Piecing together FSU’s football schedule

Florida State football news is moving a mile a minute. Postponing the upcoming Duke game, losing a key 2021 commitment, FSU just keeps bringing news, and most of it is bad.

So let’s focus on what could be good news: where the schedule will go moving forward for FSU football. Tomahawk Nation’s Brett Nevitt addressed this recently but, as always, the steady flow of news has disrupted even his excellent work.

I am afraid to say it out loud for fear of TigerNet, but here’s the truth about FSU’s 2020 football schedule: it all depends on what Clemson wants. And just how petulant Clemson will be.

The craziest part about this Clemson-centric schedule? It does not affect just FSU, but possibly FIVE ACC programs.

This is because Clemson’s wants will drive others’ wants. If Clemson is able to avoid playing FSU on December 12th as previously speculated, Clemson would have a bye week prior to facing Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game.

Notre Dame would consider that an unfair advantage, and understandably so, likely canceling their December 12th game against Wake Forest to garner themselves an Irish good bye.

Virginia being rescheduled was on the table, but Bronco Mendenhall took away any notion of that possibility:

That quote sounded like a catty Dabo-ian swipe at first, but was later clarified.

A positive moment for an opposing coach to blame poor conference policy rather than blame a school for caring for its students’ well-being. Endearing, really.

Duke would remain available for matchups on either December 12th or 19th.

So to reiterate, that means FSU, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, and Duke are all waiting to find out if Dabo Swinney and his Clemson Tigers are going to drag their way out of a December 12th matchup - undoubtedly kicking and screaming.

Paralyzed by petulance, an ACC story.