FSU Football: Noles still a top 10 job despite perception last two years

The perception of FSU football has taken a hit in recent years, but it’s still a top 10 job capable of winning a national championship.

The 2019 FSU football season is the most important since Jimbo Fisher took over in 2010. FSU is looking to rebound from its worst season in 40 years.

Willie Taggart has his work cut out for him as he’s trying to hold the ship steady until the season begins.

Frankly, the only thing that’s going to change the perception of the program is winning football games after going 12-13 the past two seasons.

The Noles need to get back to consistently winning 10 games while competing for ACC Championships.

It doesn’t help that ACC Atlantic rival has been at the top of the college football world the past three seasons winning two national titles and competing for another.

As bad as things seemed in Tallahassee last season, it’s still one of the handful of programs that has the capability and resources to compete for a national title.

In fact, Athlon Sports still considers FSU a top 10 job in the country and they’re right. Here’s their top 10 list:

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Ohio State
4. Texas
5. Florida
6. USC
7. Clemson
8. Oklahoma
9. Florida State
10. LSU

"You can win a national championship at Florida State — the school won it as recently as 2013 — and there are a ton of built-in advantages due to the school’s location, but there are also some difficulties (just ask Jimbo Fisher) that keep it from being a top-five job nationally."

FSU football is the youngest team on that list but one of just four schools on the list to win a national title in the last decade. Despite including three seasons with seven or less wins, FSU still have more wins the last decade than Texas, Florida, and USC.

One recent major development that will help negate one of the difficulties pointed out is the restructuring of the FSU athletics department and Seminole Boosters.  The other thing that always makes the job attractive is its history and location related to where most of the elite talent in the country resides.

FSU has historically recruited the state of Florida well and its close proximity to Georgia puts the Noles in a great position to recruit that state along with the eastern seaboard.

However, the biggest reason difference between FSU and the top schools listed is commitment.

Most of those schools have huge alumni networks that contribute large amounts of money to the football program. When you hear other schools say the term “All-In” that’s exactly what they mean regarding the football.

FSU is committed but maybe not “All-In” as they seem keen on dispersing funds to be non-revenue sports to be a great athletics program across the board. I mean the FSU basketball team has had great success in the absence of football.

The softball team won a national championship in 2018 and FSU women’s soccer won a national championship the same year. FSU baseball has made the College World Series two of the last three seasons. FSU track and field always competes as well as other sports.

Once the football program rises back to prominence the FSU football job will move back top five status.