Florida State Football: Off-season Championing is Underway!
The reaction to Florida State this off-season will be an interesting one, I think. Some of the national media has backed off after feeling "burned" or tricked into buying into FSU, while others insist that the program is headed in the right direction. What's for certain is that the great structure and recruiting being built is going to have to translate into more wins and more significant wins, starting in 2012.
4 months ago
truenole87
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Off-season is all about the O-line, IMO.
S&C, Trickett giving them the bizness, chemistry, and practicing against an elite D-line. They have everything they need to take many steps forward before kickoff. So while it is a big issue, every facet can be upgraded with what they have around them.
Everybody relax, I'm here.
Honestly,
if our O-Line allows less than 6 sacks in the spring game, than I feel confident in them.
If we can't laugh at ourselves, Packer fans will call us crybabies and we will be forced to kick their tooth in. I really don't want to go to jail (again).
by Alittlemore_cowbell on Feb 2, 2012 10:44 AM EST up reply actions
Hilarious until you realize that our "D" is basically going to be...
The offspring of lightning & death itself.
Control the Sunshine State & sooner or later you'll control the country.
by Scalpemall on Feb 2, 2012 11:49 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Joyner needs to avoid eliminating his own teammates this spring.
"A better ending could not have been scripted. Of course, if we had won, that would have been better." -Bobby Bowden
by cerebralfish on Feb 2, 2012 11:57 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Maybe we should give HIM a no contact jersey.
“Sorry, Dude… you can’t hit anyone this year.”
by Invictus13 on Feb 2, 2012 12:02 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Make him wear a bubble-wrapped helmet.
by seminoleballer on Feb 2, 2012 12:20 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
As if his helmet doesn't make enough noise when he hits people...
LJ would need at least 6 layers of the stuff and it’s need to be reapplied 12 times per practice.
They’d snap the ball, throw to the receiver and-PRRRRAPPPP!!
He’ll still still gasping for air, but the last sound he’ll remember hearing will be 3x louder than before…
"My mistress is pooped, the reds have Oklahoma, and I'm going to bed."
-Hodge Podge, Bloom County
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. "
"In practice, there is."-Yogi Berra
All of you get green
If we can't laugh at ourselves, Packer fans will call us crybabies and we will be forced to kick their tooth in. I really don't want to go to jail (again).
by Alittlemore_cowbell on Feb 2, 2012 2:08 PM EST up reply actions
Make him run with one of those speed parachutes
Maybe slow him down a bit during the off-season drills, then when the season starts, un-hook him. It’ll be like the doughnuts ya put on bats when you’re on deck. He’ll be even stronger and faster. It’s a win win really.
"Ah, F*ck it"-Lee Corso
Offensive Line
the unit that absolutely has to step up. The linebackers have to replace Bradham, but outside of that, most of these units don’t have much to worry about and performed pretty well.
Running back depth and safety depth may be a concern, but talent is not. It’s gonna be a fun off-season as all of this stuff gets sorted out.
This one really hit home for me
I followed other teams moving to Florida and attending FSU in 2001, coming off an incredible string of success. Everyone always talked about how good we were, and how much success we had in the recent past. I felt that the current players either had a lot expected of them or believed they were better simply because of the spear on their helmet. The team seemed to live with a ghost.
As things got increasingly worse it became palpable and I wanted to punch anyone who would say “we’re back!” after every win. Having never experienced the success I didn’t care what “back” meant or what we were like “back in the 90’s” (another punchable phrase) because THIS team was what mattered now.
Of course, I was ignorant of how the old guard was allowing us to slip, and once Jimbo & Co took over I felt for the first time in my fandom that we were “here”. 3 years later and FSU has provided massive improvement and disappointment both. I understand what happened last year (mostly anyway), but it is past time for excuses.
The process is in place. The personnel is in place. Time for FSU to takes its place in the here and now.
Well said.
For the last 2-3 years it seems everyone here at TN has been pointing to 2012 as put up or shut up time. Well, it is 2012 now…hope the players and coaches are ready and work hard to get over the hump. With a decent OL performance and an average replacement for Powell, I think we will. Go Noles!!
by Crawdad_Class of '86 on Feb 2, 2012 11:13 AM EST up reply actions
I'm projecting our defense to be top 5 nationally
And our offense to be top 20 nationally. Special teams decreases a bit due to Powell, but overall I honestly don’t see any reason not to expect a BCS game out of this group, whether through the ACC or at-large.
If we catch a few breaks this is a national championship team as far as both talent and coaching is concerned. LET’S JUST PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.
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by freshcollegeboy on Feb 2, 2012 11:21 AM EST up reply actions
I hope you are right!!
And maybe Pender plays the role of WD28s Freshman year in ’93!!
by Crawdad_Class of '86 on Feb 2, 2012 11:31 AM EST up reply actions
I will be disappointed if we do not win the ACC
Proud author of Tomahawknation's most rec'd post ever
by newdynastynole on Feb 2, 2012 11:41 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah...
But a BCS game is a better goal, IMO. As stated before around here, anything can happen in a single game setting. So VT or someone could conceivably nip us in the ACC CG.
BUT we should have a good enough season to get an at-large if we don’t win the ACC. So, we have two ways to get to the BCS – win the conference, or lose only 1-2 games.
So… BCS game and 3 or fewer losses should be the expectation? (Including the bowl game; 9-3 = not really acceptable, unless followed up with two post season wins, maybe). Or, 4+ losses = unacceptable; 3 losses = disappointing; 1-2 losses = expectation?
Sounds about right
Two things I would add. First is no silly losses. We can’t keep losing to teams like Wake or Virginia every year and expect to be taken seriously. Second is that we can’t lose to the same team twice. If lose at Virginia Tech and play them again in the ACCCG, we have to win that second game.
here at TN, that 2012 date will get pushed out to 2013, then because we have a new QB, to 2014...
"Defensive lineman and its depth separates southern football from rest of the country".
by PeachTreeNole on Feb 2, 2012 2:19 PM EST up reply actions
Wrong. 2012 and 2014 have always been excellent choices for different reasons.
2013 will assuredly be a rebuilding year, graduating several 1st rounders. Juniors likely to leave after a successful 2012, with likely a new DC on board. 2013 will feature mature OL, mature RB’s/WR’s, and a 1st year starter. Will feature a very young defense.
2014 will feature a 2nd year starter, return a lot of starters on defense, OL and most skill positions. Very similar to 2012 except the OL factor.
I went to FSU in the 90s, and I still agree with this sentiment
You are right-the Dynasty is gone, never to come back. One of my regrets is that I wish we’d all been able as a fanbase to see it sooner and get it fixed before a generation of students like you graduated with nothing but a jaded sense of being cheated.
I can sympathize Nolesos Locos-I feel the same way about our basketball program. When I came to Tallahassee in ‘95, I had heard all about how our BB team was great and had just gone to the NCAA tournament a couple of years ago. Little did I know that-just like the football program would a few short years later-the HC (Kennedy then) had checked out and the program was in the midst of cratering before our very eyes.
Ships don’t sail on yesterday’s wind, and no amount of older friends remembering the good old days when we went Dancing in March could erase the fact that the present BB team sucked and would continue to suck for the foreseeable future.
Nowadays, it’s a different story. I am very heartened at the success our BB team is having lately, and I have always rooted for them, but my BB fandom has been damaged-I don’t love them and believe in them like I love and believe in our football team. Until a couple of weeks ago, I’d only watch if we were playing UNC or Duke and had a chance to pull the upset. Can you blame me? Mediocrity is all I’ve known of FSU BB! I have come to accept our MBB team getting destroyed down the stretch and missing the Tournament, and it’s taken a LONG time to un-learn those lessons.
Hopefully these next few years can build your faith in our football team and you can enjoy the feeling of having absolute confidence in your Seminoles to pull out the win, no matter what the odds, no matter who the opponent is, no matter how imposing the stadium. That was always the the best part about living through the Dynasty, and now I wish it for you and all of the Seminole fans and alumni like you.
Keep the faith.
"My mistress is pooped, the reds have Oklahoma, and I'm going to bed."
-Hodge Podge, Bloom County
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. "
"In practice, there is."-Yogi Berra
I'm not as upset about losing to OU & CU
It would have been hard to win those games with a totally healthy team. But losing to Wake and then UV…unacceptable!
Its obvious Jimbo and Co have the program going in the right direction….and beating uf and UM every time definitely keeps the fans from getting to riled up.
Gripper
Tommyhawk Nation: Bobby Bowden is the all-time ACC leader in conference titles, conference wins, total wins, winning percentage, bowl appearances & wins and owns the longest conference winning streak.
Until proven otherwise, our OL is still a dumpster fire.
This is a make or break year for Trickett.
And effectively for Jimbo also, because he’s chosen to ride that horse. The injuries have been used as a justification. But I’ve seen no one projecting how good our OL would have been without the injuries, because it wouldn’t have been— the guys we lost were mostly nobodies. Trickett now has highly ranked bodies to work with, perhaps despite himself. If the OL betrays the offense again, and Jimbo finally brings in someone else to replace Trickett, we’ll be looking to 2013 as the year we finally have an OL that can keep us on the field long anough to win this crappy conference. But by then we’ll have a new QB and other newbies. After three 4-loss seasons in a row, how tolerant will the fanbase be if we don;t win the conference in 2013?
Jimbo better be right about Trickett this year.
"Defensive lineman and its depth separates southern football from rest of the country".
I think Tre Jackson was in competition for a starting job
before he got hurt and Stork developed nicely. Of course Datko was a huge loss but you probably considered him when you said “mostly nobodies”. I agree outside of Tre Jackson and Stork, both of which are solid with Jackson looking extemely good. I think we can count on at least 3 serviceable guys going in with Hart, Stork and Jackson. I have no idea about the other 2.
"A better ending could not have been scripted. Of course, if we had won, that would have been better." -Bobby Bowden
right.
"Defensive lineman and its depth separates southern football from rest of the country".
by PeachTreeNole on Feb 2, 2012 5:56 PM EST up reply actions
JIMBO
IMO, you are all being very harsh in your judgement.
Jimbo, came in, put together a better recruiting class the first year, than anyone thought was possible. The second year put together the #1 class, in most peoples opinion. Third year, a recruiting class that is rated at the very top. IMO, this year’s recruiting class is the best that FSU has ever had. Reason: We got the top player at several positions, like DE, DT, LB, QB, we did not load up on any one position we recruited a whole team of top notch playeys at every position. WE RELOADED.
Jimbo, has already proven himself as a top notch recruiter, and a top notch Administrator, he straigtened out the Strength, nutrition, practices, no one sitting around watching others practice, etc.
Jimbo has this team believing in the Process and in the program, this is evident by no Junior going pro, we kept what we had.
EJ has to stay healthy, I wish we would take out all of the design run plays!! The OL, we have built and by the fall there won’t be any excuses for that unit, I liked what I saw in the second half of the bowl game. EJ has to develope the checking off, of the long ball when it is not there.
JIMBO IS GOING TO BE GREAT, BUT MIRACLES TAKE TIME.
Making FSU a top-tier program would not be considered a miracle. Miracles happen quickly, program building and strengthening takes time, of which Jimbo has officially had enough to show results.
by Nolesos Locos on Feb 2, 2012 4:02 PM EST up reply actions
He showed immense results in his 1st year.
There was some disappointment in year 2, but he overachieved in year 1 as HC. Any program with a 1st year HC, almost an entirely new staff, and a new defensive system would die for 10 wins. Year 1 was a huge success imo.
"A better ending could not have been scripted. Of course, if we had won, that would have been better." -Bobby Bowden
Jimbo is a great coach who has made a couple bad decisions imo.
I agree with you there but I’ll have to disagree with taking the designed run plays out. When you remove the threat of the designed run EJ becomes at least 25% worse. He’s just not great in the pocket and never will be, but he is easily good enough to QB a team to an ACCCG and even a title if the cards fall right and we happened to end up there. The designed runs/option puts massive amounts of pressure on the defense while taking massive amounts of pressure off the OL.
"A better ending could not have been scripted. Of course, if we had won, that would have been better." -Bobby Bowden
Cerebra
I am not saying those designed run plays are not productive, Ponder and EJ become injured and EJ’s case, if they weren’t there, I think he would use more check downs to the RB’s out of the backfield and tp the shorter route receivers
I agree its an injury risk, although neither of EJ's injuries came on designed runs.
I have even questioned EJ’s durability, but his big play ability is mostly in his legs so I think we have to keep those plays. I do think, in passing situations, he needs to make huge improvement in identifying the check downs to the RB. Multiple times last year he missed Freeman in the flat when pressured.
"A better ending could not have been scripted. Of course, if we had won, that would have been better." -Bobby Bowden
EJ falls like a ton of bricks
He does not fall easy, everytime he gets tackled, he hits the ground hard. He is not a scatback that can turn like a cat.
My take is
That criticism and harsh judgment are not the same. The frustration is palpable because FSU fans have been given legitimate reasons to believe that we are headed in the right direction. It’s an “oh so close, but yet so far” type of feeling and everyone involved is just ready to get over the hump.
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