Florida State football opens its 2017 season against the No. 1 team in college football Saturday. Here are five bold predictions for the season.
In 2016, Florida State football had to sit back and watch as ACC rival Clemson took the conference crown and ran all the way to the national title game. The Tigers even beat mighty Alabama in the championship to take home the national title trophy.
Entering 2017, the scripts seem to be flipped. Florida State is now the favorite in the ACC and the Seminoles will get a crack at Alabama in the season opener. The Crimson Tide will be a tough matchup, but Florida State is more than up to the task.
There’s plenty of excitement surrounding Jimbo Fisher’s team in 2017 and many believe they could bring him his second title. Let’s take a look at five bold predictions for Florida State in 2017.
5. Josh Sweat finishes with 13 sacks
There’s a good reason why Josh Sweat was ranked the No. 1 weak-side defensive end in the 2015 class by 247Sports. He had the size, strength and athleticism to match that ranking, proving to be one of the most imposing defensive players in the entire class.
Moreover, he had the techniques down. While he hasn’t quite lived up to that five-star billing just yet, he is close to meeting expectations. He had 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks last season, but he was overshadowed by DeMarcus Walker.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound junior end will have a huge season for the Seminoles on one of the nation’s top defenses. He’s going to finish the year with 50-plus tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. He has the talent, but he has to hope not to get double-teamed often.
Luckily, Florida State’s defensive line has plenty of guys who can take pressure off of Sweat. He is going to have one of those draft stock-improving seasons that everyone dreams of.