First off FSU is now 3-0. I spoke to someone last week about FSU who is tied in. He felt that FSU was going to score over 40 points per game no matter who the Noles played. My concern is with the new clock scoring 40 every game may be tough...1) the new clock. 2) If you got down early and had to claw back it would get tougher to do EVERY Game. FSU got off to a slow start and got behind.
Before getting into FSU....Boston College gets some props....Thomas Costellanos...FSU I believe was one of his first offers. When he committed to Gus at UCF....I thought for sure he was the perfect fit for that offense. Kids a great athlete and should have a nice career at BC. He is a difference maker. When you take kids like Thomas they have to have an ELITE trait. He is close to an elite athlete. If you work on some of the other parts of his game the kid could end up a very good QB.
FSU....QB-Jordan Travis -There is no question Jordan has become a much better qb than he was on day one at FSU...But the hype on him needs to end. He is not Charlie Ward, Chris Weinke, Jameis Winston...I don't even believe he is as good as Christian Ponder or EJ. He is a nice quarterback....What I see in him...Defensive Coordinators see in him. Jordan is great when everything around him is great...the OL is blocking, the backs are picking up yards and his receivers are making plays. You get him off script....Meaning behind the sticks...and take away the run game and force him to become a passer, he is just not as good. I believe now that Defensive coordinators have over a year of film of him...They will try and defend FSU differently. For FSU to see the good Jordan...The line needs to block better and the run game needs to start taking over early and often. One last thing what was Jordan thinking before the half...You are not out running the sideline and 4-5 defenders.
Run Game - Benson - I don't want anyone to take this wrong...Benson should have left to the NFL. Honestly he is running like he does not want to get hurt. The best scenario last year was somehow signing Cedric Baxter (Texas) and Benson going to the NFL. When Baxter did not go to FSU, Benson became a priority. I think Benson is going to be up and down all year. Just have to deal with it. Benson won't play in the bowl game if FSU does not make the playoffs. I like Rodney Hill...Toafili had his worst game at FSU.
Wide Receivers - Keon Coleman - Where was he yesterday. Someone as good as Coleman should not disappear like he did. Keon is the guy you can throw the ball to when your offense is struggling. Wilson had a nice bounce back game. Outside of Wilson the receiver group got an F Grade.
Tight End - Jaheim Bell - Here is a kid that I feel will show up every week. He is in his money year and the kid is playing hard. 5 catches 75 yards and a TD. Think he can do that every week. Preston the Walk on is having a better career than like 4-5 other tight ends on the roster. I would go back and see what the UCF commit is doing...FSU needs two tight ends in this year’s class.
Offensive Line- Maurice Smith (C) - The coaches have tried to replace him multiple times. The drop off between him and the next guy is very evident. The center yesterday was bullied. Jordan did not have as much time throwing the ball yesterday. Meech got overpowered at times yesterday. The new guys like Byers and Reddick are not playing that well. It is time to put Armella in there. He plays with a mean streak and FSU needs someone up front that wants to punch you in the mouth. I really hope that some of the young guys like Armella start to develop because they have more upside. The offensive line needs to play better for FSU to make the playoffs.
Defensive Line - #5 - Another player who looks like he is playing not to get hurt. He may flash every once in a while. That being said there is no consistency from play to play or week to week. I am sure he will show up next week with Clemson on the docket. He was just neutralized in the run game. The hype of Braden Friske needs to end. On any elite defense at FSU...He would be a very good backup and rotational player. No doubt it is nice to have him on the roster and in the two deep. That being said he is not Joey or NIck Bosa playing inside. This is why I wait till games are played. There are certain other sites that pump these guys up and you expect Steven Emtman to be out there. For those who are not old enough...Emtman was the first overall pick of the Colts -DT from University of Washington. He is one of the very best to ever play college football. The defensive line as a whole was not good. I think it is still a strength but this line is not ELITE. There are no Timmy Jernigan or Eddie Goldmans on this team.
Linebacker - This group will get better once the players who play here improve. Deloach is a nice player...Bethune is an overachiever. I think Nichelson will be a STUD and FSU best LB once he plays. Deloach shows he can be good against the run. The unit has improved but there is a ceiling. This is not a coaching issue - it is a talent issue...Once some of these younger players play the overall play will just get better.
Defensive Backs-Kevin Knowles...Wow....I was not a fan of his when he signed and played well early but the kid hit his celling. Would not be surprised if he is not on the roster next year. The defensive backfield is my big concern this year. If there is one area of the team that can be exposed is this group. There are some good players (Renardo Green, Fentress). I think the safety room right now is an issue...Once again guys like Hussey, Edwin Joseph, Rawls...and the guys coming in 2024....These guys will make the back end much improved. There are just too many holes.
Final Thoughts - I have watched a ton of college football this year already. Most of it is on these Sunday mornings where I can sit and re watch games that have already played. I still think FSU is one of the top five programs in the country this year. That being said this team is flawed....It it not perfect but on any given Saturday they can beat anyone. You saw that against LSU. FSU can't have days like yesterday to many times this year or they won't stay unbeaten. Clemson game tells us everything we need to know...My concern is they run the ball, keep FSU offense off the field, take a nice lead and the Noles are playing catch up. If that happens the Tigers will win. This is not a team that I feel is going to be great at catching up. I think the FSU you will see this week will be much different than the one against Boston College.
My polls....
1-UGA- They beat the tar off Western Kentucky. Had the Noles #1 last week but they drop down two spots after their performance against BC. UGA is also flawed and I feel they will struggle to stay unbeaten.
2-Michigan- They may be the most complete team in the country. They have a very good run game. They have a very good defense. This is a team that would be a bad match up for FSU.
3-FSU- They drop two spots....That was a terrible performance yesterday. I still feel they are one of the top 2-3 teams in the country. That being said for this week....they drop. Beat Clemson and they are back in the top spot next week.
4-USC- They did not play yesterday. That being said they have the best offense in the country. Their defense is not very good...outside of UGA and Michigan there is not many great defenses.
5-Penn State- This is James Franklin best team. They are also a complete team or close to one. They gotta beat Ohio State and Michigan this year. I expect them to get the Buckeyes but fall short against Michigan....11-1 is quite possible.
6-Washington- The Huskies have their best team since 1991...For those to young...The Huskies won the NC that year. Washington vs. USC in what was the PAC 12 Championship. This is a very good football team. They may have the Heisman front runner right now at QB. One of the many bad decisions the prior coach made...Penix wanted to come to FSU. He was from Tampa....I would take him over Jordan right now. I know that may upset some here..He is a better QB.
7-Texas-They beat a Bama team that may lose 4 games this year....That gets you a ton of pub but the reality is Bama is not a top ten team. You may be able to argue they are not top 20.
8-Ohio State- They flexed their muscles yesterday...Looks like they may have figured out the QB position for now. I am not sold on them. They have talent but there is something missing...Have yet to figure it out.
9-Notre Dame- They play Ohio State next week...Hartman goes to Bama and they are in the playoffs...he goes to Notre Dame and they may make the playoffs. This is a pretty good football team. They get a chance to redeem themselves as ND should have beaten Ohio State last year.
10-LSU- They have a loss to FSU....by seasons end that may be their only loss. They had one bad quarter against the Noels...They dominated Mississippi State yesterday. It would not surprise me to see them run the table.
11-Oregon - They get Colorado...another big time match up. After watching CU last night....Take Oregon. I think this game could get ugly for Colorado. Deion has done a great job but their DL looks like a JV DL....Oregon is going to be the best of the weekend. You want to win Money lay the points...Oregon will bully them...
12-Oregon State- This is the team no one wants to talk about. Oregon state is the real deal....They have a very good defense. DJ seems like the perfect fit for them...
13-North Carolina- the Tar Heels this year don’t have a ton of hype outside their QB. They had a nice win yesterday against Minnesota. As long as Drake May is taking snaps...This team can beat most teams.
14-Oklahoma- Quietly this team is blowing teams out. They took it to Tulsa...You got to blow bad teams out and that’s what they did. Coach V has this team running well right now. I expect them to play Texas tough and probably beat them later this year.
15-Miami- the Canes got a big win against Texas a&M. They get Temple and GT the next two weeks. They will most likely be 5-0 before they get UNC and Clemson back to back. Those two games will tell us how good UM is.
16-Alabama- Jalen Milroe will be the quarterback the rest of the season. His athletic ability will allow Bama to open up the offense. This is a Bama team that has dropped back to the pack a little. They are not making the playoffs this year. I expect them to go back to a power run team with Milroy leading the way. Their run game will be their strength. Their defense is still very good. Saban is too good a coach to not push the right buttons. Sometimes you push those buttons and nothing happens...This may be the year. It happens. Bama had a great class last year so this could just be a bump in the road.
17-Ole Miss- I don't trust Kiffin's teams. Bama on the road...This game will tell us where the Rebels stand....This is a game that is similar to UF vs Tennessee yesterday...I think Bama finds the magic potion for one week....
18-Duke- most Duke Teams lose yesterday or the game is closer. Not this year...They blew Northwestern out. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the country...And Elko has that defense playing well. Duke is going to be a tough out for many teams this year.
19-UCLA- They have the best QB Chip Kelly has coached since his days at Oregon. Their defense is still not very good. I expect this team to be in the top 20-25 range all season. They will get some nice quality wins. Not sure they can beat USC or Washington. They will bully Colorado if they play them.
20-Colorado-After watching Colorado last night...I am not sold. Deion has done a great job but this is a paper champ. My first time watching Hunter...he made one catch and run...kid is smooth. If he was on FSU squad this year, I would have little to no concerns. His play making ability is unreal. The hit on the defensive player from CSU....kid should have been thrown out of the game. You can't allow players to take cheap shots like that. Hunter could have ended up in the hospital. Their defense is trash and they won't hold up against Oregon or USC.
21-Utah-They have a nice win at UF. How good are they with their QB Rising coming back? They have a solid defense. We really don't know what type of team this is until they play someone good.
22-Kansas- Lance Leipold is probably one of the best coaches in the country. His team has a legit shot at playing for or winning the BIG 12 this year. This is a very dangerous team to play.
23-Washington State- This team has flown under the radar...They are putting up points. They are also very well coached. The Cougs are another team like Duke who no one in the PAC 12 is going to want to play.
24-Iowa-Not a fan of Iowa but this team will find ways to win. Ferentz every few years has a good team...This may be one of them. They always have good defenses. Their offense while not great has improved.
25-Kentucky- Stoops has a pretty good team. They roughed up an opponent yesterday. Their season comes in two weeks when they face Florida.
Before getting into FSU....Boston College gets some props....Thomas Costellanos...FSU I believe was one of his first offers. When he committed to Gus at UCF....I thought for sure he was the perfect fit for that offense. Kids a great athlete and should have a nice career at BC. He is a difference maker. When you take kids like Thomas they have to have an ELITE trait. He is close to an elite athlete. If you work on some of the other parts of his game the kid could end up a very good QB.
FSU....QB-Jordan Travis -There is no question Jordan has become a much better qb than he was on day one at FSU...But the hype on him needs to end. He is not Charlie Ward, Chris Weinke, Jameis Winston...I don't even believe he is as good as Christian Ponder or EJ. He is a nice quarterback....What I see in him...Defensive Coordinators see in him. Jordan is great when everything around him is great...the OL is blocking, the backs are picking up yards and his receivers are making plays. You get him off script....Meaning behind the sticks...and take away the run game and force him to become a passer, he is just not as good. I believe now that Defensive coordinators have over a year of film of him...They will try and defend FSU differently. For FSU to see the good Jordan...The line needs to block better and the run game needs to start taking over early and often. One last thing what was Jordan thinking before the half...You are not out running the sideline and 4-5 defenders.
Run Game - Benson - I don't want anyone to take this wrong...Benson should have left to the NFL. Honestly he is running like he does not want to get hurt. The best scenario last year was somehow signing Cedric Baxter (Texas) and Benson going to the NFL. When Baxter did not go to FSU, Benson became a priority. I think Benson is going to be up and down all year. Just have to deal with it. Benson won't play in the bowl game if FSU does not make the playoffs. I like Rodney Hill...Toafili had his worst game at FSU.
Wide Receivers - Keon Coleman - Where was he yesterday. Someone as good as Coleman should not disappear like he did. Keon is the guy you can throw the ball to when your offense is struggling. Wilson had a nice bounce back game. Outside of Wilson the receiver group got an F Grade.
Tight End - Jaheim Bell - Here is a kid that I feel will show up every week. He is in his money year and the kid is playing hard. 5 catches 75 yards and a TD. Think he can do that every week. Preston the Walk on is having a better career than like 4-5 other tight ends on the roster. I would go back and see what the UCF commit is doing...FSU needs two tight ends in this year’s class.
Offensive Line- Maurice Smith (C) - The coaches have tried to replace him multiple times. The drop off between him and the next guy is very evident. The center yesterday was bullied. Jordan did not have as much time throwing the ball yesterday. Meech got overpowered at times yesterday. The new guys like Byers and Reddick are not playing that well. It is time to put Armella in there. He plays with a mean streak and FSU needs someone up front that wants to punch you in the mouth. I really hope that some of the young guys like Armella start to develop because they have more upside. The offensive line needs to play better for FSU to make the playoffs.
Defensive Line - #5 - Another player who looks like he is playing not to get hurt. He may flash every once in a while. That being said there is no consistency from play to play or week to week. I am sure he will show up next week with Clemson on the docket. He was just neutralized in the run game. The hype of Braden Friske needs to end. On any elite defense at FSU...He would be a very good backup and rotational player. No doubt it is nice to have him on the roster and in the two deep. That being said he is not Joey or NIck Bosa playing inside. This is why I wait till games are played. There are certain other sites that pump these guys up and you expect Steven Emtman to be out there. For those who are not old enough...Emtman was the first overall pick of the Colts -DT from University of Washington. He is one of the very best to ever play college football. The defensive line as a whole was not good. I think it is still a strength but this line is not ELITE. There are no Timmy Jernigan or Eddie Goldmans on this team.
Linebacker - This group will get better once the players who play here improve. Deloach is a nice player...Bethune is an overachiever. I think Nichelson will be a STUD and FSU best LB once he plays. Deloach shows he can be good against the run. The unit has improved but there is a ceiling. This is not a coaching issue - it is a talent issue...Once some of these younger players play the overall play will just get better.
Defensive Backs-Kevin Knowles...Wow....I was not a fan of his when he signed and played well early but the kid hit his celling. Would not be surprised if he is not on the roster next year. The defensive backfield is my big concern this year. If there is one area of the team that can be exposed is this group. There are some good players (Renardo Green, Fentress). I think the safety room right now is an issue...Once again guys like Hussey, Edwin Joseph, Rawls...and the guys coming in 2024....These guys will make the back end much improved. There are just too many holes.
Final Thoughts - I have watched a ton of college football this year already. Most of it is on these Sunday mornings where I can sit and re watch games that have already played. I still think FSU is one of the top five programs in the country this year. That being said this team is flawed....It it not perfect but on any given Saturday they can beat anyone. You saw that against LSU. FSU can't have days like yesterday to many times this year or they won't stay unbeaten. Clemson game tells us everything we need to know...My concern is they run the ball, keep FSU offense off the field, take a nice lead and the Noles are playing catch up. If that happens the Tigers will win. This is not a team that I feel is going to be great at catching up. I think the FSU you will see this week will be much different than the one against Boston College.
My polls....
1-UGA- They beat the tar off Western Kentucky. Had the Noles #1 last week but they drop down two spots after their performance against BC. UGA is also flawed and I feel they will struggle to stay unbeaten.
2-Michigan- They may be the most complete team in the country. They have a very good run game. They have a very good defense. This is a team that would be a bad match up for FSU.
3-FSU- They drop two spots....That was a terrible performance yesterday. I still feel they are one of the top 2-3 teams in the country. That being said for this week....they drop. Beat Clemson and they are back in the top spot next week.
4-USC- They did not play yesterday. That being said they have the best offense in the country. Their defense is not very good...outside of UGA and Michigan there is not many great defenses.
5-Penn State- This is James Franklin best team. They are also a complete team or close to one. They gotta beat Ohio State and Michigan this year. I expect them to get the Buckeyes but fall short against Michigan....11-1 is quite possible.
6-Washington- The Huskies have their best team since 1991...For those to young...The Huskies won the NC that year. Washington vs. USC in what was the PAC 12 Championship. This is a very good football team. They may have the Heisman front runner right now at QB. One of the many bad decisions the prior coach made...Penix wanted to come to FSU. He was from Tampa....I would take him over Jordan right now. I know that may upset some here..He is a better QB.
7-Texas-They beat a Bama team that may lose 4 games this year....That gets you a ton of pub but the reality is Bama is not a top ten team. You may be able to argue they are not top 20.
8-Ohio State- They flexed their muscles yesterday...Looks like they may have figured out the QB position for now. I am not sold on them. They have talent but there is something missing...Have yet to figure it out.
9-Notre Dame- They play Ohio State next week...Hartman goes to Bama and they are in the playoffs...he goes to Notre Dame and they may make the playoffs. This is a pretty good football team. They get a chance to redeem themselves as ND should have beaten Ohio State last year.
10-LSU- They have a loss to FSU....by seasons end that may be their only loss. They had one bad quarter against the Noels...They dominated Mississippi State yesterday. It would not surprise me to see them run the table.
11-Oregon - They get Colorado...another big time match up. After watching CU last night....Take Oregon. I think this game could get ugly for Colorado. Deion has done a great job but their DL looks like a JV DL....Oregon is going to be the best of the weekend. You want to win Money lay the points...Oregon will bully them...
12-Oregon State- This is the team no one wants to talk about. Oregon state is the real deal....They have a very good defense. DJ seems like the perfect fit for them...
13-North Carolina- the Tar Heels this year don’t have a ton of hype outside their QB. They had a nice win yesterday against Minnesota. As long as Drake May is taking snaps...This team can beat most teams.
14-Oklahoma- Quietly this team is blowing teams out. They took it to Tulsa...You got to blow bad teams out and that’s what they did. Coach V has this team running well right now. I expect them to play Texas tough and probably beat them later this year.
15-Miami- the Canes got a big win against Texas a&M. They get Temple and GT the next two weeks. They will most likely be 5-0 before they get UNC and Clemson back to back. Those two games will tell us how good UM is.
16-Alabama- Jalen Milroe will be the quarterback the rest of the season. His athletic ability will allow Bama to open up the offense. This is a Bama team that has dropped back to the pack a little. They are not making the playoffs this year. I expect them to go back to a power run team with Milroy leading the way. Their run game will be their strength. Their defense is still very good. Saban is too good a coach to not push the right buttons. Sometimes you push those buttons and nothing happens...This may be the year. It happens. Bama had a great class last year so this could just be a bump in the road.
17-Ole Miss- I don't trust Kiffin's teams. Bama on the road...This game will tell us where the Rebels stand....This is a game that is similar to UF vs Tennessee yesterday...I think Bama finds the magic potion for one week....
18-Duke- most Duke Teams lose yesterday or the game is closer. Not this year...They blew Northwestern out. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the country...And Elko has that defense playing well. Duke is going to be a tough out for many teams this year.
19-UCLA- They have the best QB Chip Kelly has coached since his days at Oregon. Their defense is still not very good. I expect this team to be in the top 20-25 range all season. They will get some nice quality wins. Not sure they can beat USC or Washington. They will bully Colorado if they play them.
20-Colorado-After watching Colorado last night...I am not sold. Deion has done a great job but this is a paper champ. My first time watching Hunter...he made one catch and run...kid is smooth. If he was on FSU squad this year, I would have little to no concerns. His play making ability is unreal. The hit on the defensive player from CSU....kid should have been thrown out of the game. You can't allow players to take cheap shots like that. Hunter could have ended up in the hospital. Their defense is trash and they won't hold up against Oregon or USC.
21-Utah-They have a nice win at UF. How good are they with their QB Rising coming back? They have a solid defense. We really don't know what type of team this is until they play someone good.
22-Kansas- Lance Leipold is probably one of the best coaches in the country. His team has a legit shot at playing for or winning the BIG 12 this year. This is a very dangerous team to play.
23-Washington State- This team has flown under the radar...They are putting up points. They are also very well coached. The Cougs are another team like Duke who no one in the PAC 12 is going to want to play.
24-Iowa-Not a fan of Iowa but this team will find ways to win. Ferentz every few years has a good team...This may be one of them. They always have good defenses. Their offense while not great has improved.
25-Kentucky- Stoops has a pretty good team. They roughed up an opponent yesterday. Their season comes in two weeks when they face Florida.
