The Daily Nole

Fun Fact Friday: FSU Football Unranked in Preseason Coaches Poll for First Time Since 2008

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The preseason Amway Coaches Poll was released on Thursday and not surprisingly, Florida State was unranked.

Fresh off a 5-7 season, it marked the first time since 2008 that the Seminoles did not begin the season ranked in the Coaches Poll. It is worth noting however, that FSU did receive four total votes.

The Seminoles began last season ranked No. 19 in the poll under then first-year head coach Willie Taggart. That was the lowest that FSU had been ranked in the preseason Coaches Poll since 2010 — Jimbo Fisher’s first year as head coach — when it started 20th.

The 2019 season will mark the first season that Florida State begins unranked in the Coaches Poll since 2008. Prior to that, FSU had not been unranked in the preseason poll since 1984.

If one is looking for good news, it’s that FSU did improve from the previous year the last time it started unranked in the Coaches Poll. In 2008, FSU was coming off back-to-back 7-6 seasons.

That year, Florida State wound up going 9-4 and capping the year with a 42-13 thrashing of Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl. The Seminoles finished the year ranked 23rd in the Coaches Poll for its first ranked finish since 2005. The nine wins was the most since 2004.

FSU enters the 2019 season having gone a combined 12-13 over the last two seasons. For the first time in a long time, preseason expectations for the Seminoles are relatively low.

On the schedule for FSU are three ranked teams in the preseason poll, headlined by reigning national champion Clemson. Rival Florida will begin the year ranked eighth; Syracuse will start ranked No. 23.

The Seminoles open the year in Jacksonville on Aug. 31 against Boise State. The Broncos are coming off a 10-win season, but will begin the year unranked in the Coaches Poll. Among unranked teams, only Nebraska received more preseason votes than Boise State.

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.