Florida State Football: FSU Will Only Rise to the Top with Help from Lady Luck

It's going to take a little bit of luck for Florida State this season.

With the release of Bovada's odds at who will win the 2012 national championship, there has been a lot of talk about who will have a shot at it all and who will not. In Seminole Nation, the buzz has been around whether or not Florida State is "back." The consensus on this statement by FSU fans seems to be split.

The 2011 season was a rough one for the Seminoles. Coming into it, the team led by head coach Jimbo Fisher (which may just be my favorite coach name in all of college football) were poised as a top-five team. By Week 3 of the regular season, their luck had run out as the 'Noles found themselves losing three in a row. Those losses stopped Florida State dead in their tracks, ruining the Seminoles 2011 chances at an ACC championship.

However, 2012 is a brand new season and a fresh start for the Seminoles. A successful 18-14 win over Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl (now the Russell Athletic Bowl) has to boost FSU's confidence for 2012. It also doesn't hurt that they are returning 17 starters from last season either.

Luck will play a part for the 'Noles though, as Clemson is a challenge in the Atlantic Division. The potential of facing Virgina Tech in the ACC Championship could also be a challenge. If Florida State plays their cards right though, they could just do it.

While USC and Oregon will be battling it out in the Pac-12 and Alabama and LSU in the SEC, Florida State could find themselves lucky enough to pass right by. The teams mentioned before could ultimately end up eliminating themselves first, giving FSU the chance to not necessarily walk right into the title game, but at least enough of a chance to try.

It won't be all luck for Florida State, as they do have a very developed team for 2012, but it never hurts to have just a little bit on your side. The question may be whether or not it is Florida State's year, but the answer is not so easy to find. The best way of looking at it now is yes, it could be FSU's year, with a little bit of luck.