose.
Over the past few seasons, the FSU football team has shown that it doesn’t matter who they are playing – they can go out and lose to just about anyone. That’s not a knock against the players or coaches, but the fact of the matter is that the team has played down to some competition over the past few seasons.
The Seminoles will be the first to admit they had no business losing to teams like Georgia Tech in 2015, North Carolina in 2016, Louisville, Miami or N.C. State in 2017 and even Virginia Tech or Miami last season. That’s not a knock against those schools, but the Noles in each game were the better team athletically and still lost the game.
Entering the 2019 season, the focus will be even more on those games that – on paper – should be winnable for the Seminoles as they look to bounce back from the first losing season since the end of the Gerald Ford administration.
At the same time, FSU football faces another stiff challenge in the opener for the fourth straight season as they take on a Boise State team who has been arguably the most consistent Group of Five program over the last decade and a half – a game that College Football News says is the most likely chance of a G5 team beating a Power Five program this season.
"There’s pressure for a head coach to get off to a hot start…and then there’s what Willie Taggart needs to do. Florida State lost its last two season openers by a combined score of 48-10…and last year missed out on a bowl game for the first time since 1981.It’s not like this is it for the Broncos – there’s still a trip to BYU, and going to Utah State won’t be a breeze – but … this is it. Beat Florida State in Jacksonville to open up the year, and nothing less than an 11-win regular season will do."
Now, I understand the double edge sword on this one as the Seminoles are considered the favorites to win the game – and again, with no disrespect to the Broncos, should be considering the difference in athletes and tradition – but to me, an upset would be more a team like Louisiana Monroe beating the Seminoles or if Northern Illinois beat FSU football last season.
Boise State is a good program and has been for much of the last two decades – not just with trick plays in bowl games, but over the course of an entire season and has beat Power Five opponents before with ease. FSU football fans need to be prepared for the real possibility that the Broncos could come in and get a W.
With that being said, much of the continued love for this upset chance has to do with FSU football being down over the past few seasons. If the Seminoles had a double digit win year last season like they did for a five season stretch starting in 2012, a win by the Broncos wouldn’t even be in the conversation.
Last season, FSU football was a touchdown favorite in the opener and lost by three touchdowns – can that change this season if they are again favored by that much? We’ll find out in five months.