College Football: 10 most disappointing teams of 2018
2. Florida State
It didn’t take long for Florida State to get exposed in 2018. Everyone underestimated the degree to which Willie Taggart would have to rebuild the team in Tallahassee, and Deondre Francois‘ return from a torn ACL he suffered in the season opener against Alabama in 2017 led most pundits to believe that the ‘Noles’ would be one of Clemson’s primary challengers for ACC supremacy.
FSU was 19th in both preseason polls, and optimism for the season lasted all of about 20 minutes as they were manhandled by Virginia Tech in the season opener on Labor Day. Little did we know at the time that it occurred against one of the worst Hokies squads in years, and that the loss was just the beginning of the misery fans in Tallahassee would experience.
The Seminoles flirted with disaster the next week against Samford, but managed a come-from-behind victory to subdue their FCS opponent. The next week they were housed by Syracuse, but they won three of their next four games with the lone loss coming by a single point to Miami, in a game they led by 20.
The ‘Noles were dominated in three straight defeats to Clemson, NC State, and Notre Dame, but pulled a surprising upset over Boston College to give themselves a shot at bowl eligibility. Instead, they were blown out by Florida to clinch the program’s first losing season since 1976, and snapped their 36 year bowl streak in the process.
A complete retooling of the offensive line will be needed over the offseason, as Florida State struggled to open up running lanes for talented running backs Cam Akers and Jacques Patrick. For the season, FSU averaged just 91 yards-per-game on the ground.
Taggart is no stranger to rebuilds, or to slow starts. At both Western Kentucky and South Florida, Taggart’s first teams went 2-10. He eventually got the ball rolling at both schools, proving he has the goods to resurrect sunken programs.
The question for him in Tallahassee will be if he is given enough time to do the same, or if he’ll be run off after next season unless the ‘Noles take a substantial leap forward.