2-a-Days: FIU and Florida State

Florida International Golden Panthers



It wasn't that long ago that Florida International didn't struggle so badly. In 2005, they did go 5-6, let's not forget. Then the program hit rock bottom. Don Strock was fired, Mario Cristobal stepped in, and the results just weren't there, nor were they expected to be. The Golden Panther program may not be "on the cusp", but Mario Cristobal might be taking this thing in the right direction.


THE OFFENSE: This offensive team has the potential to have one of the biggest turnarounds of the year. The new offensive coordinator Bill Legg comes in from Purdue and should create this into a living, breathing offense. He'll be focused on implementing the spread offense and Paul McCall is said to be thriving in it. At least in practice, I guess we won't know how that translates onto the football field in a real game. But, that is good news and the Golden Panthers have a rushing duo that should help move the chains a little more than FIU did last year. A'Mod Ned is probably the star of the program and Julian Reames is a pretty good running back as well. At WR, Jeremy Dickens had a good spring and should enter the season as the number one receiver. Marquis Rolle also impressed this spring and he'll have a good year. At TE, Eric Kirchenberg comes in as a transfer from Miami (ironic, I know). When healthy, he could develop into a good target to compliment the other wideouts. The spread offense might create some more time for Paul McCall or Wayne Younger, but both QBs had trouble standing upright in the pocket last year. Andy Leavine is a really good lineman, but the other positions are trouble spots. Brad Serini is a solid, steady guy at C, too.


THE DEFENSE: The defense was the calling card for FIU in 2005 and the early stages of 2006, but it fell apart early and often in Cristobal's first season. The run defense gave up 200+ per game and wasn't in any shape to stop anybody. Curtis Bryant should step in right away and contribute, although he may not start from the get-go. FIU is a little thin on the line right now with some guys not doing so hot, so to speak. Jarvis Penerton is the closest thing to a sure-thing for the defensive line, but expect there to be a rotation of guys to find the right mixture. The LBs are small, but they are athletic enough to get the job done. Scott Bryant is the leader of the linebackers and he'll probably finish the year on the All-Sun Belt short list. Anthony Gaitor struggled at corner at different moments, but he was only a freshman and we all know what that one season starting can do for a player. He should mature enough to be a rock-solid CB for the Golden Panther defense. Ashlyn Parker was supposed to be the flashy WR last year, but he was transitioned to play safety last year and did a tremendous job for a first-time guy. He'll do better in 2008 with a year of experience. Jeremiah Weatherspoon is the kind of difference-maker that the FIU defense was missing last season and now that he's back, expect there to be an improvement in pass defense.


THE SCHEDULE:

Aug. 30 at Kansas
Sept. 6 at Iowa
Sept. 20 South Florida
Sept. 27 at Toledo
Oct. 4 at North Texas
Oct. 11 Middle Tennessee
Oct. 18 at Troy
Nov. 1 at UL Lafayette
Nov. 8 Arkansas State
Nov. 22 at Florida Atlantic
Nov. 29 UL Monroe
Dec. 6 Western Kentucky

FIU probably will struggle with this schedule early on. As is par for the program, the non-conference slate is brutal with games against Kansas, Iowa, USF, and Toledo. There are brighter skies ahead as Sun Belt play opens up. The good news is that Middle Tennessee, Arkansas State, UL Monroe, and Western Kentucky all have to come to FIU which is a good thing considering those might become less likely victories on the road. You have to like FIU's chances of pulling off some of those.

Don't Even Think About It: @ Kansas, @ Iowa, USF, @ Toledo, @ Troy, @ FAU
Ehhhhh.....Maybe....: @ North Texas, MTSU, @ ULL, Arkansas State, UL Monroe
Good/Probable Shot At It: Western Kentucky


THE OUTLOOK: FIU will win......Oh, say.....three games. A three win season in the Sun Belt will be a major step forward in legitimizing their program. Unfortunately, FIU has become the standard bearer for failure and the laughing stock of college football now that Buffalo and Temple have had tastes of mediocrity. Look for FIU to be more competitive and get some upsets in conference play. Even though they've been 1-23 over the last two seasons, they've come oh so close a number of times. I think the biggest difference between this FIU team and the one last year is the change in offensive scheme. It won't become West Virginia overnight, but look for it to be in the high 70's-ish range in the national rankings for total offense.


BOWL GAME?: Nope.








Florida State Seminoles



Can Florida State return to the Days of Glory? It seems that every year we hear that now. 2006 was supposed to be the year. Then 2007. Now 2008. Will Bobby Bowden lead his team to the pinnacle of the ACC or is another Music City Bowl in store?


THE OFFENSE: It all starts with Drew Weatherford. As he goes, so does the offense. He ranked 82nd in passing efficiency and that has sort of been a microcosm of his entire career: mediocre. He has never been able to make better decisions and always screws his team over. But now, after three years starting, can he be the difference maker people expected him to since 2005? He might not get a chance to. Christian Ponder might see some time considering he's the future of Florida State football (or E.J. Manuel). Antone Smith is a grinder and a RB that doesn't get a whole lot of attention. He was trying to work his hardest behind a reconstructing offensive line last year and didn't get a ton of recognition for it. Not to mention the ACC is all about run defense. The running game was 91st, so that needs to improve. Greg Carr hasn't lived up to the hype, but there is still hope for the huge WR. He'll almost certainly get drafted because of his measurables, but Jimbo Fisher needs a big year from him. Preston Parker is back which is good news (if he gets his off-field stuff taken care of), but DeCody Fagg will be gone and he had a sizeable chunk of the receiving yards last year. Taiwan Easterling will do a great job now that there's an open spot on the depth chart; he was a much heralded recruit when FSU snagged him up. The offensive line is going to be kind of young, but I trust that after one year, offensive line coach Jim Trickett will have this thing running smoothly.


THE DEFENSE: There's a bit of turnover on this side of the ball, not to mention the depth issues with some of the suspensions lingering into the 2008 season. But Derek Nicholson and Dekoda Watson will still be there as the anchors of the defense even if Geno Hayes left for the NFL draft. Which is a shame because they could have contributed to what could have been the best LB corps in the nation this side of USC. Markus White is coming in from junior college and should have an impact immediately. Myron Rolle is ready to have a good season at safety and should play as one of the better ones in the country. The secondary has to step it up after getting torched which is not very typical of a Seminole defense. Patrick Robinson and Tony Carter have to have good seasons in order for there to be a turnaround.


THE SCHEDULE:

Sept. 06 Western Carolina
Sept. 13 Chattanooga
Sept. 20 Wake Forest
Sept. 27 Colorado
Oct. 04 at Miami
Oct. 16 at North Carolina State
Oct. 25 Virginia Tech
Nov. 01 at Georgia Tech
Nov. 08 Clemson
Nov. 15 Boston College
Nov. 22 at Maryland
Nov. 29 Florida

Florida State happens to be one of four ACC teams double-dipping into the FCS (if you count Western Kentucky for Virginia Tech). The suspensions won't really hurt Florida State for those two games as they should act as depth-builders for the backups who are attempting to fill in for those suspended. The ACC schedule isn't bad, but they do have to go at Miami and Georgia Tech. The good news is they face Virginia Tech and Clemson at home. The season, as usual, closes out with Florida at Doak Campbell.

Don't Even Think About It:
Ehhhhh.....Maybe....: Virginia Tech, Clemson, Florida
Good/Probable Shot At It: WCU, UTC, Wake Forest, Colorado, @ Miami, @ NC State, @ Georgia Tech, Boston College, @ Maryland


THE OUTLOOK: Florida State has the potential to be one of the best teams in the conference. Look for a tie for third place? About that. The offensive line's youth could be an issue, but five wins in an improving ACC wouldn't be the end of the world. Florida State has the talent and the coaching staff in place to make this work and get to a New Year's Bowl (that includes the Peach Bowl since that's basically the caliber of a New Year's game). It all hinges on whether or not Drew Weatherford can make the right plays at the right time. Now that he's a senior, look for him not to devastate the offense like he had numerous times before.


BOWL GAME?: Gator Bowl