FSU Football: Top 10 best Nole games to re-watch this summer

2016 Orange Bowl, final score 33-32

This game was one of the best Orange Bowl games ever. Any time FSU goes down to play there, the crowd is going to heavily lean in their favor, especially against a team that’s far away like Michigan. Michigan still pulled a decent crowd, though.

The recording I watched included the hype video intro, which I believe, correlates to the increasing popularity and revenue in college athletics. Bowl games have become a much larger event with the increased revenue for both the television industry and the NCAA.

A couple more pregame notes I had centered around the disappointment of the injuries that played a factor in the game. Obviously, Jabril Peppers didn’t play, but we also didn’t have Derwin James and were very short-handed in the secondary. We also should’ve known that our future was grim rather than bright after Osceola and Renegade fell.

The shaky offensive line was visible early, but the offense was able to work around it for an early touchdown on the opening drive. Cook laid the boom on that short run, and the wide receivers on the field did a great job blocking down the field, specifically Travis Rudolph.

While watching, especially early on, I felt myself getting very frustrated with how quickly things collapsed around this team. This team specifically lost multiple one-score games outside of getting destroyed by Louisville, and it stinks that they couldn’t reach the playoff that year.

After that good start, the game slowed. FSU muffed a punt that led to a field goal, then had some bad play calling and got trapped in their own five-yard line late in the first quarter. Then the long touchdown throw and catch.

Michigan had no offense unless it was off an FSU mistake, and the defense was oppressive, especially in the trenches. All four of the starting defensive line (Burns, Nnadi, Walker, Sweat) ended up in the NFL, but there was a fair amount of players who had great performances that we haven’t heard from in a while.

The defense let off the gas despite the game getting more chippy, and Michigan started to find its rhythm.

Momentum trickled over to Michigan as the game slowed down in the middle quarters but took a big jump after the Michigan hurdle. Then the stupid pick-6 throw got Michigan back into the game. FSU quelled some of the momenta after one of the best Dalvin Cook runs ever on that 3rd and 22.

Then FSU was able to score off of it, and you can tell how dependent this team was on big plays and Dalvin Cook. Then another dumb penalty on the targeting call and Michigan capitalized as the game went back and forth for the entire last quarter.

Michigan had their only big run, and you could tell how tired the defense was on that drive. FSU responded with the long, accidental, return, and they got the final touchdown. The blocked kick happened very sneakily but again the FSU defense bows up and seals the game on an interception.

The officiating was solid this game despite the ticky-tacky targeting late, and it wasn’t made any more palatable by number two in the stands, who probably cried on the way home after the game. The refs, however, called a fair game and didn’t decide the game like how we have seen in other games.

The game moved slower on the production side. There were mini side stories and ad breaks in-game, and some of the commentating were off-topic for a little while. I think the pauses of the mini-stories, like the commentator inviting his dad in the booth, was nice and was something that I felt enhanced the game.

It does stink that some of the key players on both teams couldn’t play or got injured during the game because they would’ve enhanced an already great game. There were some audio issues in the postgame media coverage, but it doesn’t detract from the presentation and enhances it as it puts you in that chaos-inducing environment after that big win.

Graphics-wise the game is good, and I prefer the lower third scoreboard graphic over the square scoreboard graphic package. Beware of the terrible music during highlights. This game is still one of my personal favorites despite, in hindsight, being able to see how this program began to falter.

4.5 out of 5 footballs