The Daily Nole

Your Thoughts Thursday: FSU Football Will Win 8 or 9 Games in 2019

Jeremy Esbrandt/D'Vel Photography/FSU athletics

Less than a month now separates us from the start of Florida State’s 2019 season.

The Seminoles under second-year head coach Willie Taggart will look to bounce back from a 5-7 season in 2018 — the worst for the program since 1975. FSU also failed to make a bowl for the first time since 1981.

This week, we asked our social media followers how many games FSU would win on the gridiron this coming season. There were 146 total responses.

Nearly three-quarters of our respondents said the Seminoles will win either eight or nine games this season. 15 percent project between six and seven wins. 10 percent expect FSU to have a 10-win season. 2 percent said FSU will not improve from last season’s 5-win campaign.

Our Take
We’re again going with our followers on this one.

Despite a disappointing campaign last season, I think an 8-4 regular season is in the works for the Seminoles with the possibility of a bowl victory to get to nine wins. Getting to nine wins would be the biggest single-season improvement for FSU since it went from seven wins in 1986 to 11 in 1987. In 2012, the Seminoles improved their win total by three, going from nine wins in 2011 to 12 in 2012.

Winning at Clemson or Florida seems like a tall task for FSU, but aside from that, it should have a pretty good chance in all other games. The Seminoles open in Jacksonville against a Boise State team that won 10 games last season, but lost its best two offensive players.

Aside from those three, the Seminoles should be heavy favorites in home games against Louisiana-Monroe, Louisville and Alabama State. Contests in Tallahassee against NC State, Syracuse and Miami are all winnable as are road contests at Virginia, Wake Forest and Boston College. It’s reasonable to believe that Florida State could go 4-2 in those games and beat the Broncos in a game much closer to Tallahassee than the blue turf of Boise.

If that happens, FSU would find itself at 8-4 and in line for a decent bowl game. ACC teams to finish the regular season 8-4 over the last three seasons have wound up in the Sun, TaxSlayer, Camping World and Pinstripe Bowls.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson. Like The Daily Nole on Facebook. To pitch an idea, author a post or to learn more about The Daily Nole, email Mike Ferguson at Mike@TheDailyNole.com.

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