We all like to think that FSU is what we are when we hit on all cylinders. We know the potential of FSU football. Some of us who have followed FSU for a long time know well what FSU can be. We've seen the major bowls and 10 or more win seasons and top-5 and top-10 finishes. We have seen the national championships. We know what we can be in the world of college football. We know what things can be like when we are hitting on all cylinders.
But over the past 20 years ... this is what we have seen:
We had a nice run for sure from 2010-2016 ... went 78-17 overall (.821) and 45-11 in ACC (.804) ... averaging 11-2 per year during that run ... won three ACC titles and a national championship while going to five major bowls. That's what we can do when we are hitting on all cylinders.
And that is what we expect. We expect to see our teams play like that because we know that that is what we are capable of doing. We know that big football schools in the South can win like that as we see it from Clemson, Bama, LSU and Florida. We know what UGA can do as well.
But the reality is that that 7-year stretch looks more like the outlier now than the expected norm.
What is so disappointing though is not that we aren't going 11-2 or playing in major bowls. The disappointment is that we look so damned dreadful on both sides of the ball and that the like of NC State and Louisville and Miami are flat out killing us. Hell, we've lost our last two to Wake Forest (and it would be three in a row had we played them last year) after going 9-1 against them in the previous 10 years. Right now, and over the past three-four years, we are the FIFTH best program in our division. We are obviously behind Clemson, but we are also behind NCSU and Louisville and Wake Forest. We are essentially tied with Boston College and only ahead of Syracuse.
Hey, I know well where we fell to in Jimbo's last couple of seasons (and how we got there) and I know well what the Willie debacle did to us, but there is just no excuse for us to be behind the likes of NCSU, Louisville and Wake in football. And to be on par with BC is just ... well ... it is disappointing. We are so far ahead of these guys in the things that make programs ... money, fans, facilities, tradition and access to talent. I mean, it's not close in any of those areas.
But he we are. Still, after several years, without a strong offensive line. And once again without a good college QB. We have had one good QB season since 2014 (Francois in 2016). OL is the foundation upon which all else is built and you can't win without good and steady QB play.
I'm just venting this afternoon as it hit me that we now have half of our past twenty seasons (the guys we are recruiting haven't lived that long) with at least five losses. I mean, the kids that we are recruiting have only seen us win the ACC three times in their lifetimes.
Time to go out trick or treating with my kids.
But over the past 20 years ... this is what we have seen:
- 10 seasons with at least 5 losses ... HALF of our last 20 seasons
- 8 seasons not finishing in the top-25 ... 40% of the time
- 7 seasons with at least 10-wins ... that means 13 seasons without 10-wins
- 6 seasons winning the ACC ... but only 3 times in the past 16 seasons
- 5 seasons finishing in the top-10
- 2 seasons finishing in the top-5
- 1 national title
We had a nice run for sure from 2010-2016 ... went 78-17 overall (.821) and 45-11 in ACC (.804) ... averaging 11-2 per year during that run ... won three ACC titles and a national championship while going to five major bowls. That's what we can do when we are hitting on all cylinders.
And that is what we expect. We expect to see our teams play like that because we know that that is what we are capable of doing. We know that big football schools in the South can win like that as we see it from Clemson, Bama, LSU and Florida. We know what UGA can do as well.
But the reality is that that 7-year stretch looks more like the outlier now than the expected norm.
What is so disappointing though is not that we aren't going 11-2 or playing in major bowls. The disappointment is that we look so damned dreadful on both sides of the ball and that the like of NC State and Louisville and Miami are flat out killing us. Hell, we've lost our last two to Wake Forest (and it would be three in a row had we played them last year) after going 9-1 against them in the previous 10 years. Right now, and over the past three-four years, we are the FIFTH best program in our division. We are obviously behind Clemson, but we are also behind NCSU and Louisville and Wake Forest. We are essentially tied with Boston College and only ahead of Syracuse.
Hey, I know well where we fell to in Jimbo's last couple of seasons (and how we got there) and I know well what the Willie debacle did to us, but there is just no excuse for us to be behind the likes of NCSU, Louisville and Wake in football. And to be on par with BC is just ... well ... it is disappointing. We are so far ahead of these guys in the things that make programs ... money, fans, facilities, tradition and access to talent. I mean, it's not close in any of those areas.
But he we are. Still, after several years, without a strong offensive line. And once again without a good college QB. We have had one good QB season since 2014 (Francois in 2016). OL is the foundation upon which all else is built and you can't win without good and steady QB play.
I'm just venting this afternoon as it hit me that we now have half of our past twenty seasons (the guys we are recruiting haven't lived that long) with at least five losses. I mean, the kids that we are recruiting have only seen us win the ACC three times in their lifetimes.
Time to go out trick or treating with my kids.
