FSU football version 2024 IS DEAD. It went into cardiac arrest after the GT game....and SMU basically pulled the plug. I watched the Duke game and Manny Diaz realized after about a quarter that unless Duke turned the football over and poop the bead that he was not losing. Mario figured it out pretty quickly. All season Mario has been super aggressive and they went for it every time when Miami was in 4th and 3. Last night Mario took the points and banked them. Once Miami got to 20+ points the game was over. Miami played their most conservative game all season. Miami was in control of that game from beginning to end.
INSANITY - is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. FSU is 1-7 and honestly since game 2-3 the results for this season looked BLEEK. As a fan you always have hope going into these games. The reality is this team is not very good. I don't think all of the blame can be put on the talent. There is TALENT on the roster. I think for this season the talent and those who have played has been wrong. I have my opinions on what went wrong - It does not make me right....
Next- My opinion - There are a few posters on here who mentioned my silence or that maybe I ignored them about talking about the team, coaches or changes that WILL BE MADE. I have seen the post but feel there is a time and place to discuss these topics. In the middle of the season while coaches are still on staff is not the appropriate time. I hope you as a poster can respect that and understands that I will discuss after the season. Anyone that knows me personally, understands I am not afraid to speak my mind. If I have an opinion on a subject, I will give you my thoughts.
Coaching Changes - They will happen. Who, when, where and why...We will find out soon enough. FSU is 1-7 and the reality is coaches are going to lose their jobs. There is no doubt in my mind that changes are coming. I won't speculate on who will be gone. Mike Norvell is the HC of this football team and he will make those decisions.
WHY? I know there are some that feel no matter what happens that Mike can't make it. That his future is cooked. I feel differently. Why, because he has had success now at two programs (Memphis/FSU). He has a proven track record of hiring good coaches (Lanning, Dillingham, Silverfeld). I want to see what happens. If a coach is let go, I will give you my opinion on the new coach and coaches I feel would be good picks IMHO. History tells me that Mike can get the job done. If you believe otherwise that is your opinion. You have the right to your opinion. I also don't believe the prior two years are FLUKES.
Coaching/Recruiting - Anyone that has followed me will tell you that I feel that Recruiting is 75-80 percent of the reason why a coach has success. I feel coaching and developing is 20 percent of the equation. Talent Acquisition is the single most important part of winning games. QB, WR1, OT, DE, DT, CB.....You have to recruit these positions at an elite level to play in the playoffs and actually win games. RB, TE, OG, LB, S....These positions don't have to be elite. You also have manage your roster. I have broken down FSU roster management and the number 1 reason FSU has struggled this year is the classes of 20, 21 and 22. FSU must recruit at a higher level.
Cam Ward/ DJ U - Mike Norvell went after Cam Ward. So many have said FSU was outbid....I think the truth lies in between. I feel that FSU and MN made a very nice run at Ward. Did Miami offer him more, YES? At the same time I think one of reasons why FSU got outbid is 1) DJ U, 2) roster construction and expectations for 2024....Reality is FSU just came off a 13-0 season, had an OL that most felt would be the strength of the team, and the roster while good had a ceiling....9 wins maybe 10. FSU had gone all in for 2023 and no matter what this year the expectations inside that building were probably not as high. So do you go and overspend for Cam? Or do you take this as a transition year, take a flyer on DJ and roll the dice to see what happens. Also remember Ward was much more valuable to Mario than Mike. Mario was in a win now situation and mike just had to maintain. It was a calculation that Mike took and the reality is it backfired. FSU could have probably rolled with Luke and Brock and had the same results.
Brock/Luke - Watching these two, I do believe you can win plenty of games with these two. I remember watching Christian Ponder at FSU summer camp and he was downright terrible. I remember watching Blake Borttles in HS. He was so bad the UCF coaches felt at worst he would be a tight end. Well both ended up 1st round picks. I am not saying Glenn or Luke will play in the NFL but I will tell you that both are better prospects at the same time. I feel either of them can have success in college.
2025 - FSU has a decision to make in 2025 - Do you roll with Luke and Brock or is a transfer QB going to have to be brought in. If Brock or Luke happen to be the guy than 6-7-8 wins is what you are looking at in 2025. Luke has talent but he is far from ready. If you do decide this is the route you are going then INVESTMENT in the OL becomes that much more important. How do you help out a young QB- RUN THE BALL - How do you run the ball - have a good OL? FSU has to go out and FIX THE OL. It needs to become priority number one.
The rest of 2024 - If you are going to watch FSU football the rest of the year do so at your own risk. Expectations are gone, now you watch the young players and find out what you got. I am all for the youth movement because those guys who you recruited and are going through this crap season will be the foundation to future success. The players who go through this will eventually become the leaders and they will put their foot down and say not on my watch. That is the difference between the portal and home grown talent. INVESTMENT - Those who are here will be the ones who put the sweat in to turn it around.
College football - If you don't believe college football has changed - Indiana is 8-0. They beat Ohio State there is a very good chance they make the playoffs. This is not basketball...think about that for a second.
Curt Cignetti - His agent is about to get this man paid....
QB
Brock/Luke - I would play both the rest of the season. You look around college football. Texas, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, Oregon, Clemson, ND, Iowa State, IU. These teams all have the same thing in common, QB's with a ton of experience. Brock and Luke need experience. Nothing replaces that. I am a big Avery Johnson fan. He still has moments like last night when he fumbled on a key drive. Those mistakes seem to happen more for younger players. Brock and Luke showed enough last night that with experience down the road, a proper OL blocking and a good run game, these two will have success.
I feel that Luke is a combination between Blake Borttles and Ryan Tannehill. RT went to Texas A&M as a receiver and converted to QB. He ended up getting drafted in round one. Luke has talent. Realize those like RT, Luke had one year of playing QB in HS. He is so new to the game. It is going to take time to develop him. Luke has the work ethic to be good. After speaking with him at NSD last year with Pat, I also feel he has the mindset to play the game.
RB
No Kam - Toafili had his moments but honestly needed more carries. He needs to touch the ball more. I feel that LT is one of the few guys on this year’s team who can actually make plays.
WR
YOUTH MOVEMENT- FSU played some younger guys. I know many are down on some of these guys. I will withhold judgement on any receiver coming back until I see what moves are made this off-season. I still have hope for many of the guys who are still on the roster.
TE
The best two tight ends are Amaree and Landen. Problem is both are freshman. Have no idea how many wrong routes they have run. I have no idea how many times they have missed key blocks. This off-season will be huge in both guys development.
OL
Actually felt early on the OL held their own. There was time for the QB's to throw. There were some lanes for the backs to run through. They were not terrible last night. As FSU got more and more behind and they were put in bad spots, the OL breakdowns started to happen.
DE
Marvin - Oh Boy....He has his moments of good or really bad. Marvin needs to really work on improving his game this off-season. If he wants any shot at playing past college, he needs to work on his game. Pat Payton - Boy...He has done nothing this season. He actually has regressed in 2024.
DT
Tag you are IT - Darrell Jackson decided to show up. While Joshua Farmer, I am not sure if he actually played. I will have to go back and look. Farmer was a no show. Jackson and Farmer will be lucky to get drafted in round 6-7. These two would be making huge mistakes to come out this year. They will make more money taking NIL from FSU or some other college. Being dead serious whoever is advising these two...Tell them to stay in college.
LB
Where Fish was wrong - stealing a line from Colin Cowherd -Omar Graham was downright terrible early in the season. The past two weeks Graham has made some plays. He made a great play in the back of the end-zone knocking down that pass. He also got in on a sack. I think Graham at worst can be a solid back up. There are some parts to work with next season.
DB-FSU secondary played well last night. We have known all year that their most talented segment on defense is the secondary. They held Miami to their lowest totals of the season. I do think they secondary can be one of the better units in the ACC next year.
Final Thoughts: I get it. I get that fans are upset about this season. You spend your hard earned dollars going to games. I get your spend your time. You spend your emotions each week wanting your team to win. Maybe just maybe it is just me getting older. I use to get upset after a loss. Heck when Bobby would have an 11-1 season and that one loss was at the end of the year and FSU would not get the chance to play for a title it ruined an entire off-season for me. I have to this day not forgiven Mark Richt for the play calls against UF in 97 when FSU needed a TD to only settle for a FG. I still have not gotten over the FSU vs. OU game in 2001 where I went to the OB only to watch them score 2 points. I blamed Richt for that as well. I am not going to tell you how to feel. Get upset...get angry- let it out. I get it. I used to be that way. That being said I do believe that the way college football is now, the game has changed. That this is the new norm. 13-0 to 2-10. Yes, I believe that you will see this happen more than ever before. College football has become PRO SPORTS. In the pros you see it all the time. From Super Bowl finalist to not making the playoffs the following year. I truly believe FSU just happens to be the unfortunate FIRST to experience such a letdown. Can Mike fix it....We will see. You can be one of those who says they are done....LETS BE REAL. We have all said that before. Thing is spring football will come and you will check this site and others for updates. Fall will come and you pump your chest out and tell everyone how FSU will make a run. Losing sucks...I get it. Nothing we can do now about this season. The season ends and we will turn the page. There is not much else to say.
