The 2017 Florida State football team is the early favorite to win the ACC title, and then some. Will the Seminoles come out on top?
Head coach Jimbo Fisher is on to something in Tallahassee. The Florida State Seminoles have won 10 or more games since his second season as coach in 2012. They are prime for a run to the College Football Playoff after a 10-3 season in 2016.
The Seminoles have to reload in the backfield to be successful but Jacques Patrick (Doak Walker Award watch list) and true freshman Cam Akers should pick up the slack.
The offensive line also returns offensive guard Landon Dickerson. Dickerson suffered an ACL injury that sidelined him last season. The offense used seven different lineman combinations a year ago. The coaching staff looks for that to change this season.
On defense, Florida State looks scary good as it returns nine players. Although losing DeMarcus Walker hurts, other guys like Brian Burns and Josh Sweat should be ready to step up. Safety Derwin James also makes his long awaited return to the gridiron after suffering a torn meniscus last season. James is prime for a run at the Heisman Trophy with a big year.
Week One is one of the Florida State Seminoles’ biggest challenges. They meet the Alabama Crimson Tide for the first time since the 2007 season. The Seminoles won that game 21-14. Even though the teams are big football powerhouses, they have only met four times on the gridiron.
The Seminoles return nine starters on defense while Alabama returns six starters. The Crimson Tide are the favorite here with a slight edge given because of their defense. Yes, they will miss Jonathan Allen, Tim Williams and Ryan Anderson but there’s plenty of talent waiting in the wings.
The offensive line issues the Seminoles had in 2016 should come up again in this game. Deondre Francois did his best last season with what he was given, however, there were a few games hard hits put him out of the game for a brief moment.
The Crimson Tide are hard to beat in season openers. The last time they met an ACC school to open the season was in 2013 against the Virginia Tech Hokies. They won that game 35-10.
The game won’t be a blowout but expect Alabama to assert themselves as the best team in the nation in Week One.
Final: Alabama 38, Florida State 28 (0-1)
The Florida State Seminoles welcome the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks to town in Week 2. The Warhawks are currently going through a rebuild behind head coach Matt Viator.
ULM went 4-8 under Viator last season. They are a member of the Sun Belt Conference and went 3-5 in conference play last season. They are a team without a leading rusher or many offensive weapons but they should improve in year two of Coach Viator’s tenure.
The offense is a good rushing team but they lack a primary running back out of the backfield. They were third in the conference in rushing yards per game (181.3). It was everywhere else where the Warhawks struggled.
They were eighth in the conference in passing yards per game (192.0) and ninth in the conference in points per game (23.3). They’ve got experience returning on offense, however, talent is still hard to come by.
Defensively, ULM returns eight players, but that’s the only positive. The defense ranked 119th nationally in yards allowed per game (480.3), 125th in rushing yards allowed per game (260.3) and 122nd in scoring defense (39.1 points per game). They are still adjusting to their 4-2-5 scheme under Coach Viator. Look for better progress in 2017.
In terms of facing the Seminoles, the Warhawks are nothing more than a tuneup game. It is the second-ever meeting between the two squads. Florida State defeated the Warhawks 34-0 in their last meeting during the 2011 season.
Final: UL Monroe 7, Florida State 42 (1-1)
The Miami Hurricanes recently named redshirt junior Malik Rosier their starting quarterback. Not a bad sign as teams are entering the final stretch of practice before games begin.
By Week Three, Rosier should have developed some type of rapport with his offense. However, it may not be enough to defeat the Florida State Seminoles.
Rosier has running back Mark Walton and a reliable receiving target in sophomore Ahmmon Richards this season. Walton ran for 1,117 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns and Richards caught 49 receptions for 934 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season.
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Defensively, the Hurricanes are a young but somewhat experienced group. Their biggest question mark is in the secondary where they have to replace four senior starters. They are hoping former FCS All-American Dee Delaney can briefly fill at least one void there. They’ve got talent there just not the experience.
The Seminoles bring an experienced defense to the gridiron, probably the best in the conference. With safety Derwin James back flying around the field wreaking havoc, it could be one of those days for Rosier and the Hurricanes.
Florida State has also won the last seven meetings. Considering they have home-field advantage, it’s hard to pick against them. The Hurricanes lost last year’s game off a missed extra PAT.
It should be a close game, but the Seminoles’ offense should find a way to win this one.
Final: Miami 17, Florida State 24 (2-1, 1-0 ACC)
The NC State Wolfpack are one of the up-and-coming teams in the ACC’s Atlantic division. They are a team on the cusp of a breakthrough entering head coach Dave Doeren’s fifth season.
NC State returns eight starters on both offense and defense entering the 2017 season. Their offense is still a work in-progress but the defense has become one of the best in the conference.
Behind defensive ends Bradley Chubb and Kentavius Street, the Wolfpack defense ranked second in the ACC (eight in the FBS) in rushing yards allowed per game (108.6). The defense allowed just 22.8 points per game last season, fourth in the conference (27th in the FBS).
The Wolfpack will need to find their mojo on offense to have a shot in this game. Senior playmaker Jaylen Samuels serves as a one potential weapon is both the running and passing game. Samuels caught 55 receptions for 565 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. They will need other players to step up on offense this year next to Samuels.
The Wolfpack haven’t beaten the Seminoles since the 2012 season when they won 17-16. Last season’s meeting was close but the Seminoles pulled it out 24-20. This season could be another close game, but considering their odds on the road, NC State could fall apart here.
Expect to see a breakout performance from quarterback Deondre Francois as the Seminoles begin their quest to the College Football Playoff. Francois should have weapons in the passing game by now, look for Keith Gavin to emerge here.
Final: NC State 10, Florida State 35 (3-1, 2-0 ACC)
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons turned a corner in 2016. They went 6-6 in the regular season, qualifying for their first bowl game since 2011. Head coach Dave Clawson managed to win game number seven in the Military Bowl over the Temple Owls, but 2017 will have its challenges.
This season’s schedule is a lot more difficult and the outcome could be totally different from last season. The Demon Deacons return eight starters from their offense which ranked 118th in the FBS in scoring (20.4 points per game) in 2016. Quarterback Kendall Hinton is back from injury but he could split time with senior John Wolford.
Wolford threw for 1,774 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns but he also threw 10 interceptions. He threw two against the Seminoles last year in their 17-6 defeat. Wolford also ran for 521 rushing yards and six touchdowns a season ago.
Wake Forest returns just five starters on defense from 2016. They will be without four of last year’s six top tacklers this season but luckily one of those returners is defensive end Duke Ejiofor.
Ejiofor was fourth in the ACC in sacks last season (10.5) and represents the Demon Deacons biggest strength. The rush defense could give the Seminoles some issues, but they may be overmatched in this one.
The Demon Deacons have a lot of question marks on defense this season. The defensive line will excel but only for so long, especially against a team like the Florida State Seminoles.
Final: Wake Forest 13, Florida State 31 (4-1, 3-0 ACC)
The Duke Blue Devils pose as another ACC opponent the Florida State Seminoles face on the road. The Blue Devils will have learned a lot about themselves by early October, but so will Florida State.
The Seminoles will be coming off a bye week and that probably isn’t a good thing for Duke, even though it’s a home game for them. Adjustments will be made, if any need to be made prior to this game. Florida State will be fresh and healthy going in as well if they’re a bit banged up come October.
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The Blue Devils finished last season with a 4-8 record, going 1-7 in ACC play. They could find a few more wins on the schedule this season, but not up against the Florida State Seminoles.
The offense returns seven starters including quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones did well in his first season as starter, although the offense still has strides to make. The rushing offense ranked eighth in the ACC in yards per game (153.6) and passing offense ranked ninth with 239.8 passing yards per game.
The defense didn’t fare much better. It ranked 11th in the conference in rushing yards allowed per game (174.9) and 10th in passing yards allowed per game (239.8). They return their top two tacklers (Ben Humphreys and Joe Giles-Harris) but only five total starters from last year’s unit.
The Seminoles are a perfect 19-0 against the Blue Devils going in. They last met in the ACC Championship in 2013. Florida State won that game 45-7.
Final: Duke 14, Florida State 42 (5-1, 4-0 ACC)
The Louisville Cardinals and Heisman winning quarterback Lamar Jackson took the college football world by storm last season. Such shouldn’t be the case this season as teams look to shutdown the playmaking quarterback.
With a potential top 10 matchup looming and conference bragging rights on the line, this game is sure to be a good one. The Cardinals put up 63 points on the second-ranked Florida State Seminoles in 2016. Their offense should still be explosive this season, but the spotlight will be on safety Derwin James to contain Lamar Jackson.
The Seminoles defense didn’t look the same without James on the field last year. It showed itself against Louisville as they gave up 314 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in last season’s 63-20 loss.
Jackson couldn’t be stopped as he ran for 146 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. He also had 216 passing yards and a passing touchdown but his work on the ground stood out most.
Jackson won’t be taken lightly by the Florida State defense this go around. They should be prepared to keep the pressure up on him all day long.
The Seminoles sacked him just once is last year’s game while on the other side of things, Francois was sacked five times.
Louisville beat the Seminoles for just the third time ever in 17 tries a season ago. Two of those victories have come in the last five meetings. Luck could be on the Cardinals’ side again but it’s hard to see Florida State dropping one at home here. Strangers things have happened though.
Final: Louisville 35, Florida State 42 (6-1, 5-0 ACC)
The Boston College Golden Eagles got back to their winning ways, so to speak last season finishing up with a 7-6 record. Their 36-30 victory over the Maryland Terrapins in the Quick Lane Bowl overshadowed a myriad of issues on the offensive side of the ball.
Boston College put up 20.4 points per game as a team on offense in 2016. They ranked 118th in the FBS in that category. Their offense generated 292.8 yards per game, which also ranked 127th in the FBS.
Seven of those players return from that offense but the good thing is a new quarterback should change the direction of this system. Dual-threat quarterbacks Anthony Brown and Darius Wade are expected to give the unit a boost, whichever one earns the starting job.
They could be better on offense by the end of October next season. They weren’t very good on offense in 2016, that’s for sure.
The Golden Eagles defense was their biggest strength. They ranked first in the ACC in rushing yards allowed per game (108.5) and second in total yards allowed per game (314.2).
Senior defensive end Harold Landry, the FBS leader in sacks (16.5) from last season, returns looking to have a big season. Senior linebacker Connor Strachan, the team’s leading tackler (80), is also expected to have a big season.
Their meeting last season wasn’t very close as the Florida State Seminoles won that one 45-7. The Seminoles have won seven straight meetings so far. This one could be close for awhile but expect Florida State to create a safe cushion and cruise to victory.
Final: Boston College 13, Florida State 35 (7-1, 6-0 ACC)
The Syracuse Orange are another team still in search of an explosive offense. Under second-year head coach Dino Babers, they should be more competitive, but not quite up to par with an ACC juggernaut like Florida State.
Last year’s meeting was an offensive breakthrough for the Seminoles. They put up over 300 rushing yards and 300 passing yards in a 45-14 route. The offense finished with 654 total yards, although they also had four turnovers in the game.
10 members of Syracuse’ defense returns to this year. They ranked 122nd in the FBS in yards allowed per game (501.1), 120th in scoring defense (38.6 points allowed per game), 118th in passing yards allowed per game (312.3) and 108th in rushing yards allowed per game (225.0). Senior linebacker Zaire Franklin and company look to fare better in 2017. Franklin led the team in tackles for loss with 10.0.
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Quarterback Deondre Francois threw for 315 passing yards on 18-of-28 passing for two passing touchdowns while also throwing an interception. It was one of five times he threw for over 300 passing yards in 2016.
By November, the Florida State Seminoles should be a well-oiled machine. This week could be a big one for them. Running back Dalvin Cook ran for 225 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in last year’s game as well.
Final: Syracuse 24, Florida State 56 (8-1, 7-0 ACC)
The Florida State Seminoles play their final ACC game of the season against the Clemson Tigers. Their game on November 11 could be for all the marbles in the Atlantic Division and a trip to the ACC Championship game.
The Tigers and Seminoles are sure to play another defensive battle when they meet. Last season’s 37-34 battle was a back-and-forth that saw Clemson jump out to a 14-0 lead before the Seminoles responded.
Florida State led 34-29 with 3:23 to play before Deshaun Watson and Jordan Leggett pulled out the heroics on a game-winning 34-yard touchdown pass.
The Clemson offense won’t be as potent as it was last season, then again it could return to its original form by November. The Tigers are good at peaking at the right time.
The defense will allow for them to develop the offense in a timely manner. With Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and Clelin Ferrell manning the defensive line, the Seminoles should have their hands full all game long.
The Florida State Seminoles will need to throw the ball a whole lot better in 2017. Deondre Francois threw for 286 passing yards but he was 17-for-35, completing 48.6 percent of his passes. Accuracy will need to improve in Francois hopes for victory.
The Seminoles’ defense forced two interceptions as well but couldn’t capitalize on those to seal a victory. Kelly Bryant should prove if he’s the answer at starting quarterback by this game. Still, take the odds on Florida State.
Between running back Jacques Patrick and Cam Akers, the Seminoles should have a star on their hands. One or the other should shine in this game, that’s if the passing game shows up.
It’s worth noting too, Florida State has lost two games in a row to the Tigers. After last season’s letdown, they certainly owe Clemson one.
Final: Clemson 24, Florida State 31 (9-1, 8-0 ACC)
The Delaware State Hornets serves as late opportunity for the second-string and third-string guys get some reps in. The Hornets will pay the Florida State Seminoles a late visit and they’re not a very good FCS team.
Delaware State didn’t win a game last season, going 0-11. Their offense averaged 14.7 points per game with opponents outscoring them 124-28 in the first quarter alone in 2016. Their scoring offense ranked 10th in the MEAC. The offense only scored 11 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns as a team last year.
On defense, the Hornets allowed 39.7 points and 264.9 rushing yards per game. Their secondary wasn’t too bad as they only allowed 206.9 passing yards per game. Still, their scoring defense ranked last in the conference.
Their defense accumulated just two interceptions and 10 sacks the whole season, ranking last in the conference in both categories.
Against the one FBS team they played last year, they lost 79-0. The Missouri Tigers put up 58 points in the first half and nearly 700 total yards on offense.
The Tigers scored a touchdown on 11-of-12 scoring drives in that game. Just some food for thought when thinking about the Florida State Seminoles.
Final: Delaware State 0, Florida State 56 (10-1, 8-0 ACC)
The Florida Gators are having an interesting time entering head coach Jim McElwain’s third season. They have already suspended seven players for the season opener versus the Michigan Wolverines on Sept. 2.
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The Gators offense was a trainwreck in last year’s meeting with the Florida State Seminoles. They accumulated just 58 yards on the ground and 149 passing yards and didn’t score a touchdown on offense.
Their lone touchdown came on safety Marcell Harris’ 12-yard fumble return. Despite forcing three turnovers in the game, Florida couldn’t overcome Austin Appleby at quarterback. Appleby went 19-for-35 with 149 passing yards on the day. It wasn’t a bad performance but the Gators lost 31-13.
Harris is one of three starters that returns from last year’s defense. As the Gators look to defend their SEC East crown, they could be in for another long game against Florida State.
This season, Florida still has some questions remaining at quarterback. Luke Del Rio hasn’t won his job back since getting injured last season. Graduate transfer Malik Zaire and Feleipe Franks haven’t won over the coaching staff, either.
Coach McElwain has spoken of playing three quarterbacks in their season opener. However, they should have a more solid outlook on their signal-caller by next season’s finale.
The defense has largely made up for the offensive inefficiencies in the past. Last year, they ranked second in the nation in passing yards allowed per game (148.5) and sixth in the nation in scoring defense (16.8). This year’s matchup will be interesting as a lot of that production will be gone.
Final: Florida 14, Florida State 24 (11-1, 8-0 ACC)
End of regular season: 11-1 (8-0 ACC)
It may seem a bit far-fetched but the Florida State Seminoles have the defensive caliber to go undefeated, at least in ACC play. Safety Derwin James is prime to do bigger things after sitting out with a knee injury last season. Their defensive line of Brian Burns, Derrick Nnadi and Josh Sweat will also continue to emerge.
Deondre Francois should have a better time throwing the ball as well. He wasn’t protected very well last season but the return of guard Landon Dickerson should help his cause. Francois could be up for ACC Player of the Year honors before it’s all said and done.
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Another player who should provide a huge contribution is Cam Akers. Akers already made noise in the team’s annual spring game. As the Seminoles desperately need a need kick returner, Akers could be that guy. He’s explosive in space and has a knack for the endzone, which fans will soon get a glimpse of.
An 11-1 result can possibly put the Florida State Seminoles in the College Football Playoff. They’ll have to prove themselves on the national stage, though, and win a majority of those games. Their offense will tell the tale by season’s end, but expect them to be a top four team in 2017.