Good Defense Is A Must
Most defenses in the College Football Playoffs over the last two years were among the top 25 nationally. FSU had a top-10 defense nationally in 2023 and saw regression in 2024.
However, it was difficult to judge how much regression because the offense was so putrid and kept the defense on the field all the time.
A good defense can keep teams in games, just see the FSU defense in 2023 after losing Jordan Travis for the season.
See the Notre Dame vs. Penn State game when the Irish got down 10-0, and the defense kept them in the game until the offense found its footing. They also came up with a massive turnover to give the offense a chance to kick the game-winning field goal.
As mentioned, FSU coaches have worked to address its defensive deficiencies. New coordinator Tony White has had back-to-back top-20 defenses over the past two years.
The FSU defense was good enough for FSU to win 6-7 games if the FSU offense could have found any semblance of success.
I expect the FSU defense to be much improved in 2025, which should give FSU a shot to win if the offense can score points.