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Archive for the tag “seminoles”

15 Jun 2015
12 Comments

The Football Over-Unders for 2015: Florida State

This article is the first in a series of articles in which the Confidential opines regarding the over/under for football wins in 2015.  We’ll take a cursory look at the schedule and determine what we think is the point where folks will struggle to select “over” or “under.”  We hope people will share their comments as to “why” they are going over/under.  If you disagree with our over/under choice, of course, feel free to let us know too.  The first team up: Florida State.  We are going with an over/under of 10.5 regular season wins.

  1. September 5 vs. Texas State
  2. September 12 vs. South Florida
  3. September 18 @ Boston College
  4. October 3 @ Wake Forest
  5. October 10 vs. Miami
  6. October 17 vs. Louisville
  7. October 24 @ Georgia Tech
  8. October 31 vs. Syracuse
  9. November 7 @ Clemson
  10. November 14 vs. NC State
  11. November 21 vs. Chattanooga
  12. November 28 @ Florida

Summary: Florida State is hard this year.  This team could go 12-0 and nobody would be shocked. However, after losing Winston and a second-straight set of studs to the NFL, the Seminoles are bound to take a step back.  Whether that is a step back to 11 wins or 8 wins is anybody’s guess.  Look, Wake Forest upset them a few years back.  Boston College has played them tough recently.  Syracuse and North Carolina State hung on for way too long last year.  With road games at Clemson, Georgia Tech, and Florida–as well as tough home games against Miami and Louisville, the Confidential sees one or two losses.  And if that is a rebuilding year, then Jimbo Fisher is doing a great job in Tallahassee.  The Confidential goes with an over/under of 10.5 for the Seminoles.

What do you think?  Over or under?  Let us know.

 

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Over/Under, Poll, Predictions and tagged , , , , , , ,
01 May 2015
6 Comments

The Confidential’s All-Time Florida State Team

Suppose you had to play one game… for all the marbles… and you could use your time machine (or TARDIS) to put together a team of 12 players at their peaks.  Who would you pick?  Well, the Confidential does not know who YOU would pick.  But here is who the Confidential would pick for Florida State:

Read more…

Posted by acaffrey in All-Time Teams, Basketball, Opinion and tagged , , , , ,
23 Oct 2014

Garnet and Gold Colored Glasses… Or Not

I just wanted to introduce myself.  My name is Brian, and I will be contributing to The Confidential.  Bare with me, as I am no writer, but I will try to give a perspective from the point of view of a fan of the Garnet and Gold (FSU colors) on: the ACC, Seminoles, and College Football in general.  I have been a fan since the 90’s, and eventually graduated from the school as an undergrad some time later. I am sure my fandom will cloud my point of view on many things, but I do pride myself on seeing both sides of things; obviously with what is going on with FSU in the news today it is a constant struggle in this regard.  Anyway, let’s not get too serious right now, and I will highlight some of the things I hope to cover in the near future.

I am putting together a somewhat lengthy take on rivalries, and how they form.  I figure with Louisville joining the ACC, and the recent additions of other schools, it might be interesting to hear what a Seminole has to say on the matter.  I will discuss who are FSU rivals and why they are rivals, and outline some “rules” to a rivalry.  It is rather long at the moment, so I may spread it over a few posts over the course of a week or more focusing on one “rule for a good rivalry” every post.  Obviously the rules will be littered with colorful stories about Seminole and ACC past.

I also hope to discuss other matters like how Seminoles view its place in the ACC.  In addition, I will give my view on FSU’s and its fan-base in a very comical sense. Essentially, I will discuss some of the more bizarre stories and traditions at FSU, good and bad (I still do not get the glitter guys… just saying, they must find glitter in places that should not have foreign substance, for weeks).  I will also address future topics as they come forward, although I may hold off on some for a time so I do not let emotions skew my commentary (trust me Irish, you do not want to hear my take on last weekends game right now… Good Call!)

I will close with some brief comments to give you an idea of my fandom, so you know where I am coming from.  I once did not speak to a relative who was a fan of another rival school for months due to words exchanged during the game (yeah not proud of that one… long time ago though… now we argue about politics, so yeah we do not talk much).  I think Bobby Bowden should be on the Play-Off Committee, and I do not trust all those SEC/BIG/Pac 12/Big 12 connected folks… the ACC needs more than one major connection to a committee member.   I consider the fact that all of these networks striking deals with conferences has an appearance of impropriety which skews the reliability of their coverage and analysis against the perception of unbiased coverage; in other words, just because ESPN might one day try and tell me the SEC might arguably have the 4 best teams that should be in the playoff does not mean I will buy it.  FSU’s tradition of the flaming spear is the best in the ACC.  My idea of purgatory is being forced to watch an FSU kicker line up for a game winning field goal in the city of Miami over and over and over.  My idea of heaven is being allowed to watch highlights of Deion, Brooks, Ward, Weinke, Bolden, Warrick, Winston, Greene, and other greats play football over and over again without a Gator fan uttering the word Tebow in my presence.

Posted by brianfsu9 in ACC only, FSU Correspondent and tagged , , ,
20 Jun 2014

New Florida State Seminoles Page

The Confidential is going to create a quick summary page for each ACC school, with important links.  Today’s is Florida State.  It may be found here.

If you have a Florida State blog and would like to have reciprocal links, send us a direct message on Twitter or comment on this page.

 

Posted by dshrimptoniv in ACC only and tagged , , , ,
28 May 2014
1 Comment

Florida State Football: The Over/Under

This article is the next in a series of articles in which the Confidential selects the over/under for football wins in 2014.  We’ll take a cursory look at the schedule and determine what we think is the point where folks will struggle to select “over” or “under.”  We hope people will share their comments as to “why” they are going over/under.  If you disagree with our over/under choice, of course, feel free to let us know too.  The last team up: Florida State.  We are going with an over/under of 11.5. Read more…

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Over/Under, Poll, Predictions 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 , , , , , , ,
04 Sep 2013
2 Comments

The ACC School Mount Rushmores: Florida State

Continuing with our Mount Rushmores… the last school left… Florida State.  Look, we all watched the game Monday.  Obviously, we are going to have Jameis Winston on the Florida State Mount Rushmore.  See who joins him…

Read more…

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Mount Rushmore, Opinion and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
15 Apr 2013
1 Comment

Florida State Seminole Spring Football News

The Florida State Seminoles kicked off the 2013 football season on Saturday with its annual Spring Scrimmage.  And the news was all about Jameis Winston.

ESPN was essentially gushing over Winston, the favorite to be the Seminoles quarterback this fall.  Consider these quotes:

Jameis Winston had already reached cult status before he arrived at Florida State, but for the past year, the legend has been glimpsed only from afar, burnished by tall tales from secondhand sources and, of course, the occasional YouTube video of the highly touted quarterback chucking footballs over fraternity houses.

But Saturday’s spring game at Florida State was different. The legend took the stage in front of fans for the first time, and Winston didn’t disappoint.

On his first play from scrimmage — just a few seconds into the second quarter — Winston found walk-on receiver David Tyrell for a 58-yard touchdown pass, the first of three scoring drives he’d lead the No. 1 offense on in the game. It was a show-stopping debut on the big stage and also an emphatic exclamation point on a spring that vaunted the redshirt freshman to the forefront of FSU’s quarterback competition.

Yes, Florida State fans, you’ve got yourselves the quarterback for the future in Winston

This is not to say that the defense was unremarkable.  Although the Seminoles were not giving the opposition anything useful to scout, and were not showcasing blitz packages, the defense still looked pretty good.

And, if you think about it, this is a transition season for the Seminoles.  Just take a look at all the coaches who left for promotions in the offseason, courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel:

Mark Stoops, former defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach.  New job: Head coach at Kentucky

D.J. Eliot, defensive ends coach.  New job: Defensive coordinator at Kentucky

Eddie Gran, running backs/special teams coordinator.   New job: Offensive coordinator at Cincinnati

Greg Hudson, linebackers coach.  New job: Defensive coordinator at PurdueDameyune Craig, quarterbacks coach.   New job: Co-offensive coordinator/receivers at Auburn

James Coley, offensive coordinator/tight ends.  New job: Offensive coordinator at Miami

That’s a lot of coaches walking out the door.  So the new coaches at Florida State are just getting to know each other.  Most importantly, one has to think that there will be a lot of new wrinkles.  It will not be the same old, same old for Florida State.  For Seminoles fans, the hope is that the new blood will build off of last year’s return to the top.

Editor’s Note:  We are still looking for someone to be the Florida State correspondent for The Confidential.  See here for more information.  A good opportunity for a Florida State fan to keep the Seminoles on top of news, while also letting fans of other ACC schools get a glimpse of what’s going on. 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
05 Feb 2013

The Denver Kirkland saga (and why the recruiting game is so difficult)

Think back to when you were 17 or 18 years old.  Like me, I’m sure you had no clue where your life was headed.  Now, magnify the stakes.  High school football players are thinking years ahead and their chances of getting into the NFL.  Millions of dollars are potentially on the line.  Indecision sets in.  Every school you visit has solid coaches, tradition, and facilities.  Some offer immediate playing time.  Maybe your family roots for the home-town school, but you have your eyes set on a school hours away.  Making this decision is hard enough.

Apparently, four star Denver Kirkland was taking too long to decide.  On Thursday, rumors began spreading and confusion was rampant.  The move seems almost inconceivable.  You recruit a player for over a year.  He’s a 4-star offensive lineman, the teammate of a recruit you are coveting, and from one of the most powerful high school programs in a state rich with talent (Booker T. Washington High School).  But it happened.  On January 31st, Al Golden and the Miami Hurricanes pulled his scholarship because he wasn’t ready to commit.  Pundits and recruiting analysts were split.  Some couldn’t believe you’d pull an offer for a kid you just spent so much time recruiting.  Others side with the school, noting that you have only so many scholarships and you can’t run the risk of not filling your needs.  In this case, Miami is desperate for defensive lineman.  However, the repercussions and shock-waves set in quickly.  Kirkland’s coach, Ice Harris, took to twitter to blast the school.  He went on the radio the next day to criticize how Al Golden and UM handled the situation.  Miami may have just burnt a crucial bridge and recruiting pipeline.

The Denver Kirkland saga unfolding in Miami is a text-book example of the crazy, zany world of recruiting.  On various message boards, rumors (read: unsubstantiated and nothing publicly reported on) have spread that UM invited Denver Kirkland and his family on campus to talk things over.  If you believe the rumor, UM re-offered Denver Kirkland and the recruiting bridge has not been burned.  The Miami Herald reported on February 2nd that Kirkland said “thanks, but no thanks.”  We really won’t know for sure until Wednesday.  Was it a misunderstanding?  How did UM find a new scholarship for Kirkland after it didn’t exist on Thursday?  What could you possibly say to smooth things over?  One thing is obvious: whoever gets Kirkland is getting a talent.  I think he always wanted to be a Cane, but his trust may have been too damaged to reconcile.  I think he signs at 9:20 AM on Wednesday donning the Florida State hat.  The combination of Ira Denson and Denver Kirkland may just be the answer to the Seminoles woes at offensive line.  Chop em.


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Posted by Duke in ACC only, FSU Correspondent, Predictions, Rankings, Recruiting and tagged , , , , , , , ,

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