Returning Starters
Offense: 7
Defense: 8

Key Player
Offense: Antonne Smith (RB)
Defense: Everett Brown (DE)

Key Losses
Geno Hayes (LB)

2007 Key Stats
7-6 (4-4)
Rushing Offense: 127 Yd/Game (91)
Passing Offense: 241 Yd/Game (47)
Scoring Offense : 23 Pt/Game (90)
Rushing Defense 116 Yd/Game (22)
Passing Defense: 245 Yd/Game (85)
Scoring Defense: 22 Pts/Game (34)
Sacks Allowed: 1.69/Game (T-41)

Schedule/Early Prediction
Sept. 6: Western Carolina
Sept. 13: Chattanooga
Sept. 20: Wake Forest
Sept. 27: @ Colorado (Jacksonville)
Oct. 4: @ Miami
Oct. 16: @ NC State
Oct. 25: Virginia Tech
Nov. 1: @ Georgia Tech
Nov. 8: Clemson
Nov. 15: Boston College
Nov. 22: @ Maryland
Nov. 29: Florida

Italics: Loss- I’m convinced. E-Mail me your hate.

Summary

This is a Florida State football team that has fantastic talent throughout defense and is in a rebuilding process on the offensive side of the ball. Many FSU fans will tell you they don’t deserve to be in the top 25, but well, I disagree. For once being the Florida homer I am I have to say that this is a FSU team very capable of surprising teams this year. Do I see a 11…12 win season out of the Noles? Not by a long shot, and I shall explain after the jump.

Jimbo Fisher enters his 2^nd year in the rebuilding process of the Florida State offense under 98^th year head coach Bobby Bowden. Many would have you believe that Drew Weatherford has the job on lock heading into his senior year, but nursing an injury for most of the off-season has given Christian Ponder the ability to move up the depth chart and push Jimbo into thinking twice about starting Drew Weatherford this season. With former #1 RB Antone Smith in the backfield and a talented core of receivers, whoever the QB is, is going to have to be fleet footed and extremely quick with his decision making as a young offensive line, well, stays young.

As it looks heading into the 2008-2009 season there looks to be no starters on the offensive line that has junior or senior listed next to the name. While the offensive line for FSU was a surprise last year in their protection of Weatherford, the big issue for Jimbo Fisher is depth, and can this unit stay healthy. If so, FSU should, and in my oh so expertise and valued opinion, will move up in the offensive rankings next year.

Defensively this unit was injury plagued in 2007 and Mickey Andrews looks to put together a unit that can play 13 games without concern over digging into the 3^rd string for help. With 6 incoming defensive linemen and 4 incoming freshman, headlined by stud linebacker Nigel Bradham, this is a unit that looks to get back to the days that teams feared Florida States team speed on defense and Mickey Andrews blitz happy man to man schemes.

The biggest question defensively for the Noles is stepping up and stopping the pass as they ranked in the lower % of the NCAA last year in pass defense. Myron Rolle hasn’t necessarily gotten the help he has needed, nor has he played up to his #1 overall player in the country ranking when he was coming out of high school. Tony Carter is the most experienced player in the secondary but gives up a lot of size at 5’9” 166 pounds. The front 7 is easily the most polished and talented unit on this entire football team with Everette Brown and incoming junior college transfer Markus White coming off the edge and a fine rotation in the middle of Emmanuel Dunbar, Paul Griffin, and Kendrick Stewart to keep offensive lines tinkering with ways to keep their QBs clean.

The schedule is much more favorable this year and I absolutely cannot imagine FSU going 7-6 (4-4) once again. With 3 home games to start the season along with your most challenging away game being @ Miami, it’s tough to imagine this unit losing 4 or 5 at home. The schedule is one of the reasons FSU comes in at 25. I see losses to Virginia Tech and Florida at home and Miami on the road, despite Miami and the problems of their own. Games in Jacksonville against Colorado, on the road against an experienced offensive unit in Maryland, and lastly the Bowden Bowl at home are 3 other games that could make or break FSUs season.

Best Case Scenario: 9-3
Worst Case Scenario: 7-6