Can Florida State Repeat?

[cloverleaf]

Seems FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher thinks so. At the midpoint of spring drills, Fisher is hinting toward a repeat. "We have a very talented team, Fisher said. "It's how they jell, how they mature." He said the team is showing a lot of athletic ability on both sides of the ball similar to last year's team.

Guess my concern would be about a defense that has several key holes to fill plus a new defensive coordinator. The 2014 schedule will also be much tougher than last year's softy. 2014 schedule:

Oklahoma St. (Arlington, Tx), The Citadel, Open Date, Clemson, @North Carolina St., Wake Forest, @Syracuse, Notre Dame, Open Date, @Louisville, Virginia, @Miami, Boston College, Florida

What do you think men.............:nono5:

 

[GoSooners]

Of course they can repeat. But several other teams will have something to say about it. This is a whole new system and year, so we could get many different scenarios with this playoff format. You have to ask yourself, if we would have had the playoff this past year, would FSU had still won the NC? What if they had caught Auburn on the tail end of a 4 team playoff with just one week to prepare instead of 5 weeks? Could they have still taken care of business against a team that was very hard to prepare for? I think we could be in for some big surprises this season. This new format is a different animal altogether.

 

[cloverleaf]

Maybe GS, but I think the odds are not in their favor. Heisman guy back but they lost some really key players, especially on defense. Yes, Jimbo learned well under Saban that you have to recruit and have good players and he and staff have done a nice job with that. But, he lost a ton of good players off last year's team. The neutral site game verse Oklahoma State will be a tough one. At Syracuse, at Louisville, at Miami plus Notre Dame and a "much improved Florida team" will prove difficult.

My take is NO, they will not repeat as national champions. Ain't going to happen.

 

[CoachCB]

Hell yes they can repeat. They play in a patsy conference and return their AA QB. Two great combinations for repeating.

I do think they've had a lot of it go to their heads, but they have some talent. FSU has recruited as well as any of the top 5 teams in the country....and probably better than ANY team except Bama over the last 4-6 years.

They are primed to repeat....at least as primed as any other team. They'll be pre-season #1 until someone else can knock them off (which I hate to say...because I HATE that team more than any other rival including UGA....and I grew up in the 80's when UGA owned UF).

 

[GoSooners]

The reason I think they can at the very least get into the Final 4 is because their nearest competitor Clemson will probably be down this year. That doesn't leave many roadblocks for them to overcome. Jimbo Fisher is also building a program, not a team. So like Bama, their falls aren't going to be quite as big as people think. If you remember, FSU also lost a lot of players to the NFL last year before making their run. They had only 11 starters back last season, and still won it all. But he's got a ton of talent waiting to step in. And most of them have playing experience because of their many blowouts last season.The biggest job Fisher has this year is to keep his players focused for another run. Easier said than done when you have so many NFL prospects who have already won their national championship, and now have dollar signs on the brain. Saban has probably been the best over the years at keeping them focused. But Fisher isn't in Saban's category as a coach. At least not yet.

 

[cloverleaf]

I agree Jimbo has recruited well and in that sense he has modeled the program after Alabama. Fisher has won 28 of his last 30 and is 45-10 overall...so yes, he has the program going in a positive direction. Even though new defensive coordinator Charles Kelly is keeping the same defensive scheme and terminology as last year, I believe they are going to have some issues on that side of the ball. Being national champs, the Noles will get every teams best shot this season.

 

[motowner]

toughest game might turn out to be Okie State since it's week 1 and the defense will need some time. Pruitt is a big loss. if they can get past the Pokes, Louisville should be down and Miami doesn't have much of a HFA. Clemson, ND, and Florida all at home.

 

[GoSooners]

toughest game might turn out to be Okie State since it's week 1 and the defense will need some time. Pruitt is a big loss. if they can get past the Pokes, Louisville should be down and Miami doesn't have much of a HFA. Clemson, ND, and Florida all at home.

Okie Lite will probably have the most talented roster in their history this season. Problem is, unlike previous years they will be very inexperienced. They lost lots and lots of senior leadership from last year's team. So I don't expect too much out of them in this first game. But you never know. Gundy is very good when you give him plenty of time to gameplan for you. Tough call, but FSU is riding pretty high right now.

 

[CoachCB]

toughest game might turn out to be Okie State since it's week 1 and the defense will need some time. Pruitt is a big loss. if they can get past the Pokes, Louisville should be down and Miami doesn't have much of a HFA. Clemson, ND, and Florida all at home.

Pruitt was at FSU one season. In fact, FSU replaced 6 coaches last off-season. They'll be fine w/ their new DC.

 

[Dr.Lou]

toughest game might turn out to be Okie State since it's week 1 and the defense will need some time. Pruitt is a big loss. if they can get past the Pokes, Louisville should be down and Miami doesn't have much of a HFA. Clemson, ND, and Florida all at home.

I don't think so. OSU had 10 players named to the first, second, or honorable mention All-Big XII team. All of them have graduated or declared for the NFL draft. OSU didn’t even make ESPN’s ‘way too early Top 25. Cowboys will struggle early, but don't see them upsetting the Noles as they will be putting together the pieces to their own puzzle.

Looking @ rest of their schedule...

Citadel - FSU can name their score.

Clemson - FSU gets the Tigers @ home this year and early which is a big plus, because Clemson lost a lot and will be looking for that chemistry. Would be a big concern if this game was played late in the year where Clemson had a lot of film to look at. One added Bonus FSU has is that due to their early schedule they wont reveal much defensively or offensively. Expect a lot of sandbagging from Jimbo. This is big, because the Tigers will have to prepare an inexperienced offense for a new defense. FSU has played this Tigers staff a few times already and is familiar with how to attack them. Plus, FSU gets a bye the week before Clemson. Advantage: FSU!

NC ST - Classic letdown spot. Its the week after we play Clemson, on the road, and NC ST should be looking for revenge. NC St. plays GSU, ODU, USF, and Prebyterian before playing FSU (big step up in play) so they should be undefeated. Last year they were not good at at all, but should be better this year. Will that be enough to knock off the defending champions? Could be, but i doubt it. Should be a hard fought game though.

Wake Forest- Should be an easy win. They lose QB and key NT (Whitlock) on the DL. Plus they will be breaking in a new coach.

Syracuse - This is another one of those look ahead games as FSU has ND on deck the following week. Jimbo prepares the same way each week ala Nick Saban. Not much changes and his players really buy into 'the process.' I don't think FSU will lose this game.

ND - This will be their toughest match to date. Last time these two team met was when EJ was a Junior @ FSU. ND went into HT with a HUGE lead and FSU came out in the 2H and dominated the Domers to win their bowl game. ND has a murderous schedule prior to playing the Noles. Three of their six preceding games will be against Stanford, Michigan, and UNC all of which come at home. I could see them coming into this game 6-0 or 5-1 which will have gameday written all over it. Last time FSU played in a game of this magnitude (aside from BCS Championship game) was on the road against Clemson where both teams were undefeated. FSU took care of business handily. Winston had more (experienced) weapons last year, but this year he will be more experienced. Will be a tough game for the Noles.

Louisville - UL loses Bridgewater and have to break in a new coach and scheme. They have 12 days to prepare for FSU and FSU has a bye as well. If FSU loses to ND there could a bit of a (negative) hangover which would call for a closer than normal game (10 points or so). A lot of players on the Cardinals from the state of FL, so i expect them to be pretty excited for the game. Don't see an outright loss though...FSU has far superior athletes and coaching staff.

Virginia - UVA should be improved this year. That is not saying much though as they were at the bottom of the ACC barrel last year. No where to go but up. UVA doesn't have the athletes to pose much of a threat to the Noles. I expect Jimbo to put his foot on the gas in the 1H and rest his starters in the 2H for Miami the following week.

Miami - This is where the rubber meets the road. The Noles play MIA, BC, UF, and then the ACCCG. Miami has 2 weeks off to prepare for FSU. Seminoles have two 'so-to-speak' as well with UVA the week before. Big rivalry game and FSU hasn't lost a road game in this series since 2004. Miami got by last year by smoke and mirrors. They should be improved this year and this game comes late in the season. BUT...they do lose some key pieces...Four offensive starters, including QB Morris and OL Henderson and Linder will be graduating. On defense, Miami will be losing six of 11 starters to graduation. Despite Miami's recruiting efforts they are still playing catch up to the Noles. Their coaching staff leaves little to be desired. They do have a few homerun threats on offense that could give FSU some problems and if the ball bounces their way a few times and get a few calls, FSU could be on the losing end. So far away i have a hard time really predicting a winner here. Lots of things (injuries) can happen between now and then, but I like FSU's chances.

BC - This is not your typical tune up game you want the week before you play UF. The Eagles are a physical team which can be imposing at times, more on this later. To make matters worse, this is a sandwich game between Miami and UF ^

 

[cloverleaf]

Good damn read Doc.

I for one think the Miami game is a huge challenge for FSU. I will go out on a limb and predict Miami and Clemson will beat the Noles. I know, FSU cannonballed Clemson by 37sast year if I remember correctly...not this year.

You have some good observations Doc.......appreciate you Bud.

Need some more from others........................................:toast:

 

[Conan]

There is one significant asset they have going for them which is the fact that they won the 2013 NC. In a competition with 6 or 7 teams vying for 4 spots with 2 or 3 top seeds and several teams rated close to each other in bunch, the Noles should be guaranteed a position not lower than the middle of the field. That means that even if they don't wind up with the greatest of seasons following their championship year, the benefit of the doubt is still theirs above the rest. In other words, they may already be half way there.

 

[motowner]

I don't think so. OSU had 10 players named to the first, second, or honorable mention All-Big XII team. All of them have graduated or declared for the NFL draft. OSU didn’t even make ESPN’s ‘way too early Top 25. Cowboys will struggle early, but don't see them upsetting the Noles as they will be putting together the pieces to their own puzzle.

I don't anticipate the Pokes upsetting them either, simply saying it may turn out to be the Noles toughest regular season game once it's all said and done. ND and Clemson probably next toughest. But ND needs an entirely new front 7 and their lack of speed kills them in these match-ups. Clemson lost their best skilled guys, so they're in transition and also poor on the road.

Louisville will be down and also in transition, but at least their fans will be excited. Miami will be a mess in several key areas and have zero HFA. There will be more FSU fans at that game than Cane fans.

Sure, Noles have many potential 'look ahead' spots (like all top 10 teams do) but not a single one of those sandwich opponents have any shot whatsoever of winning. They're all small underfunded programs with either poor coaching staffs or completely new ones with new systems. All have mediocre 1st teams and minimal depth. None will be able to play remotely close with FSU come the 3rd qtr.

FSU is back, just a question of how long they can stay there.

OU has a pretty good shot to run the table, but a tougher overall schedule than FSU. Both FSU and OU have to be thinking playoffs or bust.

SEC will have 2 or 3 teams who could challenge FSU come season end, but may only get 1 team in.

 

[Dr.Lou]

Good damn read Doc.

I for one think the Miami game is a huge challenge for FSU. I will go out on a limb and predict Miami and Clemson will beat the Noles. I know, FSU cannonballed Clemson by 37sast year if I remember correctly...not this year.

You have some good observations Doc.......appreciate you Bud.

Need some more from others........................................:toast:

Your welcome clover. I just watched some of Miami's spring and there were some things that stood out. With Duke Johnson and Yearby sidelined with injuries, Gus Edwards stepped up and was impressive. He showed good vision and hit the hole hard, ran over defenders, and picked up some good yardage. He finished the day with 70 yards on 19 carries. He looked like a very physical back who can spell Johnson and Yearby and pick up the short yardage if need be. Their safeties looked good, making a few INTs, but this was more of a product of bad QB play...and this is where Miami may struggle. Miami's QBs were 16 for 41 good for 128 yards...that is downright horrible, especially for a spring game which is basically a glorified scrimmage. These games are more for the coaches and the fans. Lots of missed reads, overthrows, etc...all of which is expected to an extent, but not this much. If they don't improve, teams will just load the box and force the Hurricanes to beat you with their run game. Golden and company im sure are going to do their best to ease the starting QB into things, but when conference play begins, if they don't improve, i don't see a one dimensional Miami being much of a threat to FSU. There is still a LOT of time between now and then and a lot can happen. If the QBs can make the right reads/adjustments at the line and make the simple throws, Miami is going to be tough. Their backfield is deep and good.

I didn't get to see as much of the Clemson spring game, though i did see the QB appears to have been settled. Chad Kelly their highly touted HS QB was benched...IN A SPRING GAME for yelling at his coaches. If that kind of turmoil spills over into the season that is not going to help their chemistry. Ill have to watch more of their spring game though, want to see more of their young and unproven skill positions and their OL.

 

[sdf]

would be hard for them not to find themselves in the top 4 even if they had 1 loss this season. i think some SEC team like Bama or Allburn will have a good game plan for this year and pull the upset

 

[Dr.Lou]

There is one significant asset they have going for them which is the fact that they won the 2013 NC. In a competition with 6 or 7 teams vying for 4 spots with 2 or 3 top seeds and several teams rated close to each other in bunch, the Noles should be guaranteed a position not lower than the middle of the field. That means that even if they don't wind up with the greatest of seasons following their championship year, the benefit of the doubt is still theirs above the rest. In other words, they may already be half way there.

Good point Conan, they do have that at their back to help them especially with the voters. The funny thing is, this is the year all Nole fans were pointing to for a title run. Most, if not all, FSU fans thought Jameis would need a minumum of one year to find his groove and work through some of the growing pains that are commonly associated with freshman QBs. FSU has a lot of the key pieces in place for another run. This team has a lot more depth than it did a year ago, especially at OL and the tailback position. It will interesting to see what Jimbo does. I expect to see a lot of 12 and 22 formations this year with some pony sets. We have 3 healthy TEs now and the backfield looks to be powerful, deep, and explosive. This group of offensive linemen has had a lot of success with stretch plays too. They have some young burners at wideout too. '

And i just noticed 3/4 of what i wrote about BC is not there :think2: In short, they're moving to more of a spread attack. Last year, Adazzio had to use what he inherited and stayed with the power run game. He mixed some misdirection type plays and was successful. Saw a few of those plays against FSU in the 1H. I expect to see more of that. Not too sure how effective he will be with that offense, may take some time getting used to, but by the end of the year they should have their identity in place. Still not enough talent to overtake FSU. Good thing for the Noles is they excel against spread type teams. They beat a full strength Clemson offense that had some serious skill talent. People thought Maryland (who was undefeated IIRC at the time) would give the Noles fits. They dominated them. Same with Wake, Miami, and UF. Im not saying that means they will automatically do the same to BC, but I like the Noles chances of playing a spread type team who is just getting their feet wet.

 

[Dr.Lou]

I don't anticipate the Pokes upsetting them either, simply saying it may turn out to be the Noles toughest regular season game once it's all said and done. ND and Clemson probably next toughest. But ND needs an entirely new front 7 and their lack of speed kills them in these match-ups. Clemson lost their best skilled guys, so they're in transition and also poor on the road.

Louisville will be down and also in transition, but at least their fans will be excited. Miami will be a mess in several key areas and have zero HFA. There will be more FSU fans at that game than Cane fans.

Sure, Noles have many potential 'look ahead' spots (like all top 10 teams do) but not a single one of those sandwich opponents have any shot whatsoever of winning. They're all small underfunded programs with either poor coaching staffs or completely new ones with new systems. All have mediocre 1st teams and minimal depth. None will be able to play remotely close with FSU come the 3rd qtr.

FSU is back, just a question of how long they can stay there.

OU has a pretty good shot to run the table, but a tougher overall schedule than FSU. Both FSU and OU have to be thinking playoffs or bust.

SEC will have 2 or 3 teams who could challenge FSU come season end, but may only get 1 team in.

Pokes definitely pose a threat you're right, but I think the Noles pose a much bigger threat. They only return 10 of 22 starters and breaking in many new starters (over half) for the first game of the year against the reigning champs is a tough pill to swallow, especially when that team just reloads with blue chip talent. The Dallas factor will help, but only to an extent. Big environments aren't as big a deal for some QBs (Manziel, McCarron, etc) as others. Winston should handle the environment fine, just like he did the Clemson game. If the Cowboys offense can get off without a hitch and FSU can't adjust, it will be tough. Oklahoma St coaching staff is no Wake Forest or Virginia though. If they were in the ACC, i would put their staff definitely in the top 3. For that very reason it's hard to just write that game off as a win for FSU. If he young players can buy in to the system, get their assignment down, and get in a rhythm then the game will definitely be a battle. Im wondering how much of his playbook Gundy will throw at them in the first game. Definitely a game for the Noles to take serious, but if i look at coaching + talent + returning starters i have to side with FSU. Plus, their defense is built to stop spread offenses. If the Pokes didn't lose as much I would probably tip my hat to the Cowboys.

Look ahead games and sandwich games are tough spots...for most teams. There are exceptions though. Saban is one of them. He prepares in such a methodical way, its the same every week no matter if its LSU or Colorado St. The players prepare the same way starting day 1 and ending just before kick off. The minute you try to do something different, out of the norm because it's a big game thats when you trip yourself up. I've noticed it over the years. Listening to the players, watching some of the practices, etc. you can tell the players buy in to what Jimbo preaches and he comes from the Saban line. This guy keeps crazy, detailed notes on the opponent, situation, down and distance, what play was called, and the result....going yearts back. I remember in an interview leading up to the Auburn game, a person asked him something about how he will defend Guz Malzhan's offense (not sure exactly how it was phrased/worded). He went back and cited the time he coached (graduate assistant at the time) against him in the SEC. The guy has a crazy, detailed football mind. But, he learned from some of the best in the game (Saban and Bowden).

I don't see Jimbo losing those trap games like most teams would. They don't pose much of a thread. He may struggle a bit, but good programs win those games majority of the time. Having a heisman QB always helps too

Funny you mention OU, I think they will be in the playoffs as well. FSU beats up little brother in week 1 and looks to take on big brother in the playoffs. That would be a good game. I went to the game a few years back in DOAK when EJ was there. That was the loudest i heard DOAK Campbell stadium. Noles lost that game, so should this scenario play out, it would be a good time to get some revenge.

 

[Dr.Lou]

And by burners i mean...

And it still amazes me that Karlos (#9 RB) blocked a guy and is right there with Kermit.

 

[motowner]

Pokes definitely pose a threat you're right, but I think the Noles pose a much bigger threat. They only return 10 of 22 starters and breaking in many new starters (over half) for the first game of the year against the reigning champs is a tough pill to swallow, especially when that team just reloads with blue chip talent. The Dallas factor will help, but only to an extent. Big environments aren't as big a deal for some QBs (Manziel, McCarron, etc) as others. Winston should handle the environment fine, just like he did the Clemson game. If the Cowboys offense can get off without a hitch and FSU can't adjust, it will be tough. Oklahoma St coaching staff is no Wake Forest or Virginia though. If they were in the ACC, i would put their staff definitely in the top 3. For that very reason it's hard to just write that game off as a win for FSU. If he young players can buy in to the system, get their assignment down, and get in a rhythm then the game will definitely be a battle. Im wondering how much of his playbook Gundy will throw at them in the first game. Definitely a game for the Noles to take serious, but if i look at coaching + talent + returning starters i have to side with FSU. Plus, their defense is built to stop spread offenses. If the Pokes didn't lose as much I would probably tip my hat to the Cowboys.

Look ahead games and sandwich games are tough spots...for most teams. There are exceptions though. Saban is one of them. He prepares in such a methodical way, its the same every week no matter if its LSU or Colorado St. The players prepare the same way starting day 1 and ending just before kick off. The minute you try to do something different, out of the norm because it's a big game thats when you trip yourself up. I've noticed it over the years. Listening to the players, watching some of the practices, etc. you can tell the players buy in to what Jimbo preaches and he comes from the Saban line. This guy keeps crazy, detailed notes on the opponent, situation, down and distance, what play was called, and the result....going yearts back. I remember in an interview leading up to the Auburn game, a person asked him something about how he will defend Guz Malzhan's offense (not sure exactly how it was phrased/worded). He went back and cited the time he coached (graduate assistant at the time) against him in the SEC. The guy has a crazy, detailed football mind. But, he learned from some of the best in the game (Saban and Bowden).

I don't see Jimbo losing those trap games like most teams would. They don't pose much of a thread. He may struggle a bit, but good programs win those games majority of the time. Having a heisman QB always helps too

Funny you mention OU, I think they will be in the playoffs as well. FSU beats up little brother in week 1 and looks to take on big brother in the playoffs. That would be a good game. I went to the game a few years back in DOAK when EJ was there. That was the loudest i heard DOAK Campbell stadium. Noles lost that game, so should this scenario play out, it would be a good time to get some revenge.

Good stuff. Yeah, just see FSU and OU having the best two shots at running the table when really looking at all the different schedules. If FSU doesn't make the playoffs, their season will have to be considered a failure.

OU will have a much tougher overall schedule, but they do get their toughest games at home. That Tenneesee game could be interesting and of course Texas always lingers mentally. And yeah, OU will likely face a better Okie State team than FSU will.

Ohio State and MSU both have numerous tough road games and a potential CCG, so neither project going undefeated. But a 1-loss Big 10 team might steal a spot. Same can be said about a 1-loss Pac 12 team.

Auburn and Alabama each have a decent shot to finish with only 1 loss each. One may even go undefeated, but wouldn't bet on it.

Two undefeated and two 1-loss teams would be a stacked playoff scenario, but it'll more likely be one undefeated, two 1-loss, and one 2-loss team.

 

[8ate]

Clemson beats noles this year...big game for dabo; strange, but it's gonna happen..