Offensive Precedent
The FSU offense scored 21 points in the first game and has not come close to touching that number since.
Think about that for a second from a defensive perspective. Now, the defensive players don't expect that to happen in games two, three, or four, but it does. At what point does a defense no longer believe the offense will score enough points to win games?
At what point does human nature kick in and become self-preservation when you know you can't win because the offense is THAT bad?
As mentioned, FSU should have only been down 14-3 against a top 10 Notre Dame on the road at halftime. However, if they had any semblance of any offense, it could have been a tied game, at the very least. I could say that for nearly every game this year.
Has the defense had its issues this year? Absolutely! Adam Fuller probably got fired because his defense on third and long was atrocious this season. Have guys with big expectations underperformed? Absolutely! Patrick Payton, Marvin Jones Jr., Shy Heim Brown, Fentrell Cypress, and I could probably name a few others.
Did guys miss tackles they should have made? Was communication poor? Did guys not execute their assignments? Yes. However, for the most part, the defense kept fighting each game long after it was clear the FSU offense was among the worst in the nation.
They could never get in sync as a team. The defense would get multiple stops, and the offense would turn it over or go three-and-out. The offense would finally score, and the defense would allow a score. It was maddening, but the culprit behind FSU's demise has largely been the offensive line.