Florida State Seminoles: Is It All Just Hype or Are They 'Back'?

Preseason hype used to be as common in Tallahassee as Bobby Bowden's "dadgum" one-liners and quarterback sacks. Every preseason college football magazine on the supermarket checkout rack regularly had the Seminoles in the top 5 and often the preseason No. 1.

Then came the 2000s, and fans witnessed the gradual fizzling out of a Southern football dynasty that had dominated college football the previous 12 years. There was even some residual confidence by the media for several years following the glory days, believing that Bobby's Boys were talented enough to bring back the flame of their winning ways.

The faithful held out hope until it was clear that the era of dominance had ended and it was time for the dynasty's king to step off the throne and ride into the sunset.

The tribe now has a new chief. Jimbo Fisher has quickly retooled and reestablished the team's talent and fighting spirit in a short period of time.

Florida State has not seen such preseason hype surrounding it's team for many moons. There's a sense around Tallahassee and the FSU campus that this team is on the cusp of something special.

The Seminoles have more talent on their roster in 2011 than they've had in perhaps the last 10 years. Fisher has proven that he's an exceptional recruiter, and this team is quickly becoming stacked with top-notch talent.

This coaching staff knows the importance of player evaluation and development. Gone are the days at Florida State of signing a five-star athlete and turning him loose to use his talent to bring in wins.

Football has changed immensely in the past 10-15 years. It's more complicated than ever. There are complex systems, schemes and formations. There are new theories about nutrition, psychology and strength.

Fisher is on the cutting edge of football technology and he is passionate about adapting, learning and implementing new strategies to keep up with trends.

For too long, FSU allowed its football program to lose its cutting edge and fall to the side. Jimbo has brought this team a new plan and everyone seems to be buying into it.

Everyone is working hard. Coaches are coaching, recruiters are recruiting and athletes are being made to go that extra mile. The program is now focused and understands that if the Seminoles are going to be great again, they're going to have to sweat and fight it out on the field.

However, there's still those few lingering questions in the souls of many fans who have been burned many times before. How is this year different? Can we live up to the hype? How far have we truly come?

I don't think anyone is expecting a national title in 2011 (unless the Seminoles can find a way to beat No. 1 Oklahoma on Sept. 17, then all bets are off). The consensus is this team is another year away from playing for a national title.

However, fans are all but demanding an ACC championship this season, and given the recent surge in talent and another year learning Fisher and Stoops' systems, it's not only possible but very likely.

The media loves to ask "are they back?" The answer is "not yet, so stop asking." This team is clearly on the way to being a dominant force once again but when the Florida State Seminoles are indeed "back," you won't have to ask. Their chant will be heard across the nation.