FSU football: 3 reasons Noles in perfect position to peak at right time
By Kelvin Hunt
Record After Toughest Stretch
If you told FSU football fans they would have to play the first few games this season without two offensive starters on the o-line and a starting safety, they’d likely agree FSU wouldn’t be undefeated.
However, that’s what happened, and the Noles are 4-0 and in the driver’s seat in the ACC. We hear it in college basketball all the time. Coaches want to work on things during the season and begin peaking with the NCAA Tournament on the horizon. Obviously, college football is a different animal, and one loss can derail everything for some teams.
However, getting through that stretch unscathed will allow the Noles to do a few things. The guys with injuries could likely afford to miss 1-2 more games if they have to, if that gets them closer to 100 percent. Most teams in the country have played nothing but cupcake teams, so they don’t really know what they are(Miami, coughs).
How will teams like that react if they lose a couple of starters and have to go on the road and play a team the caliber of Clemson? FSU has proven it can win at less than 100 percent. How good can they be when they get everyone back?
They have a favorable slate of upcoming games that will allow them to continue establishing its identity. By the time they welcome Miami to take in mid-November, FSU will likely have most of its issues worked out. Teams like Miami still have to play Clemson and North Carolina without being battled tested.
I wouldn’t wish injuries on anyone, but those are the type of games that begin eating into a team’s depth. FSU can likely get its starters out of the games relatively early over the next few games, provided they take care of business.