Lofty expectations are nothing new for the Florida State Seminoles; they just haven’t had them in a few years. Ending a string of four straight losing seasons, the Noles went 10-3 in 2022 winning their first bowl game since Jimbo Fisher’s final season. A five game improvement from the 2021 campaign and the favorite in many people’s eyes to win the ACC, the Willie Taggart era has been forgotten. What has many pundits high on FSU in 2023 is the nucleus of their first 10-win team since 2016 is returning led by QB Jordan Travis. The Noles easily went over their 2022 projected win total of 6.5 but will find it difficult to hit 10 wins again with a tough slate and a target on their back.
College Football Season Wins Odds
Regular Season Wins for the Florida State Seminoles
Over 9.5 ( -138 )
Under 9.5 ( +122 )
For 14 consecutive seasons under legendary Bobby Bowden the Seminoles won at least 10 games. In six of seven years under Jimbo Fisher the team posted double-digit wins with the other a 9-win campaign. This gives us an idea of the expectations in Tallahassee and Mike Norvell has finally picked up the pieces from the failed Taggart experiment putting the Noles back in the national spotlight.
Roster
The state of Florida is loaded with football talent and FSU has its share, which is why the Noles are a trendy pick by some to challenge Clemson’s dominance in the ACC. They also boast shorter odds than several big-time programs to win the national championship. After winning just 19 games in a four-year span from 2018 to 2021, the Noles may have snuck up on a few teams last year.
And putting some of the wins in context can slow the hype train. Beating LSU was a nice win on paper. The Noles had a glorified scrimmage whacking Duquesne the week before their 24-23 upset in the Tigers’ opener under new coach Brian Kelly. Also, wins over Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl, Florida and Miami are impressive, until you realize all three squads had a losing record. Still wins are wins and getting 10 of them has produced a level of confidence around the program that could take FSU to bigger things in 2023.
A stacked roster will also do the trick, and with Travis one of eight returning starters the offense should be as good if not better than the unit that ranked 16th nationally in scoring and 10th in total offense a season ago. One position that sabotaged the Noles in Norvell’s first two years was quarterback. In 2020 Travis was one of four players that started a game. Injuries hindered him in 2021 and no one picked up the slack. A starter in all 13 games last season, Travis threw for 3,214 yards with 24 TDs and only five interceptions. He added 417 yards and seven touchdowns on 82 rushing attempts.
With the addition of Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman the receiving corps got bigger and deeper. Trey Benson nearly rushed for 1,000 yards and will look to eclipse that number behind a solid offensive line.
The Noles were strong defensively last season leading the ACC by allowing an average of 321.8 yards and 4.85 yards per play. A big chunk of that group returns which is why a lot of people are high on FSU. All-conference safety Jammie Robinson is the only big loss, but the secondary has four returning starters. Several high-profile defensive transfers found their way to Tallahassee giving the Noles more depth and experience up front.
Schedule
Can you say a schedule that has LSU and Clemson on it is favorable? Those two are the toughest opponents on the slate and losses really put us in a bind to reach the OVER. The Noles did catch a break, though, by avoiding UNC, Louisville and NC State, arguably the best teams in the ACC after Clemson and FSU.
Prediction
I like what Norvell has done with the program bringing it back to respectability with careful use of the portal and solid recruiting. The overall depth has improved, but there are few options behind Travis and he has a history of injuries. All things considered, though, the ACC is tough and Clemson and LSU are better. But so are the Noles and while I’m looking for a reason to not back the OVER I can’t find one.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
Check out the latest odds at BookMaker
