Has anyone seen the Florida State Seminoles of yesteryear?
Remember when FSU joined the ACC in 1992? You pretty much knew what was going to happen … a thrashing like you've never seen … lucky to come away with any positives to build on … the premiere power program in the country with second and third stringers better then other program's first stringers …
Fast-forward to seasons 2001-2005 … For a program that was a perennial Top Five team for the better part of 10-15 years prior to 2001, they have averaged four losses per season -- four losses and two of those are ACC losses … That, my friends, is not something the 'Noles should hang their hat on … And I'm not suggesting that they don't care … But something is wrong. You can say that the rest of the ACC has caught up with Florida State. Throw this around if you will … perhaps FSU has done more falling than the rest of the league has rising …
What is the reasoning behind this? Have too many of their "elite" players left early for the NFL? Has the talent level dropped from the types of players they used to get in the 90s … Have they bought into the hype of the program and think they are better then what they really are and can show up and it's a check in the win column …Or dare I say, Coach Bowden and his staff just don't have it dialed in like they have in the past …
I was in Durham this past Saturday for this weekend's game at Duke … On paper, Florida State clearly stands head and shoulders and chest and waist above Duke … Not taking away anything from the hard-working players and coaches at Duke, but on paper, the talent level is not even in the same stadium … It should have been 50-0 at halftime … but it wasn't … it was 23-6 … Duke played well and inspired after getting behind to start of the game … The final 51-24 … sure that's not close, but up to 2001 it would have been 70-0 … Well, what's the problem then? Teams aren't afraid of Florida State anymore … Every team in the league from top to bottom knows that Florida State can be beat … That's not just a chink in the armor, that's a whole section left vulnerable for attack … and with each loss and struggle to win, the other teams in the league gain the confidence to take FSU's best shot and counter with their own …
Don't think I'm just picking on FSU, you can throw Miami into that same category, they aren't living up to their reputation either, but they aren't 15 years deep into conference play.
All that being said, what once was a mighty swagger has turned to noticeable limp for one of the more dominant football programs of our time…
