Survey Results: How FSU fans feel at 6-3

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Florida State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate.

No. 23 Florida State Seminoles football (6-3, 4-3 ACC) is back on the right track after a brief three-game losing skid in the middle of the season. FSU started the year off 4-0 before losing to three straight-ranked opponents in the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-3, 2-3 ACC), NC State Wolfpack (7-2, 3-2 ACC), and the Clemson Tigers (8-1, 6-1 ACC), then blowing out the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (4-5, 3-3 ACC) and Miami Hurricanes (4-5, 2-3 ACC) in consecutive weeks.

With just three games left on the schedule, we wanted to gauge where our readership and the Florida State fanbase stand in terms of expectations and optimism within the program.

Here’s how you answered:

How confident are you in the direction of Florida State under Mike Norvell?

ScoNole: I said i was confident in Norvell, but not extremely. There have been some real head scratching moments this year that are keeping me from going all-in, but he has certainly turned around the crap show he inherited. If he can continue to effectively use the portal and get a tick up in HS recruiting, we can really start to make some noise as the depth continues to improve.

I think he has a decent staff around him, but there is some room for improvement with some position coaches and I hope that is something he looks at in the off season

OrgaNole: Oh lawdy I feel way more confident after seeing Mike yelling “MAKE THEM QUIT” during half time against Miami. He’s got it and once all the pieces fall into place it’s going to be very special.

It’s a pretty even split between somewhat and extremely — but the significant part is that “unsure” percentage, which has dwindled significantly since we last asked (16%)

For reference — here’s what you all said in the other two surveys this year: In mid-October, 55 percent of fans were confident in the direction of the program and 24% are extremely confident. After FSU started 4-0, those numbers were 44 % and 52% respectively.

What will be FSU’s record to finish the year?

Robert Kerr: Agree most likely is 8-4 because winning is hard but 9-3 seems so well within grasp. Hope we’re fully focused on 7-3 at this point.

ColemanNoleman: I don’t know about 9-3 or 8-4...all I am concerned about is going 7-3. We are vastly improved, but not good enough to overlook anybody (Jax. State has left me permanently scarred).

After beating Miami, Florida State fans are feeling confident on the team’s trajectory the rest of the way out — up next for Florida State is a road matchup against the Syracuse Orange (6-2, 3-1 ACC), with matchups against Louisiana (4-5, 2-4 Sun Belt) and Florida (5-4, 2-4 SEC) left on the schedule.

Ahead of the Clemson game, this is how you all answered:

47% of fans expect Florida State to finish the year 8-4, 26% expect a 7-5 record and 17% anticipate a 9-3 mark.

Will Jordan Travis hit 3000 passing yards?

GolferNole456: I think he will be just short. Cuse and the Cajuns will be teams that we should dominate with the ground game. I don’t expect us to ask JT to throw it very often in those games. my guess is he will need ~315 yards against UF to break 3000.

bluenole: 3000 with bowl game

DocRJP: If JT continues to pass for his per-game average, he’ll have 3,012 yards BEFORE we go bowling.

The benchmark we asked you for before the season started was 2000 yards — a modest number relatively speaking, but one that would showcase Travis’ growth as a starting quarterback nonetheless.

This is what we wrote in our preseason survey results article:

71 percent of you said that the entrenched starter will pass the 2000-yard mark in 2022. Travis upped his production from 1056 to 1539 yards from 2020 to 2021, and that’s with having shared snaps between multiple quarterbacks (though partly due to his unavailability). At Memphis, Mike Norvell’s offenses put up prolific numbers through the air — no quarterback during his tenure (2016-2019) finished with less than 3000 yards, twice seeing his gunslingers produce 4000-yard seasons.

He has shot beyond that, and now has a chance to exceed that original over/under by 1000 yards.

Did the committee rank FSU correctly in the College Football Playoff rankings?

VANole: Personally, I don’t think we deserve to be ranked for the playoff, my guess the only reason we are is we beat LSU and they are looking pretty good now. But without winning one of NC State, Wake or Clemson I can’t say we should be ranked in the playoffs.

GrassyNole: As far as rankings go, I make no apologies for the three losses or the ranking. Every media darling program (i. e. Every team but us and Clemson) has wallowed in a pool of excuses by talking heads begat by injuries, losses to ranked (current or not) teams, and justvplain bad luck. This team has turned a corner and WILL win out, entering next season with tremendous momentum and arecruiting class full of the RIGHT kids with star ratings and rankings be damned. Go Noles.

It was Florida State’s first appearance in the poll since 2016, the same season that the Seminoles took down Michigan in an Orange Bowl thriller.

For context, here’s an outlook on FSU in national stats — Florida State is now No. 1 in the country in 20+ yard plays, having logged 69 on the season (62 vs. Power 5 competition.) According to FSU Sports Info, Florida State is one of four teams in the country (and the only team in the ACC) averaging at least 270 yards of passing offense and at least 210 yards of rushing offense per game this season.

FSU has allowed the fourth-fewest 20+ yard plays this season (24) while holding opponents to just 19.8 points per game (No. 22 in the country). Also via FSU Sports Info, Florida State is first in the ACC and fifth in the country in pass defense, holding opponents to an average of 165.0 yards per game through the air. The Seminoles also are first in the ACC and rank nine nationally, holding opponents to an average of 6.1 yards per pass attempt

FSU leads the nation with 15 touchdown drives of 80+ yards and with seven 90+-yard touchdown drives this season. The Seminoles also rank fourth in explosive play rate differential, trailing only Georgia, Ohio State and Tulane, with an offense explosive play rate of 16.8 percent that ranks sixth nationally and a defense explosive plays allowed rate of 9.2 percent that is 15th in the country.

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