We're one of the few sites covering FSU who believe that FSU will win at least eight games in 2025. It's not pie-in-the-sky fandom speaking because FSU hired proven coordinators and has a nice mixture of young guys with talent who played last year and more proven players from the transfer portal, unlike 2024.
The other factors are that FSU's schedule isn't difficult, and they have more talent than 75 percent of the teams they'll face in 2025. They had more talent than most of the teams they faced last year and went 2-10. However, that's where the proven coordinators factor, and getting the cancers from last year off the roster.
We're not the only site that's optimistic. Bill Connelly released his updated post-spring SP+ projections, and where FSU falls should excite FSU fans.
The Noles rank No. 36 overall, No. 58 offensively, No. 28 defensively, and No. 13 special teams.
SP+ projects FSU to win 6.8 games, one game below my 8-4 projection.
Gus Malzhan consistently produces top-30 offenses and Tony White had back-to-back top 20 defenses at Nebraska the past two years.
I expect FSU to play with much more physicality in 2025, and to play with more of a gameplan compared to last year. There are five games on the schedule that FSU has no business losing from a talent perspective, and I could probably throw two more teams in that group.
The biggest concern is staying healthy at QB and along the offensive line. FSU hasn't had the greatest injury luck, but things are bound to swing their way at some point, right?
FSU had one of the worst offenses nationally last year. If they can be top 50 on offense and top 30 on defense? That should surprise a large part of the fan base that's stuck in the team will suck again mode although it's nearly a whole different team.