FSU Football: Why no one (but Clemson) is scary on remaining schedule
By Jason Parker
FSU Football faces a slate of games left over the last two thirds of the schedule that, if the Seminoles play on their level, should give at least six wins.
When the clock finally hit triple zeros at the end of the fourth quarter for the FSU football team last Saturday, the Seminoles didn’t just get through yet another blown halftime lead to come back for a double digit win over Louisville – they got past a major hurdle that could have been the difference between a decent bowl game and looking for a new coach.
While it may be weird to hear if you’re a fan of the Seminoles – and a little bit cocky to say with the Noles sitting at 2-2 on the year so far – the Noles are in the perfect spot to finish the regular season with at least eight wins as no one outside of their October 12th game at Clemson puts a lot of fear into the garnet and gold.
Yes, I’m being serious…and no, I did not drink before I started writing this.
Florida State Seminoles Football
I get that the FSU football team has been known to play down to the level of their competition for the better part of the 2000s – heck, many of us in the fanbase were not even that confident with an 11 point lead and just seconds left on the clock this past weekend against the Cardinals.
It starts this weekend against N.C. State – a team that got blown out by West Virginia and played sloppy against Ball State just this past Saturday – and then, after the bye week, comes the game against the Tigers. Okay, so let us say for a moment that the Seminoles split those games and are 3-3 just like they were in 2018.
At that point last season, games were left against Clemson and Florida at home and on the road at Notre Dame – three teams who played in New Years Six bowl games and two that met in the College Football Playoff. Needless to say, it’s not all that crazy to see why the Noles went 2-4 to finish the season with one win coming on a last minute touchdown pass.
After the Clemson game this season comes Wake Forest, Syracuse and Miami the next three games. The Deacons might be the worst 4-0 team in college football right now and have to face Boston College and Louisville before hosting the Noles.
The Orange and Canes are both 2-2 right now with Miami being lucky to get past Central Michigan this weekend and the Cuse being outscored 104-26 in their two losses – neither one of those things scares the Noles at this point. After that, games against a Boston College team that lost to Kansas and FCS foe Alabama State could have the Noles at 8-3 heading into Gainesville.
That would set up a season finale against a Gators team that looked convincing against Tennessee last weekend with their backup quarterback – but face a gauntlet in October and November of four straight games including Auburn, LSU and Georgia that could leave them battered and in a much worse situation.
Do I think the Seminoles will finish with a 9-3 record judging by where they are right now? Probably not. Do I think the Noles should be afraid, at this point, of anyone not wearing orange and purple? Not at all.