As the 2017 nears, limitless expectations are again the case for Florida State. The Seminoles’ strong finish to 2016 has many expecting the team to begin the year ranked in the top 5 and perhaps as high as No. 1.
FSU’s reputation as a football powerhouse is no secret and with many returning starters, the sky is again the limit. While Florida State is looking to enhance its already strong legacy, there are many streaks it looks to simultaneously keep intact.
Here are some of the more notable ones:
Four Straight Wins Over Florida
Last November’s 31-13 victory marked Florida State’s fourth straight win over its rivals from Gainesville. That equals the longest FSU win streak in the series, previously done from 1977-80. The Seminoles will try to beat Florida for a record fifth straight time when the teams meet in Gainesville on Nov. 25. FSU has won three straight at “The Swamp” and has taken a shutout into the fourth quarter each time.
Five Straight Wins
After a 5-3 start, Florida State closed the 2016 campaign on a 5-game winning streak, capped with a 33-32 win over Michigan in the Orange Bowl. The most notable is of course the 29-game winning streak from 2012-14, but the five straight wins ties for the fourth longest streak under head coach Jimbo Fisher.
Five Straight Major Bowl Appearances
Florida State’s trip to the Orange Bowl to close 2016 marked the fifth straight time that the Seminoles played in either a BCS or New Year’s Six Bowl. The last time FSU failed to do so was 2011 when it defeated Notre Dame 18-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl.
Five Straight 10-Win Seasons
FSU’s 33-32 win over Michigan not only kept its streak of major bowl appearances alive, but it also extended its streak of 10-win seasons to five. The last and only time under Fisher that the Seminoles failed to notch double-digit victories was 2011 when they finished 9-4.
Seven Straight Wins Over Miami
Although the last three wins have come by just a combined 10 points, Florida State has won seven straight over rival Miami. The Seminoles used a blocked extra point by DeMarcus Walker in the game’s final two minutes last season to preserve a 20-19 win — their sixth straight in South Florida. The teams will meet in the ACC opener this year in Tallahassee on Sept. 16. The last Miami win in the series came there on Labor Day in 2009. That’s also the last time FSU has lost a season-opener.
Seven Straight Top-25 Finishes
Florida State hasn’t finished outside the final polls since 2009 — the final year under head coach Bobby Bowden. The hot finish to 2016 resulted in a No. 8 national finish in the AP Poll. The lowest FSU has finished in the AP Poll under Fisher was 23rd back in 2011. The highest was No. 1 during the national championship season of 2013.
35 Straight Bowl Appearances
Although Florida State was forced to vacate the 2006 Emerald Bowl victory over UCLA, the Seminoles have appeared in a bowl game in each of the last 35 seasons. Although, it’s not recognized currently by the NCAA, that’s 11 years longer than the next closest team, Virginia Tech. The last time FSU failed to play in a bowl game was 1981.
40 Straight Winning Seasons
Disregarding the vacated wins from 2006 and 2007, Florida State has won more games than it has lost in every season for the past four decades. There were a few close calls with 7-6 finishes in 2006, 2007 and 2009 as well as a 6-5 finish in 1981. The Seminoles however, haven’t suffered a losing season since 1976. That was legendary head coach Bobby Bowden’s first year in Tallahassee as the team closed the year with a record of 5-6.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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