FSU didn't beat itself
We’ve pointed out two things in the four FSU losses. FSU turned it over too much in the UVA and Miami games. The Pittsburgh and Stanford game saw FSU commit costly penalty after costly penalty.
FSU had 21 penalties in the Pittsburgh and Stanford games combined. They only had four penalties in the Wake Forest game and one turnover.
The FSU defense got two turnovers, so FSU was +1 in the turnover margin. If a team can win the turnover margin and not beat itself with dumb penalties? They’ll have an excellent shot to win the game.
The turnovers have come in two different situations. Either an FSU running back has fumbled the ball, or Thomas Castellanos is throwing the ball too much and forcing things that aren’t there.
Running backs are going to fumble the ball here and there, but FSU staying true to its offensive identity is something they can control. If they can limit the turnovers and avoid having six more penalties in the next five games, they’ll have a decent shot to run the table (provided they give the same defensive effort).