Florida State Will Not Make It Through the Season Undefeated

It’s become abundantly clear, even after a 56-point output, that Florida State will see its unblemished streak come to an end at some point this season.

The loss may not come next week at Wake Forest. (In fact, just remove that thought entirely from your brain.) Notre Dame and Miami—two of the tougher teams still to come—might fall short in their efforts to play spoiler. And given the manageable regular-season slate, make no mistake, the Seminoles could still head to the College Football Playoff unscathed and no one would be surprised.

But injuries, uneven performances and questions at various positions—issues that were absent from this team’s run all of last season and were difficult to find on paper this summer—have surfaced, altering the outlook when it comes to the bigger picture.

And thus, perfection no longer seems feasible given what we’ve seen.

Granted, these are lofty, unreasonable expectations. With a wealth of talent returning at key positions—quarterback, offensive line, defensive line, defensive back—we somewhat casually assumed that the Seminoles would roll through the ACC and, perhaps, do the unthinkable again.

Thus far, despite the turbulence, this goal has not derailed. Style points mean nothing for a team that will be granted access into the Playoff if it goes unbeaten.

And yet, the concerns with this team’s 4-0 start are real.

It’s a combination of things that have Florida State looking human, although perhaps the notion that a team could cruise to back-to-back undefeated seasons was misguided in the first place.

It doesn’t matter how many times you pointed at a manageable schedule and yelled, “LOOK!” Perfection in college football—given its various layers and unpredictable points of failure—rarely receives the deserved appreciation.

In turn, and perhaps unfairly so, the Seminoles are evaluated and assessed on a different curve from any other program. While most teams would love to go to North Carolina State, score 56 points and walk away victorious, theirs is a unique situation with unique expectations. Given recent headlines surrounding their star player, the attention on this team will only amplify.

In reality, however, Jameis Winston looked very much a Heisman quarterback in his first start since his one-game suspension. It wasn’t perfect—prompting his head coach to chew him out after one of his two interceptions—although without his 365 yards passing and four touchdowns, Florida State very likely loses this game. 

Winston, as you might imagine, was thrilled to be back on the field.

Assuming Winston continues to do what he does—keep plays alive, score touchdowns and move the ball down the field while limiting turnovers—Florida State’s offense should continue to produce. But with a struggling offensive line—a unit that came into the season with the label of being the nation’s best—such production could be hindered by the way the group in front of him performs.

This is a worry, but it's not the worry. Judging by the 56-41 final score against NC State, you know where we're headed.

The defense has floundered, and injuries have not helped matters. Mario Edwards Jr., the best defensive lineman on the roster, was held out of this game with a concussion. Derrick Mitchell and Eddie Goldman—two critical pieces along the defensive front—suffered injuries on Saturday. Goldman, who has been outstanding in recent weeks, was able to return.

Taking injuries into consideration, this group still has not been as polished as expected. Although NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissett deserves the utmost credit for his performance, the Seminoles missed tackles, blew assignments and allowed Brissett to make plays.

Some of which were more outstanding than others:

The self-inflicted wounds and surprising play of NC State put Florida State in a 24-7 hole, and Jimbo Fisher and company deserve the utmost credit for bouncing back and winning on the road. The 56-41 score isn’t ideal, but again, all that matters is staying unbeaten. 

And yet, it’s hard to ignore some of the issues that have hampered a team that made it look far too easy last season.

Although there are only a handful of games that will be deemed “losable” in the regular season, this matchup against NC State—albeit in a building that will send chills down most FSU fans’ spines—wasn’t exactly on our radar to begin with.

With its inconsistencies on both sides of the ball, Florida State is playing with fire, and while the teams coming up on the schedule don’t exactly instill the utmost fear—Notre Dame, Louisville, Miami and Florida for starters—these are all games that the Seminoles should be concerned with given what we’ve seen. 

As it stands, perfection is very much intact. The lofty, unrealistic goals are still in play. But Florida State, even with one of the best players on the planet, looks human, and at some point the woes of this team along with some of the misfortune—the items taking a back seat to more headline-grabbing storylines—will likely surface. When they do, fortunes will change.