“It’s about that action boss,” those are the words of former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch. They are words that the Florida State Seminoles football program heading into year two under head coach Willie Taggart will need to live by if they are going to get back on the path to being one of the best teams in all of college football. In 2018, Florida State failed to make a bowl game for the first time in 36 seasons as their ability to block anyone along the offensive line, lack of discipline, and general inconsistency from week to week were key reasons why they were 5-7.
The fans of the Seminoles were blessed under Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher who, win or lose, were going to put up a fight for four quarters every week. However, last season there were way too many instances where opposing teams ran Florida State off the field by dominating them at the line of scrimmage. Doak Campbell Stadium typically has proven to be one of the toughest places in all of college football but last season the Seminoles lost three times as Virginia Tech, Clemson, and Florida combined to outscore Florida State by a combined score of 124-27. Thus, the pressure is cranked up at a very high level on Coach Taggart to get things turned around in 2019 and quickly since the natives in Tallahassee will turn on him if they get off to a slow start.
A neutral site game against Boise State in Jacksonville will kick-off the 2019 season. The over/under for Florida State as far as projected wins in concerned is 7.5 according to DraftKings. The initial point spread on this season opener with Broncos has the Seminoles as a 4.5 point favorite according to NCAA betting lines at 888 Sport New Jersey . This game is going to be ultra-critical for Florida State if they are going to win eight games. They have the advantage at quarterback as James Blackman and his backup Alex Hornibrook have plenty of experience and the Broncos will be replacing a long-time starter under center in Brett Rypien.
The rest of the schedule is not easy, but at the same time has some balance to it as Louisiana-Monroe visits Tallahassee and then in week three the Seminoles will hit the road to play at Virginia, who is a potential preseason favorite in the ACC Coastal Division. The Cavaliers bring back Bryce Perkins at quarterback and have a good mix of experience on the defensive side of the ball that will be a great gauge to see if Florida State has made any legitimate progress along the offensive line. If the Seminoles don’t play well in that game, there is potential for the season to get away from them quickly.
October will provide a road trip to Clemson and then to Wake Forest on consecutive weekends. The game in Winston-Salem is another trap game as there will be a bit of a letdown after playing in Death Valley the week before. On October 26, Syracuse visits Doak Campbell Stadium to start a two game homestand that includes the rivalry game with Miami. The best-case scenario for Florida State in this four-game stretch is 3-1 with 2-2 being the most likely result for the Seminoles.
Road trips to Boston College and Florida in the final couple weeks of the season also be very key for bettors on Florida State winning more than 7.5 games as they will more than likely be 5-4 when they head up to Chestnut Hill to play the Eagles. These two teams played in Tallahassee a year ago with the Seminoles winning 22-21. Look for a physical phone booth type of street fight game in a cold weather scenario that will be a great litmus test for Florida State to see if the mental toughness has improved in year two of the Willie Taggart era. Overall, look for Florida State to come in under 7.5 wins in 2019 as they need to prove it on the field with their play instead of talking about it.
