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Nolecast: Ranking FSU’s 8 toughest games in 2018

With only four locks on FSU’s schedule, we rank the remaining eight in order of difficulty.

By Bud Elliott

Bud Elliott and Ingram Smith return with the 24th Nolecast episode of 2018. The Nolecast is the No. 1 Florida State Seminoles podcast.

Listen in the player below this article, or on Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Stitcher, or Google Play Music

Opening drive

  • 4th down comments!
  • Which wins would you say are no doubt guaranteed?
  • Of the remaining games, let’s rank the easiest-hardest of the non-guarantees.
  • Four more FSU lines came out. The Seminoles are an underdog of 8 at Miami, 10 hosting Clemson, and 9 at Notre Dame. While Clemson is considered a better team than Notre Dame, the lines are so close because of home-field advantage. Miami has not beat FSU by 8+ in Miami since 1994.
  • Other lines! Florida is a 3.5-point home underdog hosting LSU ... Clemson is favored by 20 in Death Valley over N.C. State ... Georgia is favored by 15 on a neutral field over Florida ... Clemson is favored by 20.5 hosting Louisville ... Miami is favored by three at Virginia Tech ... Clemson is favored by 19 hosting South Carolina.

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Questions

These questions are presented as they come to us. They are not edited or in AP style.

  • I just noticed that the AAC plays it conference title game at the home of the higher seeded team. On the surface this seems really cool, do you think this would be a good or bad thing if the ACC did the same thing?
  • Hey guys, I almost choked on my Louisiana hot sauce when I heard the Josh Ball news. If he is unavailable for the season, do you think his loss can ultimately cost us 1 or 2 wins? (For the record: I am all for kicking him off the team if he really did hurt his ex-girlfriend, but I’m trying to keep these questions solely football-related)
  • Just wanted to first thank you both again for your partnership with For the Table Restaurant group. The Spring Game tailgate was incredible like all of the events Madison Social and Township do, and it was great to talk a little ball with you both. It doesn’t take a national expert to realize that FSU’s strongest position for 2018 and 2019 will be the running back spot. However, I’m curious based on roster composition FSU will do at the spot in 2020 and I figured a top RB in class would be a likely be one of Willie and his staff’s priorities. While Willie’s staff has done a quality job on the trail so far, I feel like we haven’t made many in roads with a lot of the nation’s top running backs. With Dollars in Oregon’s class now, and Trey Sanders being no lock because of his brother walking on at Florida, what are some of the top backs you expect Florida State to target and have a decent shot with? For the sake of this question, I’m considering Quavarius Crouch to be a linebacker unless our staff thinks otherwise. Looking forward to the discussion.
  • The biggest thing I credit Jimbo Fisher is the modernization of the program. Part of that modernization is the increase in the behind the scenes “ghost staff”. Just like Louisiana Hot Sauce, For The Table Restaurant Group and Resolution Home Loans supporting the Nolecast, the “ghost staff” is how major programs are supported. How has that changed under Coach Taggart versus Coach Fisher, how could it change in the future, and how does it compare to our major rivals of Clemson, Miami and Florida?
  • I’m a longtime listener of the podcast and you guys seem to portray the linebackers as a lost cause. I’m curious as to why that is and if they can turn it around. Djack, Brown, Warner, and Rice have all been on campus for over a year and 3 out of 4 were four stars. Were these guys overrated, getting bad coaching, something else? Who do you see as the second linebacker starting with Djack?
  • Odds the game AT Bosie happens in 2020? Do you guys WANT the game to happen?
  • For the most part, it seems that fans have a pretty good idea of who will be starting at each position outside of the offensive line. Considering the changes in blocking scheme, health, and development, what is your projected OL starting lineup at the present moment?

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Buy or Sell

  1. Willie Taggart National Champion HC by yr 4.
  2. He will be the 1st African American HC to win it.
  3. FSU give him a sixth yr w/o a Natty
  4. Buy or sell FSU beats Miami and Florida yet doesn’t finish with a better ranking
  5. In the next 5 years does Florida State win it’s 4th National championship or does Jimbo get run out of College Station and in up at West Virginia wearing a raccoon hat giving a homecoming speech. “Got to coach em better “
  6. FSU signs 2 or more 5 stars in 2019?
  7. FSU signs the most 5-stars out of the three Florida universities?
  8. My Louisiana Hot Sauce Hot Take: Considering FSU’s need at OT, the talent of Devontae Dobbs, and the gap in talent between Dobbs and the next OT that FSU is in communication with, do you buy or sell that Dobbs is the most important target for FSU?

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