SEPTEMBER
2001
INTRIGUING QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IN THE UPCOMING FOOTBALL SEASON
It should be interesting.
That's what I've been telling people who ask for my take on Florida
State's upcoming football season.
It sounds like a worn-out, catch-all banality, like saying you
believe children are our future. But it's true: 2001 should be
the most interesting FSU football season in ages.
Let's face it, things have gotten a little monotonous in Seminole Territory over the past 10 years, if you call a succession of 10-win seasons, top-five finishes and national award winners monotonous, that is.
But how many times since, oh, 1993, have you worried about
FSU stumbling in the Atlantic Coast Conference, perhaps finishing
as low as second? How often have you thought the Noles could
actually lose a game in Doak Campbell Stadium, if not two? How
often did you wonder who the opening-day quarterback would be,
and if he'd still be the guy come midseason?
There are other intriguing questions, such as:
·Will FSU become more a running team than a passing team?
·Will the offense be substantially different with Jeff
Bowden at the controls?
·How will the quarterbacks, Anquan Boldin and Chris Rix,
respond under new coach Daryl Dickey?
·Can a young defense play at or near the standards we've come to expect from Mickey Andrews' units?
·Who the heck are the kicker and punter going to be?
·With the new ticket policy, where are my seats?
All that uncertainty means FSU fans have more than two games circled as possible losses, regardless of where they sit.
Start where every season does, with Miami and Florida. Then look at Georgia Tech, a team some give an even-odds chance of winning in Tallahassee on Sept. 15. Clemson threatens FSU every time the teams tangle in Death Valley; it's only a matter of time before the Tigers come out on top. And don't laugh, but Virginia and North Carolina could present formidable road obstacles.
Those teams represent more than half the schedule. In other words, FSU could be staring 5-6 right in the choppers.
Okay, let's not get carried away. It will take a lot more than just shaky quarterback play, less-than-dominant defense and a so-so kicking game to send the Noles to a losing record. FSU simply has too much talent on its roster and too much experience on its coaching staff to pull an Alabama-like flop.
Odds are, this team will find a way to win the requisite 10
games and keep its streaks intact. But getting there should be,
well, interesting.
Consider the possibilities from a fan's perspective ... You may
worry that a key injury could affect the outcome against the
Cavaliers. The idea of defending Ronald Curry could strike fear
in your heart. You might actually read the previews of FSU-Maryland
considering the Terps' new coach is former Georgia Tech mastermind
Ralph Friedgen.
You see what we're getting at. This must be what it feels like to be a fan of, say, Michigan or Notre Dame or Texas. You know your team has the talent to go all the way, but you can envision 8-3 and a trip to the Gator Bowl, too.
Practically every game should provide some intrigue, even
the sure victories. Those weeks, you'll want to see what kind
of personality this team is developing, if leaders are emerging,
if FSU can handle a road crowd (even if it's just 25,000 at Duke).
You'll look for signs of growth from the quarterback, for hints
of killer instinct on defense, maybe whether the punter can pin
the ball inside an opponent's 10.
In other words, the little details might actually matter.
If you like the thought of having more than two compelling games in a season, don't get too accustomed to it.
Assuming nobody bolts to the pros, flunks out or otherwise falls by the wayside, the Seminoles will welcome back in 2002:
·Their entire offensive line, every member of which
has NFL potential;
·A stable of gifted quarterbacks and runners, including
Nick Maddox, Greg Jones and Eric Shelton;
·Virtually every defensive lineman;
·Linebackers like Kendyll Pope and Michael Boulware;
·And athletes like Craphonso Thorpe, Dominic Robinson,
P.K. Sam, Willie Jones Jr., Jerome Carter and Gerard Ross, the
nucleus of this year's top-ranked recruiting class.
Like I always say, the children are our future. -Daniel Mitchell, Osceola
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