Florida State Seminoles

[trnyerheadncough]

Nov 16, 2014 7:41:05 GMT -5 canefan said:

Nov 16, 2014 1:05:08 GMT -5 trnyerheadncough said:

I wish we could figure out how to translate how we play in the second half to our entire game. If we can do that...we will be very tough to best.

Hell, we are tough to beat now as it is...

I haven't watched much of your games, but in the other games where the opponent blew bigger leads in the second half did they play more conservatively in the second half trying to protect that lead or did most of them continue to play as they did in the first half?

As far as our game went, I of course wanted to win and thought we could, but I have to admit I was still thinking that we are a year away. As well as he played, Kaaya should be much better next year. You know, he was not an early entry in January. He first came on campus in June of this year. Of course we lose Dorsett on offense and quite possibly Duke, although he says it is Mama Dukes decision on whether he stays or goes. She wants him to finish his degree and he won't graduate until December.

Next year will probably be the year to get us...in 2016 we are loaded.

Unless Winston stays, that is...which I doubt.

As for previous games...most tried to play the same, I believe.

I agree Miami went a bit conservative... But trying to let Duke Johnson win it for you isn't the worst idea in the world...

[trnyerheadncough]

Nov 16, 2014 3:38:50 GMT -5 lz2112 said:

Nov 16, 2014 1:05:08 GMT -5 trnyerheadncough said:

I wish we could figure out how to translate how we play in the second half to our entire game. If we can do that...we will be very tough to best.

Hell, we are tough to beat now as it is...

They look like the 09 Gators, feel like they can just flip a switch and win. Against most teams they can. Against Bama, Oregon and a few others, that switch will be a lot harder to flip.

It bit UF against Bama.

We need to flip it at the opening gun....I agree. But when we are on, we look as good as anyone.

[canefan]

Nov 16, 2014 9:40:24 GMT -5 trnyerheadncough said:

Nov 16, 2014 7:41:05 GMT -5 canefan said:

I haven't watched much of your games, but in the other games where the opponent blew bigger leads in the second half did they play more conservatively in the second half trying to protect that lead or did most of them continue to play as they did in the first half?

As far as our game went, I of course wanted to win and thought we could, but I have to admit I was still thinking that we are a year away. As well as he played, Kaaya should be much better next year. You know, he was not an early entry in January. He first came on campus in June of this year. Of course we lose Dorsett on offense and quite possibly Duke, although he says it is Mama Dukes decision on whether he stays or goes. She wants him to finish his degree and he won't graduate until December.

Next year will probably be the year to get us...in 2016 we are loaded.

Unless Winston stays, that is...which I doubt.

As for previous games...most tried to play the same, I believe.

I agree Miami went a bit conservative... But trying to let Duke Johnson win it for you isn't the worst idea in the world...

I spent most of the game on my back with a very bad migraine headache, so I was going more on some of what I read. I have no read other opinions that they tried to set up Duke for a big second half by taking advantage of FSU's desire to shut him down in the first half by putting the ball in Kaayas hands. And that may well have worked if not for Duke cramping up. Yearby played pretty well, but he isn't Duke. at least not yet. Miami just made too many mistakes. Barrios catches that TD to put 30 points on the board right before the half would have been big. I am told Dorsett dropped a TD before the first half FG but I was pretty much out of it at that time. Those two TD's, a blocked point, a couple of fumbles lost by the tight ends...... We just aren't there yet, able to overcome those kind of mistakes.

[mscott59]

Nov 16, 2014 12:13:43 GMT -5 canefan said:

Nov 16, 2014 9:40:24 GMT -5 trnyerheadncough said:

Next year will probably be the year to get us...in 2016 we are loaded.

Unless Winston stays, that is...which I doubt.

As for previous games...most tried to play the same, I believe.

I agree Miami went a bit conservative... But trying to let Duke Johnson win it for you isn't the worst idea in the world...

I spent most of the game on my back with a very bad migraine headache, so I was going more on some of what I read. I have no read other opinions that they tried to set up Duke for a big second half by taking advantage of FSU's desire to shut him down in the first half by putting the ball in Kaayas hands. And that may well have worked if not for Duke cramping up. Yearby played pretty well, but he isn't Duke. at least not yet. Miami just made too many mistakes. Barrios catches that TD to put 30 points on the board right before the half would have been big. I am told Dorsett dropped a TD before the first half FG but I was pretty much out of it at that time. Those two TD's, a blocked point, a couple of fumbles lost by the tight ends...... We just aren't there yet, able to overcome those kind of mistakes.

a missed chip shot fg too, btw. canes played well enough to win. but fsu did a nice job adjusting on the seam routes miami had success w/in the first half, #8 for the noles was an absolute force all night, everywhere. very appropriate for him to pick off the pass to end it. and fsu's offense just keeps pressing and pressing... tough to defend, especially when their running game has some success like they did in the 4th qtr. very good game.

[Lee The Locksmith]

Nov 16, 2014 12:19:05 GMT -5 mscott59 said:

.... canes played well enough to win. .....fsu's offense just keeps pressing and pressing... tough to defend, especially when their running game has some success like they did in the 4th qtr. very good game.

That game was so good, I found myself unable to change the channel back to GA/ Auburn....In the end, I believe Miami's defense gave all they had and they were just plain worn out....Heck of a game

[trnyerheadncough]

An article from a Florida State reporter, but it has a lot of good points in it.

Weekly playoff rankings: A study in foolishness
Ira Schoffel

You have to appreciate the way Florida State's players and coaches are looking at the clown show that is the College Football Playoff weekly rankings.

Instead of lobbying for a higher ranking, they're laughing at the lunacy. Instead of dissing the committee members, they're dismissing the drama.

No one summed up the Seminoles' completely sensical approach to this nonsensical system better than senior receiver Rashad Greene, who is as efficient with his words as he is his steps on a pass pattern.

"I don't entertain that foolishness," Greene said last Saturday night after the defending national champion Seminoles won their 26th consecutive game.

Greene was speaking after FSU pulled off another of its trademark comebacks, roaring back from a 16-0 deficit on the road to claim a 30-26 victory against Miami -- exactly the type of win the playoff committee apparently frowns upon.

Much like the Seminoles' 42-31 victory at Louisville. The 'Noles trailed 21-0 on the road in that one before outscoring the Cardinals, 42-10, to record the win. But again, the committee was not the least bit impressed.

Apparently, the committee believes that any old team can march into those two stadiums and waltz out with wins. Anything short of a blowout is downright embarrassing. (Don't mind the fact that Louisville had won 22 consecutive home games under Bobby Petrino before the Seminoles rallied to end that streak. Or that Miami had won 14 of its last 15 home games before FSU worked its magic at Sun Life Stadium. These victories are unimpressive, darn it!)

Florida State, which last lost a football game two years ago this Monday, has been so unimpressive during its 10-0 start that the committee has moved one-loss teams ahead of the Seminoles in back-to-back weeks. Last week, they pushed Oregon ahead; this week, it's Alabama.

Both teams already have a loss. Both teams have obvious flaws and have had to escape other near defeats. But they both now are ranked ahead of the No. 3 Seminoles - the only team from a Power 5 conference without a blemish on their record. And because of that, both are in better position to receive a favorable matchup and location should they reach the playoff.

And you wonder why Rashad Greene isn't entertaining that foolishness?

What's perhaps more troubling than the committee's decisions is their rationale. During his interview on ESPN following the release of this week's rankings Tuesday night, committee chair Jeff Long (athletic director at Arkansas) said Alabama deserved to jump from No. 5 to No. 1 because of its "decisive win" against last week's No. 1, Mississippi State. Long also heaped praise on the Crimson Tide's total body of work and called them the nation's "most complete" team and "clearly No. 1."

Those superlatives seem a little over-the-top when you're applying them to a team that already has lost one game, needed overtime to beat an LSU team that is now 7-4, and rallied in the fourth quarter to score a one-point win against Arkansas (which hadn't won an SEC game in two years). But hey, we're not here to disparage Alabama. That is a fine program and certainly worthy of being in the four-team playoff … at least for the time being.

The real problem, just like last week, was the arbitrary decision to leapfrog one-loss teams ahead of a team that plays in a Power 5 conference and hasn't lost a game. We're not talking about a pesky mid-major who hasn't competed against even a similar strength of schedule. We're talking about Florida State, the defending national champion.

And while you can always question the strength of competition in the ACC, it's not as if the 'Noles didn't try to schedule quality foes out of conference. The trio of Notre Dame, Florida and Oklahoma State was expected to be the most challenging non-conference slate of any team in the Power 5.

Yet, a 10-0 mark for the Seminoles just doesn't seem to tickle the committee's fancy.

As you might expect, some fans already are crying conspiracy. They believe the committee is overvaluing the SEC schools' wins and diminishing the importance of their losses to make sure the league gets one or two teams in the playoff.

And those folks certainly stumbled upon some extra ammunition Tuesday night when Long explained how Mississippi State remained in the top four this week. Just seconds after justifying Alabama's big jump by saying the Tide dominated an undefeated Mississippi State, Long said the Bulldogs didn't fall far because they hung tough with the Tide.

"You never felt like Mississippi State was out of that game," Long said.

Uh huh.

When a follow-up question was asked about Mississippi State's body of work, and the fact that the Bulldogs' three signature victories (LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn) now don't look all that hot, Long insisted that wasn't a major concern.

"They've diminished a little bit, but they're still quality wins," Long said.

Uh huh.

Just so we're clear on what constitutes a "quality win" … Texas A&M has lost four of its last six games, and one of its two wins in that stretch came against Louisiana-Monroe; Auburn is 7-3 and has allowed an average of 35.8 points in its last five games; and LSU has fallen to 7-4, while scoring a grand total of 23 points in its last three games.

So if you want to entertain foolishness, there are plenty of options.

But we're not here to disparage Mississippi State, either. Or even one-loss Oregon, which checks in at No. 2 this week after jumping over the Seminoles last week. Nor are we here to argue that Florida State is clearly the best team in the country.

Unlike the 2013 Seminoles, this 2014 version has definite flaws. It wouldn't be a stunning development to see them fall short of the national championship game. Heck, it's not inconceivable that they could slip up at some point during the next three weeks - at home against Boston College or Florida, or in the ACC championship game against Duke or Georgia Tech. Every time the Seminoles get off to one of these slow starts, which is practically every week, they could be had.

The point is everyone else has flaws as well, including the two one-loss teams ahead of them. Alabama's offense has been hit-or-miss, and its kicking game has been erratic. And Oregon's defense has consistently ranked among the worst in the country (the Ducks currently are No. 107 of 125 FBS teams in total defense).

There simply is no dominant team in college football this season. Every single one of them could be had by the right opponent in the right situation, and every single one of them (in the Power 5 conferences) has … with the exception of one.

You know, the No. 3 team in the country.

Foolishness, people. Foolishness.

[lz2112]

No need to read it. On the way home last night I listened to Ira, Cory Clark and Jeff Cameron whine about how disrespected FSU is and how overrated the SEC is. Was actually pretty funny.

You'd probably enjoy it.

979espnradio.hipcast.com/deluge/hipcast-11010-u-395689-s-2.audio.mp3

[trnyerheadncough]

Nov 19, 2014 11:52:51 GMT -5 lz2112 said:

No need to read it. On the way home last night I listened to Ira, Cory Clark and Jeff Cameron whine about how disrespected FSU is and how overrated the SEC is. Was actually pretty funny.

You'd probably enjoy it.

979espnradio.hipcast.com/deluge/hipcast-11010-u-395689-s-2.audio.mp3

I don't know how overrated they are. Some of the teams in the SEC are absolutely overrated. I just want some consistency with regard to ranking the top teams other than bullshitting us with new alleged metrics every week.

[nitronole]

FSU commit named Florida's Gatorade Player of the Year

10 hours ago


In its 30th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Florida State four-star running back commitment Jacques Patrick of Orlando (Fla.) Timber Creek High School as its 2014-15 Gatorade Florida Football Player of the Year.

On his senior season, Patrick rushed for 2,526 yards and 34 rushing touchdowns on 276 carries. He also had 165 passing yards and four passing touchdowns.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound back earned admiration from opposing coaches for the way he played on a weekly basis.

“If there’s another player in the nation that can dominate a game physically on the offensive side of the ball the way Jacques can, I’d love to see him play," Oviedo High head coach Wes Allen said in the release.

“Game planning with our staff, we discussed if he was the most dominant player we had faced in our seven years together. Names of guys we had played came up—like Timmy Jerrnigan, Jeff Driskel, Taj Williams, Ray-Ray Armstrong and others—and Jacques is without a doubt the most dominating player we have faced,” Allen added.

He finished his high school career with 7,922 rushing yards.

Patrick, who is ranked as the No. 40 prospect in the nation by the 247Sports Composite and No. 3 running back overall, is set to enroll at Florida State in January.

[nitronole]

I hope that a very banged up FSU defense can heal itself in the next 3 weeks. Do we have any DT's left? our LB's are very thin as well ?

[trnyerheadncough]

Dec 7, 2014 15:34:01 GMT -5 nitronole said:

I hope that a very banged up FSU defense can heal itself in the next 3 weeks. Do we have any DT's left? our LB's are very thin as well ?

I read that Goldman was just nicked up and we should be about as healthy as we've been all season come bowl time. Mitchell has been a very welcome surprise this year, and I thought Nnadi and Hollin played very well against GT. Against Oregon on obvious throwing downs, I hope we move Edwards inside and put Featherston or Pugh on the corner to rush.

As for LBs, I don't think anyone is hurt so bad as to be out for the bowl game. Northrup has grown up a lot, and Thomas has shown flashes, but needs to stay disciplined. The guy I'm proudest of....Trey Marshall. Put in a tough spot, and the kid made it happen. He and Lamarcus Brutus played great for us on Saturday. The younger kids are starting to show results out of all the promise we had early in the year. I like our chances against Oregon. We now are dangerous running it as well as passing it, and if our defense can get a few stops, I think we can win a shootout against Oregon.

[trnyerheadncough]

This morning, FSU landed 5* DE Josh Sweat out of Virginia. That gives us 4 five star players on Rivals. Huge get for us, as our main needs this cycle were DBs and DL. Our 4 five stars....2 DBs, this DL, and a runningback.

It is going to be an epic class for FSU

[beuycek]

Totally not football or even sports related but I came across this article and thought it was a good look into someone who works to preserve the native traditions of the Seminole Tribe. Ironically enough I used to work with this woman's daughter at the tribe's casino in Tampa years ago, which makes this doubly cool.

www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2014/12/10/fsu-honors-seminole-legend-louise-gopher/20194769/

[nitronole]

fanbuzz.com/story/this-florida-state-hype-video-will-get-every-seminole-fan-amped-up-for-the-rose-bowl/

[nitronole]

Five reasons why FSU is going to win the CFB Playoff



Originally written on College Spun | Last updated 12/17/14










Running back Davin Cook is getting hot just when the Seminoles need him the most. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images





Good luck stopping Winston.

On New Year’s Day, the undefeated Florida State Seminoles will attempt to defend their national title in the Rose Bowl against the Oregon Ducks, the Pac-12 champions. Should FSU prevail, it’ll get the winner of the Alabama vs. Ohio State Sugar Bowl matchup. While most college football fans would love to see Jameis Winston & Co. take on the Crimson Tide, Las Vegas has the Ducks advancing. I’m here to tell you why they’re flat out wrong.

Florida State, for those unaware, has won 29 straight games, and it didn’t all happen by accident. While Winston hasn’t had quite the same season that he had a year ago statistically, he’s been extremely efficient when it matters – the second halves of games. Winston may not have been a Heisman Trophy contender in 2014, but he’s still one of the most feared players in college football. He’s going to prove it, yet again, in the College Football Playoff.

But Winston isn’t the only reason that Florida State is going to win the inaugural Playoff. Here are the five reasons why the Seminoles are going to be your two-time defending national champions heading into 2015-2016.

5. Roberto Aguayo

College football is not like the NFL – especially when it comes to kicking. Most college football programs are shaky at the kicker position – just ask Alabama, which can blame its 2013 Iron Bowl loss on it. But Florida State has an absolute stud at the position, and his name is Roberto Aguayo. Aguayo, in two full seasons, has missed just three field goal attempts. Augayo is 46-of-49, and somehow, he’s never missed from 50+ yards out.

Oregon uses two kickers – Matt Wogan and Aidan Schneider. The Ducks have converted 15-of-18 field goal attempts on the year. Kicking, as most fans are aware, isn’t a big part of Oregon’s game.

Florida State played seven one-score games this year, and there’s no reason to believe that either of its College Football Playoff games couldn’t come down to the fourth quarter. The Seminoles will always have the option for three points – other teams can’t make the same claim.

4. Experience

Sure, it’s fair to say that Florida State is a bit younger than it was last year heading into the BCS National Championship Game. But anyone who was on the Seminoles roster last year knows what it’s like to play on the game’s biggest stage – and that includes Jameis Winston, Rashad Greene and Karlos Williams. FSU’s first opponent, Oregon, does not have the same kind of experience on its roster.

Plus, Florida State, for better or for worse, has been playing in close games all year. Its players know how to close out victories – even if it wasn’t always pretty at times. Florida State had to eke out wins over Oklahoma State, Clemson, Notre Dame, Miami, Boston College, Florida and Georgia Tech. The Seminoles also needed a final drive against Auburn in last year’s national title game to come up victorious. There’s no bigger stage than that.

Marcus Mariota is a big-time player, but he hasn’t had to deal with the kind of pressure that Winston and his teammates have been dealing with this year. The Ducks are talented, but they’re going to be at a huge disadvantage in that department.

3. Florida State Has Embraced Its Role As The Villain

For a number of reasons, the Seminoles are the current villain of college football. First off, they’re the defending national champion, so naturally, everyone wants them to lose. Second, their quarterback makes more news off the field than he does on it (and he won a Heisman Trophy). And third, college football fans like to accuse the school of favoring its football players when it comes to legal matters. Whether any of it is valid, it’s a reality – college football fans hate Florida State.

But here’s the thing – it actually works in the team’s favor. Florida State has won 29 straight games – much to the chagrin of the average fan. And as we’ve heard from numerous sources, the off-the-field chatter has a way of unifying the players. It also doesn’t seem to matter if they fall behind by a few touchdowns – they always know they’re capable of rallying to win. This is as cohesive a unit as you’re going to find in the sport.

Jimbo Fisher’s comments about perceived SEC bias help play into it too – fans of most southern teams can’t stand the program. While some of it may be justified, some of it is also jealousy.

2. Dalvin Cook

Back on December 31, 2013, five-star running back recruit Dalvin Cook officially flipped from Florida to Florida State. It’s safe to assume that Seminoles fans are pretty happy with the way things played out.

Cook, who has steadily seen his role increase as the season has progressed on, has been an absolute monster the past two games in starter Karlos Williams’ absence. Williams, who suffered a concussion early on against Florida, was averaging just 4.4 yards per carry on the season. Cook, conversely, has ripped off a 5.8 average, and over the past two games, has rushed for over 300 yards. He’s getting hot at just the right time. He’s also young, so he can handle an increased load if he needs to.

Cook’s emergence means that Oregon will have to deal with two big-time running backs on New Year’s Day. And that’s on top of…

1. Jameis Winston

There’s no doubt – Jameis Winston had a better year in 2013 than he did in 2014. But there is one huge similarity – the Seminoles still haven’t lost a game under his leadership. And he’s still the quarterback who led the Seminoles to a national championship.

Winston has thrown 24 touchdowns against 17 interceptions, which, on paper, doesn’t seem like a fantastic ratio. But Winston has a flair for the dramatic. Winston’s quarterback rating, overall, improved every quarter. In first quarters of games, he finished with a 118.1 rating. In the fourth quarters of games, it was 167.0. It won’t surprise you to hear that he’s led four fourth-quarter comebacks in his two years either.

Plus, Winston has had to deal with more off-the-field issues than any college football player in recent memory. Through it all, he’s remained poised – and more-than-capable of leading his team to victories on the field. While Marcus Mariota, Blake Sims and Cardale Jones are all fine players, there is no quarterback/athlete in America under the same kind of scrutiny, day in and day out. Winston knows how to deal with pressure, period.

He’ll remind us all of that in early January, yet again.