It’s time to start over in Tallahassee. After a mass exodus of the stars that helped Florida State go undefeated in consecutive regular seasons, the Noles now will have to rely on some young talent and transfers on both sides of the ball in their quest to maintain a stranglehold on the ACC in 2015.
Can the Noles continue being the class of the conference? Read on for our complete preview of the reigning ACC champion Seminoles for their upcoming season. Meanwhile, check out our previews of the other defending conference champs: the Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]2015-2016 Florida State College Football Preview
Overview
Three-time defending ACC champion Florida State has gone undefeated in conference play in the last two years, but repeating that feat this season will be tough to do after the Noles lost a ton of talent on offense.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]2013 Heisman and national championship-winning quarterback Jameis Winston, all-time school receiving leader Rashad Greene, and dependable tight end Nick O’Leary are all gone, as well as four seniors on the offensive line.
The Noles did land former Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson via transfer, and will compete for the starting job. The eventual starter at QB will have Dalvin Cook, who’s coming off a stellar freshman season, in the backfield, and a bunch of very solid options at receiver. The offensive line won’t be nearly as dominant, but a couple of junior college transfers will help plug some gaps.
There will also be some gaps to fill on defense, although the defensive line remains very deep even with a couple of key departures.
With the loss of so many key pieces on offense, the Noles are no longer the overwhelming favorites in the ACC. But there still a lot of talent in Tallahassee, enough to make FSU a +250 favorite to make it four conference titles in a row.
Key Player – Everett Golson
The transition from Winston was always going to be tricky, but FSU got quite a quarterback in Everett Golson to make that transition a little smoother. Golson put up some impressive numbers at Notre Dame last season (3,728 total yards, 37 total TDs), his first year back since leading the Irish to the national championship game in 2012.
Between him and Sean Maguire, Golson is clearly the more talented quarterback and raises the Noles’ ceiling for the season. However, he can be a bit turnover-prone (he had at least one pick in his last nine regular season games last year) and will need to learn the rather complicated FSU system in a hurry.
With all due respect to Maguire, Golson at his best gives the Noles the greater chance of contending for another national championship, which they’re priced at +1,500 to win this year. But whether the Noles actually do get the best Golson in his senior year will be the big unknown.
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Key Game – at Clemson (Nov. 7)
Florida State’s road to the ACC title this season goes through “Death Valley.” Priced at +200, the Tigers have supplanted the depleted Noles as this year’s odds-on conference champion favorites, and the fact that they’ll be at home for their meeting this season has to be a big reason. Their matchup on November 7 will go a long way in deciding who comes out of the ACC’s Atlantic division.
Although, the Noles will also have a very tricky road game against Georgia Tech two weeks before their clash with Clemson, which could be equally as important to their season.
Best/Worst Case Scenario for the Season
Best Case Scenario
Golson gets up to speed quickly and wins the starting job. He plays at a Heisman-caliber level and gets the most out of his young receiving corps. Dalvin Cook delivers the goods on the ground, while the defense comes together quickly. FSU comfortably goes over 9.0 regular season wins as it runs the table in the ACC for the third straight year, earning another ticket to the CFP.
Worst Case Scenario
Neither Maguire nor Golson makes the quarterback position his own. The youth and inexperience of the offense shows after some sloppy performances, while the defense drops off even more. They lose all their tough road games against Georgia Tech, Clemson and Florida and limp to a disastrous 8-4 season.
Complete Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, September 5 | vs. Texas State | 8:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, September 12 | vs. USF | 11:30 PM ET |
| Friday, September 18 | @ Boston College | 8:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, October 3 | @ Wake Forest | TBA |
| Saturday, October 10 | vs. Miami (FL) | TBA |
| Saturday, October 17 | vs. Louisville | TBA |
| Saturday, October 24 | @ Georgia Tech | TBA |
| Saturday, October 31 | vs. Syracuse | TBA |
| Saturday, November 7 | @ Clemson | TBA |
| Saturday, November 14 | vs. North Carolina State | TBA |
| Saturday, November 21 | vs. Chattanooga | TBA |
| Saturday, November 28 | @ Florida | TBA |
Writer’s Prediction
Florida State loses tough road games at Georgia Tech and Clemson as it cedes the ACC title with a 10-2 record.
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