The Confidential

The ACC Sports Blog

Archive for the category “FSU Correspondent”

08 Oct 2014
1 Comment

ACC Roundtable of the Confidential Correspondents: Week 6/7

Welcome to the ACC Roundtable of the ACC Correspondents!  Week 6 was noted for the number of upsets around college football, but the ACC was fairly stable.  As is and will be the plan for the remainder of the football season, the Confidential correspondents will discuss the Week that was (week 6) and the Week that will be (Week 7) for the ACC and their respective schools.  Special thanks to the Confidential contributors–Len (Louisville), David (Florida State), John (UNC), Matt (Syracuse), and Anthony (Syracuse/ACC)–for their comments and opinions.  Tell us what you think below.

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE FOR THE ACC IN WEEK 5?

David (FSU): Georgia Tech remaining undefeated, really thought they were going to get knocked off last week.

Len (Louisville): That there weren’t any big surprises. The way Clemson handled NC State.

John (UNC): For the second week in a row, my surprise is the play of NC State. A week after starting strong against a very good Florida State team, the Wolfpack came out flat against Clemson and got shut out. I was there the week before when North Carolina played the Tigers, and despite their poor play, even the Tar Heels managed to put up 35 points in a game that was never as close as it seemed. Perhaps his numbers were inflated by playing against mainly lower level teams, but I expected more from Wolfpack quarterback Jacoby Brissett (1399 yds, 13 tds, 1 int). If anything, the game was a testament to the play of Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson (1181 yds, 12 tds, 1 int) and the impact he’s made since he took over as the starter for the Tigers.

Matt (Syracuse): The ACC’s biggest surprise was the lack of upsets, or wtf games. Considering all of the major upsets that happened last week, the ACC’s outcomes were pretty routine by comparison. Florida State had a slow start against Wake Forest and Notre Dame had a nailbiter against Stanford, but in the end there were no surprises – and that was a pleasant surprise.

Anthony (Syr/ACC): The Georgia Tech win over Miami surprised me the most.  Al Golden seems like a good coach, but maybe he is just a good coach at a lower tier program.  Or maybe Georgia Tech is just better than we all thought.

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE/DISAPPOINTMENT FOR YOUR SCHOOL IN WEEK 5?

David (FSU): FSU’s biggest surprise has to be Lorenzo Featherston. He was a kid I thought for sure was destined to redshirt and instead he’s been arguably the most productive freshman of his class.

Len (Louisville): Its week 6 & the offence is still committing stupid penalties. Brandon Radcliff has emerged as the top RB the last few weeks. As inefficient as the offense has been all season the Cards are still 5-1.

John (UNC): My biggest disappointment is how Coach Larry Fedora continues to stick with the two quarterback system, despite the fact that Marquise Williams has outperformed Mitch Trubisky on every level. The choice is obvious when looking at the numbers (Williams- 1083 yds, 9 tds, 4 int vs. Trubisky- 237 yds, 2 tds, 3 int), even though they’re not directly comparable because of the disparity in playing time. Williams, with an average quarterback rating of 134.2, far outpaces Trubisky’s 94.9 rating in efficiency, and that’s just one area to look at, there are others. For whatever reason, Fedora keeps inserting Trubisky into the lineup on the third series of every game no matter what’s happening, and it’s severely inhibiting the potential of this team and interrupting Williams’ flow and development. I understand that Fedora may have promised Trubisky playing time, but as a coach you have to do what’s best for the team. If that’s letting Trubisky walk then that’s fine. If he’s not interested in what’s best for the team then I don’t want him with us anyway.

Matt (Syracuse): The biggest surprise with Syracuse this past week is obviously the demotion of Offensive Coordinator George McDonald and the promotion of Tim Lester to the OC position. This seems like a knee-jerk reaction by Scott Shafer to appease the fan base (and likely the AD and alumni) and is throwing McDonald under the bus to try and save his own hide. That is NOT #hardnosed, that’s gutless. The more I think about this move, the more disappointed I am in Shafer. The man needs to provide answers, not gimmicky moves and grasping at straws.

Anthony (Syr/ACC): The biggest surprise was Syracuse’s former offensive coordinator deciding to run a play from Syracuse’s own 1 yard line… involving a QB in a pistol/shotgun and a pitch to Syracuse’s powerful, but slow, running back for one of the easiest safeties ever seen.  It was said on Twitter… “What would have been a better call?  Anything.”   Cannot disagree at all.  That is not competent coordinating.  And it has not been all year.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN WEEK 6 FOR YOUR SCHOOL?

David (FSU):  Same as last week, take care of business. Syracuse is a rowdy environment but they are without their starting QB due to injury and are dealing with some turmoil.

Len (Louisville): If the Cards defense can stop Clemson & if Parker returns. If he does will he help jump start the offense. Will Gardner return at QB or will Petrino stay with the true freshman Bonnafon. The Cards got a commitment from a 2016 top 70 overall prospect out of Oklahoma, will he get a few friends to commit as well.

John (UNC): Not sure how to answer this one. I’ve gone from cautious optimism to realistic pessimism the past few games, and the match-up with #6 Notre Dame this weekend isn’t making it any easier to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m still interested, and I’ll never stop watching my team, but my expectations for this season have been lowered significantly due to the inconsistency of the Tar Heels on both sides of the ball. If I had to pick something, I’m interested to see how former UNC commit, longtime Tar Heel fan, and current Fighting Irish quarterback, Everett Golson, handles this game. Will he feel like he has more to prove to validate his decommitment? Or has the Irish’s record already done that for him?

Matt (Syracuse): Not much. This is basically going to be a scrimmage situation for Syracuse and Florida State. Hunt’s injury takes a lot of pressure off of the SU offense from having to do much of anything, and maybe the kids can just go out there and play and have fun. If SU is going to have a chance at this game, they will need their defense to put up another good game – force some turnovers and convert some turnovers to points. What won’t work against FSU is the lazy arm tackling, the attempts to strip the ball before engaging the ballcarrier, etc…

Anthony (Syr/ACC): Everything.  How will a new QB or two perform?  How badly will Florida State dominate?  What kind of calls will be made by a new offensive coordinator?  Will Scott Shafer go one step further and use a timeout during a timeout?  Will he punt from the Florida State 30 yard line?  Will Syracuse get to the Florida State 30-yard line?

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN WEEK 6 FOR THE ACC?

David (FSU): I’m biased, but looking for both FSU and ND to advance to set up a marquee top 5 match up for ACC schools for the second year in a row.

Len (Louisville): I will stick with the Cards & Clemson game here, how will they fare against a top ACC team? I’m also looking forward to seeing the GT vs Duke game & seeing how Miami does as they step out of conference against Cincy.

John (UNC): This is a tough weekend because I think under the right circumstances, Clemson, Louisville, Duke and Georgia Tech wins could see them all ranked next Sunday. Unfortunately though, these teams are all playing each other, with Clemson taking on the Cardinals in Death Valley, and the Blue Devils traveling to Atlanta to take on the Yellow Jackets, making it impossible. Personally, I would like to see Clemson and Georgia Tech assert their dominance because I think of the four, those two are the stronger teams with more postseason potential.

Matt (Syracuse): The game I’m most interested in is Duke vs. Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are 5-0 and have looked very impressive. Duke started off 4-0 but wasn’t challenged by their opponents until Miami knocked them off 2 weeks ago. I expect Coach Cut will have his team fired-up and ready to avenge that loss, will GaTech be ready for the challenge and be able to stay in the top-25?

Anthony (Syr/ACC): Can Florida State, Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech stay undefeated?  All of the sudden, Georgia Tech is a clear front runner in the Coastal.  If they are 11-1 or 12-0, that makes for a VERY interesting ACC Championship Game.

WHO ARE YOUR FOUR PLAYOFF TEAMS IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY?

David (FSU): Wow what a difference a week makes. I’m going to give two different ones. The teams I would pick if the playoffs started today, and the final 4 as I expect it to play out.

1) FSU                  1) FSU
2) Auburn              2) Auburn
3) Baylor                3) Oklahoma
4) Miss State         4) Georgia

Len (Louisville): 1 FSU, 2 Auburn, 3 ND & 4) Baylor.  Glad to see the rest of the country experience upsets this week, the ACC has had them both ways. My #4 is difficult, to keep from taking a team from Mississippi I put Baylor in there but I expect them to fall from that spot.

John (UNC): This past weekend really shook things up. I’m still sticking with Florida State, but it’s hard to count out Auburn and Notre Dame for the second and third slots. For my fourth choice, I’m going with Michigan State. It’s a crazy pick, and the Big Ten is awful this year, but you have to think that the committee is going to be extra careful about overrepresentation of one conference over another in the Playoff’s first season. Then again, we all know they want four SEC teams anyway…

Matt (Syracuse): Florida State, Notre Dame, Baylor, Mississippi St.

Anthony (Syr/ACC):Florida State, Auburn, TCU, and Michigan State.  The Oregon loss hurts the Spartans, but the idea that the W-W-NCAA would allow a 12-1 MSU to be left out is absurd.  If TCU loses this week, then Baylor is the front-runner for the spot.

What do you think?  How would you answer these questions?

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, ACC Roundtable, Football, FSU Correspondent, Louisville Correspondent, Opinion, Syracuse correspondent, UNC Correspondent and tagged , ,
06 Sep 2014

Five Star Friday

Who would have thought Citadel week down in Tallahassee would wind up being such a huge week for the Seminoles? The Seminoles, coming off a 37-31 win over the young but very talented Oklahoma State team are hitting what would be considered a lull in the schedule. Kick off is tonight at 7:30PM against the Citadel and the Noles are 55 point favorites. This week is followed up by a bye week before playing Clemson the following week, a game that has determined the ACC Atlantic winner the last 4 years. Coming into the year, this might have been a good stretch to double down on work and other responsibilities so you can concentrate your fandom during the remainder of the year, right? WRONG! FSU had arguably their biggest recruiting day ever, and not in the way you’ve probably come to expect. Not to mention two other major announcements on current players on the football team. Read more…

Posted by dshrimptoniv in Basketball, Football, FSU Correspondent and tagged , , ,
08 Apr 2014
2 Comments

All Things FSU & Beyond

Before I begin, I’d like to start off with a quick thank you to the Confidential for providing me this opportunity to write about FSU and the ACC as a whole. This is something I’ve been tempted to do for quite some time and finally jumped at the chance. While I looked over the Confidential, I could not help but notice that this blog was missing a particular garnet and gold tint that I’ve become so accustomed to in my years as an FSU and ACC fan.  I am hoping I can provide that for my fellow FSU fans and ACC friends alike.

My name is David Shrimpton, I am almost 26 years old and a proud Alumni of Florida State University. I graduated with both my Bachelors and Masters degrees from FSU in Sports Management. Most people told me it was great that I was going to get an advanced degree right away, but truthfully I just wanted (okay, maybe needed) one more football season. After all I couldn’t graduate before beating the Gators at least once as a student, it just wouldn’t be right.

I spent the previous 2 years as a sales associate for a professional sports team, which was a great and unique experience. However, I recently switched up career paths to a traveling job that provides me the opportunity to spend more time with both my girlfriend and family. I know that sounds like it doesn’t make sense, a traveling job while seeing a girlfriend and family more? Well…that’s what happens when you have a girlfriend in Michigan and family in Florida.

Ironically enough my 3 favorite schools growing up were FSU, Syracuse (Born in NY) and North Carolina (I mean, who didn’t love watching Vince Carter?). I guess I was destined to be a “Go ACC” guy from the get go. However there was always something pulling me closer and stronger toward the garnet and gold. I’ve never looked back since, even though I wouldn’t blame anyone after having gone through the Chris Rix and Drew Weatherford eras. Once I got to FSU in the fall of 2006 my passion grew deeper and I developed a love for the school that even my girlfriend grows concerned at times. Yeah… we’ve had a few “disputes” over my fanaticism, yup, I’m that guy.

My goal here is to spark some conversation on all things surrounding FSU and the ACC. With that said I wanted to give just a brief overview of the “big 3” sports at FSU and where they currently stand, how I feel on them.  This should help give the casual fan of FSU some basic knowledge or maybe provide some insight for a friendly rival here in the ACC.

Basketball:

I figure I’d start with the one sport that no longer has an active team, and the sport as a whole won’t be after tonight’s championship game. FSU had their bubble burst this year, narrowly missing the tournament as one of the dreaded “last four out”. The team was able to make a decent run to the NIT Final Four, including dropping a cool 100+ on Georgetown (Georgetown still sucks, right Cuse fans?). However the  run ended as they were ousted in overtime by the eventual champion Minnesota Gophers. Honestly though, it’s the NIT and who really gives a hoot about that? I care about the NIT as much as I do the PapaJohns.com Bowl in football. Anyway, the team has a lot to replace losing arguably their two most important players in Ian Miller and Okaro White. I plan to discuss the team more in-depth down the road, but look out for Aaron Thomas next year if you don’t already know the name. If you don’t, I promise you’ll know it next season. I still suspect FSU to fall in that “second tier” of teams of the ACC come next year, anywhere from the 5th-9th place.

Baseball:

I could start both this and football with the same sentence: #1. FSU is currently ranked first in 2 of the 4 polls, and not ranked lower than 3rd in any poll. The team is coming off a sweep of Notre Dame, helping keep that #1 ranking in tact. I recommend googling for the rain delay videos as the two teams jousted, yes jousted, during it among other games to entertain themselves. It is definitely worth it and a good laugh to say the least.

The offense is led by DJ Stewart and John Nogowski but the arms on this team are really where it’s at. Brandon Leibrant, Mike Compton & Luke Weaver are an awesome trio for any weekend match up. Not to mention in relief there is Gage “the stache” Smith and my personal man crush as my girlfriend says, Jameis Winston. I fully expect the Noles to make it to Omaha this year yet again, but will they finally win one for #11 Coach Mike Martin?

Football:

#1. The Seminoles are currently the reigning national champions and will be ranked #1 heading into next season. I’ve waited since 1999 to say that which feels like an eternity, so I’m going to say it every day I get a chance to. Admittedly this will probably be the team I cover the most, since I follow it the most passionately. The FSU Spring Game is actually happening this Saturday, and if you’re not in the Tallahassee I recommend kicking on ESPN3 to catch it.

The Noles have lost a lot to the draft once again this year, including some key departures who decided to forego their senior season. It will be interesting to see how FSU is able to replace these key players heading into 2014 and something I plan on covering. I will say though that I’m not going to doubt the man who replaced 11 NFL draftees last year and still led FSU to a perfect record and a championship. Then again, when you have a guy like Jameis Winston playing QB for you, it sure can make you look like you’re one hell of a coach. With that said I do love Coach Fisher and hope he’s at FSU for a long, long tenure. I love his approach to the game as a business and a process.

Well there you have it, sorry for the length but I wanted to at least provide a little bit of coverage on myself and those teams. For those looking to delve a little more in-depth with their FSU knowledge I highly recommend checking out Tomahawknation.com as it is free and jammed packed with information. If any of you are interested in having me write on a particular topic, have questions about FSU or myself in general don’t hesitate to ask! Also feel free to follow me on twitter @Shrimpton4 and reach me there. The more people engage, the better this is for me, especially since I’m new to this.

As always, Go Noles!

Posted by dshrimptoniv in ACC only, Baseball, Basketball, Football, FSU Correspondent and tagged , , , , , , ,
29 Aug 2013
1 Comment

Clemson and FSU will set Reputation of ACC for 2013

I can hear the comments now from the four letter network’s talking heads: “The ACC loses more BCS conference match ups….”  The presumption is that the ACC is a weak football conference if they lose lopsided match ups like unranked Virginia Tech vs. #1 Alabama.  I’m not convinced.  Conferences should not be judged by the performance of middle or bottom tier teams.  Would an Illinois victory over Kentucky indicate that the Big 10 is a better conference than the SEC?  No way.

The biggest game this weekend for the ACC is Clemson vs. Georgia.  As a matter of fact, it is the only game that really matters on the national front.

A Clemson victory would likely catapult them into the Top 5, put them in the national title conversation, and set up a nationally relevant game against Florida State on October 18th.  Florida State, the other ranked ACC team, has it’s own responsibility for carrying the ACC flag.  The Noles need to win their games against inferior competition and continue their presence near the Top 10 for a majority of the season.

How many years has it been since an ACC football team has been in the national title conversation in November?  It’s up to you Clemson and Florida State to buck the trend.

Non-Conference Schedule

How many non-conference ranked opponents will be played by conferences this year?

ACC:  11

Big 12: 2

Big 10: 4

Pac 12:  8

SEC:  who cares

Winston Debut

As Florida State finishes up preparations for the Pittsburgh Panthers, most fans are eagerly anticipating the debut of freshman QB Jameis Winston.  Winston has generated a significant amount of hype since his MVP winning Elite 11 camp in 2011.  The hype reached epic proportions after Winston’s spring game performance highlighted by a 58 yd strike against All-ACC conference corner Lamarcus Joyner.

Posted by wtnoleacc in ACC Network, ACC only, Bowls, Clemson correspondent, Conference News, ESPN, Football, FSU Correspondent, Game Review, News, Opinion, Predictions, Rankings, Recruiting, Schedule, Something Positive, This Day in ACC, Today in the ACC, Uncategorized, Weekend Preview, Weekly Updates
14 May 2013
2 Comments

Seminole Territory: ACC Meetings and Andrew Wiggins

The ACC ‘s annual meetings began in earnest yesterday and there are several topics of interest for Florida State fans:

1.  Bowl tie-ins for football:  We should learn the bowl lineup for the post BCS era this week.  Here’s hoping the addition of Notre Dame results in an appealing slate.  After the first day of meetings ESPN’s Brett Murphy has mentioned the potential for the Russell Athletic Bowl to host the #2 ACC team.  Most FSU fans would be disappointed with this result.

2. ACC Network:  Can the ACC really generate enough interest at ESPN to support another college oriented network?  If the answer is yes, then how much money will it bring to the conference?  FSU fans are anxious to fill the conference money gap as soon as possible.

3. Basketball Tournament Sites:  Will the ACC  consider a geographic rotation of sites for the ACC basketball tournament to better represent the geographic foot print of the conference?  Can the new ACC programs influence the other non Carolina schools to become less Carolina centric?  The selection of future sites for the ACC tournament could shed some light on the future direction of the conference.

Other potential topics of interest:

4. Geographic Division Alignment:  it’s time to make North and South divisions to create meaningful geographic rivalries.  Surely, FSU was able to work a deal “under the table” to enhance their ACC slate by adding Georgia Tech to their division in exchange for the Grant of Rights.  I can’t imagine the Seminoles signing themselves over for a 15 year commitment to the conference without some assurance of immediate benefit for the football program.

FSU fans are mostly tired of hearing about Swofford’s endless amount of promises for an improved revenue and an enhanced league.  It would be nice if the ACC could start to flex it’s muscle regarding the topics above so we can all sleep better at night.

Andrew Wiggins

The most disappointing part of Andrew Wiggins’ recruitment is also the most endearing.  He does not like the spotlight.  Unfortunately, there is no “inside information” available for fans to debate and dispute.  FSU fans are hoping for the best.  This could become the biggest day in the modern era of Florida State basketball.

Posted by wtnoleacc in ACC Network, ACC only, Basketball, Football, FSU Correspondent and tagged , , , ,
01 May 2013

Notes from Recent Preseason Polls

On Monday, I noticed two offseason polls of interest: the first one was a post Spring football poll for 2013 by ESPN’s  Mark Schlabach  and the second poll was for college basketball on CBS Sportsline.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each:

Football Top 25

ACC (3) 4. Louisville, 12. Clemson, 14. Florida State

Big 10 (5)

Big 12 (5)

SEC (6)

Pac 12 (4)

Notre Dame was ranked #10.

I’m excited about the GOR signed last week, but I’m embarrassed by the lack of solid football programs in the conference.  The potential is there-I’m speaking about Miami, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, NC State-for the ACC to consistently have at least five teams in the Top 25.

Basketball Top 26

On the other hand, the new ACC received a ton of respect in the Sportline Poll.  Four ACC teams were ranked in the Top 11 and seven were ranked overall.

ACC (7) Louisville, Duke, UNC, Syracuse in Top 11

BIG 10 (5)

BIG 12 (1)

Pac 12 (2)

SEC (3)

Florida State and Louisville were the only ACC schools to appear in both (football and basketball) polls.  FSU will certainly move up in basketball if Andrew Wiggins picks the Seminoles in the next two weeks.

Strength in Basketball Helpful for ACC Network?

Most media pundits have pointed to the direct correlation between football performance and television money.  However, few mention the fact that conference network money is driven by “quality” inventory beyond football.  I believe the number of solid basketball programs with diehard fan bases will make the ACC Network viable for ESPN and profitable for all of the teams that recently made a commitment to the conference.  How many people are going to be watching the SEC network? (FYI: I will not watch.)  All of the notable football games are covered by the national networks.  Are people going to watch Alabama vs. Vanderbilt in basketball?  Meanwhile, the Big 10 has a similar advantage to the ACC with several viable non-football programs to provide year round inventory and interest.

Posted by wtnoleacc in ACC Network, Basketball, Football, FSU Correspondent, Rankings, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , ,
28 Apr 2013
4 Comments

FSU Sets School Record – Tops for NFL Draft

This is my first post for ACC Confidential as the new contributor for the Seminoles of Florida State. I grew up in the middle of Big 10 country (Indiana), but fell in love with all things FSU during my first game at the Doak. Im looking forward to a turn around in ACC football and total domination during the basketball season.

Let’s begin…

Florida State had 11 former players drafted in this week’s NFL draft setting an all-time school record and leading all teams. 2012 Champion Alabama had 9 players drafted. The Noles got off to a fast start with three players drafted in the first round on Thursday evening and another two in the early portion of the second round accounting for 5 of the first 42 picks.

Seminoles drafted in the Top 42 picks:
EJ Manual QB 16th (Bills)
Bjoern Werner DE 24th (Colts)
Xavier Rhodes CB 25th (Vikings)
Tank Carradine DE 40th (49ers)
Menelik Wilson OT 42nd (Raiders)

Obviously the cupboard was filled with talent for the Noles last year.

Jimbo and Quarterback U?

With the selection of EJ Manual in the first round of the draft, Jimbo Fisher has solidified his reputation for developing quarterback talent. Fisher has now coached three recent quarterbacks that were drafted in the first round. In addition to Manual, Christian Ponder (2011) and JaMarcus Russell (2007)-from Fisher’s days in LSU-were drafted in the first round.

Posted by wtnoleacc in ACC only, Draft, Football, FSU Correspondent and tagged , , , , ,
18 Feb 2013
7 Comments

FSU News: The Monday Chop

Latest news on everything FSU

FSU holds junior day:  FSU is in the middle of two big recruiting weekends.  Jimbo got a commitment from Kamryn Pettway, who is a 220 pound junior running back.  It is clear Jimbo is trying to find the next Lonnie Pryor.  Pryor played an enormous role in Jimbo’s offense, even as a “fullback” so I don’t think it’s a hard job to sell.  Jimbo is also pursuing QB JJ Cosentino pretty hard.  JJ tore his ACL in his sophomore year, so he might be a little underrated.  He comes from the same school as Dan Marino and… Sal Suneri.  Sal’s impact on the coaching staff, just from a recruiting standpoint, has been immense.  On the other side of the ball, all he pretty much has to say is that he coached Julius Peppers.

Looking forward to spring:  There will be many position battles this spring–the most important being at quarterback.  The candidates are Clint Trickett (an undersized coach’s son who knows the playbook in-and-out), Jacob Coker (an underrated QB out of high school with all of the physical tools), and Jameis Winston (a two-sport star who was the top dual threat QB in 2012).  One thing I’m worried about is the fact that Jameis Winston is playing baseball and does a good deal of pitching.  Pitchers get all sorts of elbow and shoulder injuries.  Wear and tear aside, the effect this can have on his throwing motion is unknown.  Folks have cited to the fact that Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson both played, at a high level, football and baseball.  Yes, but neither Sanders nor Jackson played QB.  This will be a story line to watch going forward and count me in the Coker camp.  Less wear and tear, one more year in the system than Winston, and a sole focus on football.

The lack of news on FSU’s new offensive coordinator:  The last public bit of knowledge about FSU’s offensive coordinator position was that Jimbo would be interviewing candidates.  Last week, we heard of two candidates, the former UCLA OC Mike Johnson and the current USC WR coach Tee Martin.  No other candidates have surfaced.  This could mean a few things–Jimbo liked one of them and is working on a contract or Jimbo was upset that information was leaking and is trying to do things more covertly.  My preference is still Chris Weinke to come in and be the QB coach.  It’s a bit delusional to think Jimbo would defer coaching QBs to Weinke, but it would be in the best interest of the program.  It is one thing to bring in recruits and show them sealed lockers of FSU greats.  It is another thing to actually have one of those greats on the sideline and recruiting.  Chant Rant was the first to float this idea, so I will give them due credit, but this just seems like a no-brainer move.

In other news:  Mario Cristobal, the former FIU head coach and current (well, no longer current) UM offensive line coach, has accepted a position with Nick Saban as their offensive line coach.  A lateral move in title, sure, but a tremendous opportunity for Cristobal.  Cristobal was on the UM staff for all of two months.  He even helped court former FSU OC James Coley to UM.  This won’t likely have any real long-term effect on UM, but for FSU fans, it’s a bit of a consolation prize to see Cristobal up and leave.  Also, and quietly, UM has lost a considerable amount of coaches this off-season.

Speaking of coaching changes:  FSU almost lost another assistant.  This time around it was Lawrence Dawsey.  Noles247 reported that NFL teams have called Lawrence Dawsey.  I really can’t speak to Dawsey’s coaching prowess–to be honest, I have expected more out of some of the FSU WRs like Rodney Smith and Kelvin Benjamin.  Those two receivers have the ability to control a game just with their size.  We just never seem to utilize them the way they should be and maybe that’s just more of a reflection of Jimbo’s offense than Dawsey’s ability to coach them up.  I will say this, however:  Dawsey is a loyal Seminole.  It’s clear he wants to be at FSU and so I hope they repay him in kind.

FSU’s ACC Championship Game woes getting attention:  A few outlets have been picking up the FSU story about the half-a-million-dollars-in-debt that it incurred just for appearing in the ACC Championship game.  One outlet, NBC Sports, opines that the only loss in this setting should be on the field–not in the pocket book.  If you want examples of how the ACC is not helping football schools, this may be one of them.  The current formula is not working.  Sure, Swofford has said that they are working to ensure that no school suffers a financial loss because of its appearance in the game, but the ACC Championship games haven’t been relevant or exciting in a long time.  That indicates to me something has to change… granted, they’ve tinkered with the venue a few times, but is Charlotte really the best place?  I think it is too difficult to try and predict who will be in the championship game, so it’s not worth placing it in Charlotte or Jacksonville.  The right place should be at the stadium of the team with the better record, or a tie-breaker of some sort.  They can work out a 60/40 split and it may even be an added incentive for teams to push harder down the stretch.  The fact that FSU lost half a million dollars playing in this game is not going to help the ACC’s cause in trying to stick together.

My other hope for change is some divisional realignment.  FSU fans could care less about Pittsburgh–it is Georgia Tech that FSU should be playing every year.  It is one of the easiest things the ACC can do to help Florida State… a trip to Boston is more expensive and less exciting (on the field) than it is to Atlanta.  This is an ACC Blog, so I’m confident my colleagues will have varying opinions, but I like to stoke the fire some.

The only bright spot of the ACC Championship game, and winning it, is this awesome video about FSU going to the Orange Bowl.  Enjoy.

Posted by Duke in Conference Realignment, Football, FSU Correspondent, Opinion, Orange Bowl and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
16 Feb 2013
4 Comments

FSU: search for OC, recruiting, and ACC woes

fsu.renegade

News on the latest with FSU

Search for OC continues:  Ever since James Coley left, Jimbo Fisher has been operating with one less position coach.  Recently, it was rumored that former UCLA OC Mike Johnson was on campus for an interview.  Meanwhile, Tee Martin, current WRs coach at USC, was rumored to be also interviewing for the offensive coordinator position.  There haven’t been many leaks about who’s getting hired, so no one truly knows.  The big question will be whether the person named offensive coordinator is actually going to be the person who calls the plays someday.  Remember, Jimbo still calls the plays at FSU.  He admitted late last year that getting a real OC was part of his 5 year plan.  FSU currently has two former OCs as assistants (Randy Sanders, RB coach and Billy Napier, TE coach).  The wildcard here is that Jimbo promotes one of them to OC and hires an assistant with ties to the Miami area.

Early 2013 rankings:  FSU comes in at 16 according to Schlabach.  Here’s what Schabach had to say:

“The Seminoles underwent a complete facelift after finishing 12-2 last season. Coach Jimbo Fisher lost six assistants from his staff, including defensive coordinator Mark Stoops (Kentucky’s new coach) and offensive coordinator James Coley (same position at Miami). Fisher hired former Alabama assistant Jeremy Pruitt as his defensive coordinator and has yet to hire an offensive coordinator, although Fisher will probably continue to call FSU’s plays. Despite the staff overhaul, Fisher was able to bring in the country’s ninth-best recruiting class, which included No. 4 cornerback Jalen Ramsey, No. 5 defensive tackle DeMarcus Walker and No. 10 outside linebacker Matthew Thomas. The Seminoles will spend the spring looking for a new quarterback after losing EJ Manuel, who won four bowl games. They’ll also have to rebuild their defensive line, especially after star end Bjoern Werner left for the NFL draft.”

He’s spot on.  It’s a rebuild.  New coaches, new QB, new players on defense and new scheme.  Meanwhile, Clemson clocks in at 11.  It’s absolutely imperative for the ACC to have two top 20 teams.  At a minimum.

Recruiting:  This week, Rivals published its list of best recruiters.  Topping the list is Mike Groh at Alabama, but 2 FSU coaches made the list: Jeremy Pruitt and Odell Haggins.  The funny thing about Pruitt is that he was only on the staff for a month.  But he was able to pull a top 5 DE, CB and then brought in a few sleepers he evaluated himself.  Not bad work.  Odell, meanwhile, is the most underrated FSU coach has.  Looking around the ACC, Clemson’s Venables got props as a top recruiter, but so did Mike Locksley at Maryland.  Maryland absolutely killed it in this class…

Speaking of recruiting, Noles 247 released an article this week about the recruitment of Matthew Thomas.  I’m not sure what’s worse; that he said he would have gone to USC if his mom signed the LOI or that Denver Kirkland would have gone to FSU if Thomas told him he was going.

ACC Woes:  Warchant.com released an article this week about FSU’s major loss… to the tune of $478,000 for showing up to the ACC Championship Game.  How does this happen?  There’s only one answer in my book: hold conference championships at the “home” team’s field.  Obviously, come up with a revenue sharing strategy, but I know how the ACC could have sold 82,000 tickets and given both FSU and GT real money for having played in the ACC Championship Game.  It’s an easy fix.

A blurb on basketball:  I’ve been meaning to write about FSU’s squad this year.  Truth be told, they were green going into the year and then all hell broke loose with injuries.  It has been a tough year to watch.  They lost a battle against UM this week and took them to the wire.  Today, FSU plays BC today in Boston.  A win could go a long way to saving the season and building momentum.  Of course, while this season may be lost while we rebuild, next year will be great with Andrew Wiggins.

As always, please comment and Go Noles!

Posted by Duke in Football, FSU Correspondent, Rankings, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →