FanPost

Rope-a-dope??

"WHY NOW"? we said when the change on the O-line was announced for the Miami game, moving Cam Erving to center and bringing in True Freshman Roderick Johnson to left tackle. Did this smack of desperation? Why rock the boat when we're 9-0 and getting no respect by the CFPC compared to 2 teams who actually LOST games, and in all honesty, were very unimpressive in many other wins.

But "In Jimbo we Trust", and by midway through the 2nd quarter, it started to become clear that "Hey, this isn't half-bad line play", and by the mid-2nd half...."Jameis hasn't had this much time to survey a defense since the Clemson Game!"...it was obvious that we had our Championship Line "unveiling". Suddenly, the 2nd-half comeback wasn't all on Jameis' arm. Back-to-back runs that gashed Miami's defense, leaving defenders lying around like the leftovers from a Middle-school band pancake breakfast. Our defense clamping down and appearing stronger as the game went on, rather than winded like the Semi-Tropical Depressions.

In the press conference afterward, Jimbo said something very telling to me in response to a question about the move..."We got plans, too!"

Yes, indeed.

We've been "Rope-a-doping" the College Football World! Rumble in the Jungle

Now, I'm not suggesting it's been intentional, or that the first-half struggles were nothing more than a Florida Panther playing with a squirrel about to become its supper. I do believe the fact that we've been getting everyone's best shot, combined with a bit of "lackadaisicalness" has contributed to the situation. Our safeties (looking at you, 1) have been taken advantage of early in games, and we were spoiled a bit by the consistency of our receivers and Devonta Freeman's underappreciated all-around play from last year... However, we've seen what we CAN be in the 2nd half of games, and know that we just need to put it all together.

What I am saying is that I think that we've been taking the best punches from both our opponents, AND from the "experts", and we're still standing, getting BETTER, getting SMARTER, getting STRONGER..... While everyone else is barking and growling about who "The best 1-loss team is", it's almost a foregone conclusion that IF FSU makes it to the playoffs, they'd be quickly bounced in their first game REGARDLESS of opponent. Meanwhile, we continue to win, continue to improve, and continue to feast on the doubt and hate and jealousy...quietly peaking at just the right time.

We may have appeared to be "on the ropes" many times so far this season... but perhaps that's an OK place to be, ready to pounce after everyone else punches themselves out.... Leaving our opponents laying on the canvas, dazed and defeated, and wondering what the hell just happened.

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