North Florida Sports Network Podcast
North Florida Sports Network Podcast
The Six-Win Dream: Resetting Florida State Football Expectations
all right, welcome back. Your favorite podcast in the world is back from summer vacation.
Speaker 2:The dead period, but we did miss a few things.
Speaker 1:Last time we talked we were recapping Game 7 of the NBA Finals, which was a really sad way to end the NBA Finals. Since then, we had an all-star game in baseball, big Dumpers leading. Big Dumper Won the home run. Derby, yeah, he did. We had a British.
Speaker 2:Open Scotty.
Speaker 1:Scheffler F dumper Won the home run derby. Yeah, he did. We had a British Open. Scotty Scheffler Farted when he hit the ball. Yeah, that was actually pretty cool, but that was no drama to that. But about a month away, 32 days From college football season, as the Florida State Seminoles in particular kick it off against the Alabama Crimson tide who will be coming to Tallahassee to a new look Dope Campbell stadium. Oh boy, yeah, I got. Oh, see that. Thoughts on that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Um, we got.
Speaker 2:We're going to go over expectations where they should be write it down about ankle high oof so you're, you're telling there you go, you go ahead and you lower those expectations everybody yeah, six win dream, a six win dream.
Speaker 1:we'll talk about it. If you haven't done so already, go ahead and you lower those expectations everybody. Yeah, six-win dream, six-win dream. We'll talk about it. If you haven't done so already, download, subscribe to the show at wherever you get your podcasts Podcasts available everywhere you can get them. We will be on YouTube soon as we move to the new studios, but without further ado. Let's get it further ado.
Speaker 2:let's get it started yeah, he doesn't know where anything is.
Speaker 1:All right, little rusty, we're getting the wiggles out still right here on the North Florida Sports Network.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we moved, yeah, calmed down.
Speaker 1:But things are going great. It's been a while how you been.
Speaker 2:Fantastic, hot and sweaty.
Speaker 1:Fantastic Junior starting football again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man Out there in the heat oh yeah God, I went to a seven-on-seven tournament.
Speaker 1:Do they still do two-a-days?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, Anywhere in football Probably, but not in the afternoon. Man, you got to do evening and morning.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's hot.
Speaker 2:It's hot, man, it's hot.
Speaker 1:Messed up with the music there, but we have a golf, we did have a golf major, so you might hear that again, right, Probably not, but any.
Speaker 2:You know, Good for Scotty Continues to roll.
Speaker 1:Boring old Scotty Right. You know it's not Meaningful to him To win.
Speaker 2:Right, he looks forward To his bowl of bran flakes in the morning, gets up, plays a little golf.
Speaker 1:There was no drama to that. He finishes similar to the way Tiger finished during his dominance, as in when he was in the lead. It's over, it's over, yeah, even if it's just one shot. If he's got a lead after 54, it's over. He wins his fourth major, one major away from the Grand Slam next year at the US Open Could have two guys get to that Grand Slam in a matter of two years, which would be crazy.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:One of the most rare things in the sport.
Speaker 2:Somebody comes along and makes it look easy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's just a matter of time. You know, I feel like you'll get it next year probably, but we're here to talk about yeah, that's golf Expectations. We're here to talk about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's golf Expectations. We're here to talk football, man. Four and a half weeks away, rosters are set.
Speaker 1:I guess Is there any chance, anybody else can be added.
Speaker 2:Nah, no, Nobody's. They're not taking anybody else. Man Gotta roll with who you got.
Speaker 1:Well, what do you got?
Speaker 2:That's a good question. You got a whole lot of what maybe kind of six-win dream guy. Six-win dream, I mean. I'm just just gonna start off by saying man, just don't even fool yourself into thinking there's a shot at winning the first game no shot.
Speaker 1:Huh, no shot, I disagree no, dude, it's it.
Speaker 2:No, no, just no, yeah. Why is that? A lot of reasons, but the biggest one being Alabama has a roster full of better football players. So there you go, yeah, you go up and down the roster. There's not a single position where you would give Florida State even a push. So that's why, where you would give, Florida State even a push Right.
Speaker 1:So that's why Florida State's got two new coordinators both sides of the ball coming in new schemes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, entirely new schemes.
Speaker 1:So the first team you're going to play is Alabama.
Speaker 2:Right, that's got a bad taste in their mouth because they've been hearing about how last season was a, you know, a disappointment, even though they won nine games. What? Nine games went to a bowl lost that. But you know it right. So they're going to come in pissed off big deal, whatever. Keep it close, you know, show some kind of life. Don't get anybody crucial to the meat of the season hurt and you just, you know, carry yourself into the rest of the season, man, get the next two wins should be wins and go from there. But yeah, people that are thinking, hey, you know what, if we shock the world, it's just not going to happen.
Speaker 1:No, you don't believe.
Speaker 2:So, huh, no, I don't, not for a single second.
Speaker 1:All right, well, so that you're not excited about the running game or the new defense.
Speaker 2:Well, you got to put it into perspective, man. Like you're starting off the first game with a team that is wildly more talented than we are, when you say that, I mean you're acting like al.
Speaker 1:It's not. I don't remember them being that great, but you're just talking about like recruiting wise high school ranks, just I'm talking about transfer portal has changed the game. You're going to see that across the board. You have a team in Florida State that is going to have basically a whole new offense. Well, yeah, they have to Nobody. So you don't know.
Speaker 2:Nobody knows what this offense is Well that's another thing is none of these guys have played a single football game together.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so to be optimistic, you would have to rely on that Right, stringing together to come together.
Speaker 2:So you've got to rely on an offensive line that hasn't played together to all gel and play as a cohesive unit, because those pass rushers on the other side for Alabama they've been there two, three years. These are guys that were evaluated out of high school by Nick Saban and his staff, not Kalen DeBoer. They've added some pieces there. I mean they got a kid. Domani Jackson top five pick in the secondary. You know, yeah, you know, yeah, you're talking about. Florida State may have maybe three reliable wide receivers right now that have any game experience whatsoever. Randy Pittman tight end transfer from UCF. He's going to be a player to watch throughout the season but again, game one Never having played together as a team against a team that the roster is still loaded over there well remember when we always had those right, norvell was not going to tell you who was playing.
Speaker 2:Now it's a rule right, they got to disclose who the injury report has to be. Yes, the ACC announced that you got to have your injury report midweek. It's a bullshit rule. And who cares? It's for gambling. Yeah, it's for gambling, but getting the Alabama game out of the way. I actually am excited about the run game.
Speaker 2:The improvement in it. You get Jalen Lucas back. You bring in a guy in Gavin Sawchuck. You bring in a freshman in Croma who has apparently and again they haven't really put the pads on or done any of that but he has been impressing everybody around Florida State as a true freshman. You got another true freshman in Boggs Javon Boggs Call him Wade, if you want Also been impressing the tight end room. Looks like it's going to have some talent there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean I'm excited for it and I know that you should lower your expectations, but when you got a quarterback talking that smack, yeah, I actually kind of like it right, what's he gonna? What do you got to lose?
Speaker 2:he's just trying to get guys pumped up, trying to put butts in seats. You know he wants. He wants to succeed here.
Speaker 1:It's been a dream of his that's what you want, that and you need to find some some magic in that locker room and find something in that offense, the unpredictability of it. Having not seen them together, I'm going to point out the coaching staff.
Speaker 2:There's going to be somebody during the season.
Speaker 1:Now, these players haven't been together, but these coaches have. Yeah, and that's what I'm going to rely on that these coaches, he went to his comfortable, that these coaches, he went to his comfortable spot with his coaches that he hired and they're going to be able to bring an offense that can adjust Right, adjust to what they're seeing and make in-game adjustments Right. Last year was one of the worst things I've ever seen in terms of just the same crap you can't do, because they weren't able to even do certain things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Last year. For me, the breakdown begins all up front with the offensive line.
Speaker 1:So right there you have a. You know, I know they're transfers, but they're grad transfers. You got a guy from Wake Forest playing center. He's a veteran. Oh, yeah, and then you got some big bodies from the SEC.
Speaker 2:You got Hanson, you got Pettybond, you got a couple guys from UCF.
Speaker 1:So if you can, block it up and let these guys go. I've seen Castellanos in the open field. He's dangerous. Yeah, he's gonna. There's gonna be a game where he gets somebody. Oh, yeah, at least one, you know there's going in a. Why not the first one? For I'm just saying why not? They got this really awesome renovated doe campbell stadium that they're unveiling a little stadium for ants. Let's take seats out, yeah. And randomly put new seats in in crazy areas.
Speaker 2:I just to me. Alabama is going to be the best team that they play all season. Oh, I know. In terms of just talent-wise up and down Now. Clemson's right there with them.
Speaker 1:Quarterback-wise and the fact that you're going on the road.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's one question If I was to rank them right now.
Speaker 1:I'd put Clemson ahead, but the fact that you got a question mark at quarterback for Alabama and a coach who still has to prove something.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:If you're just asking me to rank, you got clemson's, got a nfl guy.
Speaker 2:That's what I mean like I mean, he's been, he's, he's projected to play in the I know man, but he's gonna get drafted by somebody he's a good player. They gotta draft qb's.
Speaker 1:He's a good player, yeah, he's improved every year he has, and if and if you go off what you've seen, he's going to take a neck. If he takes that next step, he should be in contention for player of the year in the ACC.
Speaker 2:Right, right, he's probably the leader. Yeah Him, and Carson Beck's getting a lot of love. I think Clemson may have a better defense than Alabama, just with what they have returning and the experience that they have, that's my hope for the first game is is to have Florida state will have been playing for weeks. Once we go up to Clemson, they will have had time to put it out there on the field and you're not. You're not going to have that luxury with Alabama, Right.
Speaker 1:I just, I mean, mean, you have the. You could say the other way that I have time to scout it and know how to defend it, right.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, there's definitely an element of surprise yeah, so that's what that's.
Speaker 1:What I'm saying is, hopefully the cohesiveness from the coaches, we're able to put together a game plan against al. That, can you know.
Speaker 2:Keep them up and then put the pressure, put the pressure on a new quarterback in a hostile environment.
Speaker 1:Hopefully that, even though they took out the seats a hostile environment is better than last year. Cause that that was crap.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean you know it and we're. We've only talked about the offense. I mean you know it and we've only talked about the offense. I mean you get to Florida State's defense, it's the same thing, they're all. It's a new.
Speaker 1:D it's a new D. You got a couple guys back in the middle. That's what is important is yeah, you got some guys in the middle.
Speaker 2:The pass rush is a huge question mark. There's really nobody outside of James Williams that has done it. You know, jason Jenkins, the transfer from Tennessee is getting healthier. He's another wild card.
Speaker 1:What do you fear most about happening to the defense in the opener? Well, I think, like, is it the secondary getting thrown on, yeah, or is it just the front seven getting controlled?
Speaker 2:The secondary has struggled up to this point with grasping the concepts of the zone from Tony White.
Speaker 2:You know, Jeremiah Wilson, the transfer from Houston was a huge, huge pickup for them because that actually gives them a corner that has some experience playing in that scheme. I would look for Jabril Rawls to probably be the other corner there. You know a guy, quinn Darius Jones, I apparently he became pretty unplayable during the spring, struggling with the concepts that they're asking him to do. Safety is going to be a question mark. You know they got Edwin Joseph and Earl little. They really believe in. Earl Joseph has some talent. He's got to stay healthy, but after that Depth Right.
Speaker 2:And linebacker continues to be just an absolute question mark, and that's putting it nicely. So you have as many questions on defense as you do on offense in terms of just who you're going to be able to rely on, and that's what comes with implementing new schemes they're going to have to keep it simple for week one, so it just doesn't bode well, man at all. Probably they needed to be playing Texas A&M East Texas A&M. Week one would have been a little better.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I mean you can have just trying to win one game here. I mean I think you're right, I'm just hoping that it's not embarrassing.
Speaker 2:Right Show some fight. Keep a competitor going into the fourth quarter. I would be thrilled if we put up as bad as it was last year. Three scores.
Speaker 1:You got to see something. I mean, it was just two seasons ago that the team went undefeated Right, and then last year happened.
Speaker 2:Because everybody that was an impact player left.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all right, so you got to have something better. Six-win dream it's a six-win Dude. That would be amazing. I think you have to win something better. Six-win dream, it's a six-win.
Speaker 2:Dude, that would be amazing.
Speaker 1:I think you have to win six for your job.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, we can get into all that Financially.
Speaker 1:I don't think they're in a position to fire it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Again, lower those expectations, man. If you just treat Alabama as a fan, as like all right man, this is an exhibition game Right Week one has very little impact on the entire season going forward. You could win it 50 to nothing, pull off the biggest upset in college football history, and so what? You can still lose six games in conference. Nobody's going to want to hear that, though. Everybody's going to want to see the Knowles go out there and not going to happen. My hope is, by the time you get to Virginia, that you've started to see some identity from both sides of the football. You go on the road, you get your first ACC win. That's a huge jumping-off point.
Speaker 1:What about? We talked about a little bit of recruiting. Nothing really has changed since the last time.
Speaker 2:No, I mean, it is what it is, dude. You had some solid commits, though you did. You lost the running back from Mariana. Sounds like he's going to go to South Carolina.
Speaker 1:You're just going to have to show something on the field to keep these guys.
Speaker 2:Yeah, to keep a respect.
Speaker 1:You got to keep.
Speaker 2:I mean, I think they're ranked like 15th or something right now, and I guess that's. That's solid. That's about as good as you can Well yeah, and that's about as good as you're going to get with.
Speaker 1:Norvell. Well and so, but you have to solidify that by putting something way better and shows promise.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Well, the good thing is, I think, last year was a train wreck.
Speaker 2:There's no way they can be that bad. No, they're going to be better. Just because last year was the worst offense in the country in all of football, I don't. It's almost like if they tried to suck that bad again, they wouldn't be able to. Hopefully, jesus, I hope it can't get any worse.
Speaker 1:Oh, boy yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean it's not all doom and gloom. I mean you're going to win some games. You know the next two after Alabama should be easy wins and, like I said, you go on the road to Virginia, you win that first ACC game on the road. All of a sudden you're 3-1. It's not so bad, you're halfway there.
Speaker 1:What? Wow, there was a fourth major. All right, yeah, it was over in Royal Portrush and Scotty Scheffler, was that somewhere in Nebraska? No Ireland man.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 1:Wins it by four Over Harris English and Chris.
Speaker 2:Goddard up, and these are real names that you're saying.
Speaker 1:It wasn't really entertaining. Golf Scotty Sheffler's pretty boring to watch, but he's the best golfer, he's number one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, he is good. I prefer to see the drama. I like a lot of people in contention on a Sunday on a major. But Scotty Scheffler wins his fourth. He's one away from the Grand Slam, the US Open being the only one left, just like Phil Still out there. Philly, that's nuts. He's got six second place finishes 66 times. 66 times. He hasn't won the US Open, but we'll see if he can get it done. I say he gets it done soon, maybe next year.
Speaker 2:You're talking about Scott, not Phil. Yeah, this guy's a machine. Yeah, he really is consistently good.
Speaker 1:He doesn't really have a lot of star power. But you know it is a Ryder Cup year, so we'll talk some more golf as the Ryder Cup comes around right in the middle of football season. I know that I love it. It's my probably my favorite event in golf. Every two years it's a team event, team golf, yeah. So there you have it, folks. Your 2025 open champion is scotty scheffler. Your 2025 major championship season is complete over and we won't hear this music again until, maybe, the rider cup season, unless you push the wrong button there you go well.
Speaker 2:We had to go. Yeah, shuttle time we got to get on out of here.
Speaker 1:All right, dear, but before we go, did you see that Jimbo?
Speaker 2:Jimbo Going to be on ACC Network. He's going to be on ACC Network. We do do that now.
Speaker 1:We do, do that.
Speaker 2:We're good for him, man, he's looking good, slimmed down a little bit, got some guns on him. Him, man, he's looking good, slimmed down a little bit, got some guns on him. Now man, getting that good HGH.
Speaker 1:Yep, jimbo, back Analyzed, they're going to slow him down. Yeah, I know he's going to go crazy man, I think he's going to be good at it actually.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean he was good during the championship. You know he knows football. Yep, I think he's scouting for a new job in the ACC. Yeah, oh, riley. Oh no, get him up there in old.
Speaker 1:Wolfpack Central. I don't see why not Get him up there in old Wolfpack Central. I don't see why not. He looks good, he's got fire. Now he's back. He wants to get that competitive juices going. He can coach. Yeah, I don't think he's ever going to do it. Man, it's a change game man, Like guys like that, like that's kind of like the saving way kind of I can't make a difference. It's all about money.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's who's got the biggest pockets man Right and they're in Texas, yep or Ohio State. Yeah, even Ohio State ain't going to be able to keep tit for tat with Texas. Yeah, they went in, they got their title and they're going to pull back again, and Texas will be wildly spending year in, year out. Whatever, six wins, ladies and gentlemen, it could be achieved.
Speaker 1:Well, I hope so, I hope so. We got a month left. We'll go over the positions, the roster. Maybe we'll do a schedule wins and losses.
Speaker 2:Oh, there we go.
Speaker 1:We'll look at the NFL. We're going to do over-under before the season starts on every single team and see who has the most right at the end as we get ready for another NFL season in picks. So a lot to get to. Well, it's good to be back and we'll talk to you next time Right here on the North Florida Sports Network.
