FSU football: Seminoles exceeded expectations in 2023, despite snub
Preseason predictions are fun for sites and networks to garner traffic before the start of the season.
However, rarely do a lot of those authors who make the predictions take a look back at how they fared during the season on their predictions.
Coming off a Cheez-It Bowl victory in 2022, Mike Norvell and Florida State football had an arrow pointing directly up for the 2023 season and year 4 under Norvell.
The Seminoles did not disappoint, posting an undefeated 13-0 record, winning the ACC Championship for the first time since 2014 and earning a spot in a New Year's Six Bowl game.
Some of the success of the team was lost in a College Football Playoff snub,subsequent bowl opt outs and then a drubbing to Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Dec. 30.
The Seminoles finished tied for sixth with Oregon (12-2) in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll released Tuesday.
Still, FSU had a great 2023 season.
Now, it’s time to hold myself accountable.
My wide-ranging preseason predictions were published a week before FSU’s impressive and dominating season-opening victory over LSU.
Some of them were right. Some of them were wrong. And some of them were really right and really wrong.
Here’s a closer look at those predictions.
Game-by-game/ACC predictions
• What I got right: Wins over LSU, Southern Miss, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Duke, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Miami, North Alabama Florida and ACC Championship.
• What I got wrong: Loss to Clemson.
• Best prediction: FSU wins the ACC Championship for the first time since 2014.
Analysis: I did not have the opponent right for FSU in the ACC Championship, as Louisville squared off against the Seminoles instead of my predicted regular season champs in Clemson. Nonetheless, this was a win. The final score does not indicate how dominant FSU was in this one, picking up its ninth double-digit victory.
• Worst prediction: Win at Clemson.
Analysis: The Seminoles had not won at Death Valley since 2013, with the Tigers winning seven straight matchups against FSU. Sure, Clemson looked like they would have a down year on paper, but I was in the camp of "I'll believe it when I see it" when it comes to upending the reigning ACC Champs. FSU went into Clemson and came away with an overtime victory, led by a great individual play from linebacker Kalen DeLoach to change the momentum of the game.
The Tigers did not win the ACC, as I predicted, instead slipping to sixth in the conference. FSU won the regular season with an undefeated record and then defeated Louisville to win the ACC.
Specific FSU predictions
• What I got right:Offensive MVP (QB Jordan Travis), tackles leader (LB Tatum Bethune) and rushing yards leader (RB Trey Benson)
• What I got wrong:Defensive MVP (DE Jared Verse), best freshman (DB Conrad Hussey), receiving yards leader (WR Keon Coleman), sacks leader (Verse), the most improved player on offense (WR Ja'Khi Douglas) and most improved player on defense (DB Jarrian Jones)
• Best prediction: Jordan Travis Team MVP.
Analysis: MVP was an easy one, but Travis had a great season, completing 207-of-324 passes for 2,756 yards and 20 touchdowns. He added 176 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, earning him fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, despite missing the final two games of the season. Travis' worth and value were really proven when the College Football Committee decided FSU was not a playoff team due to his injury.
Defensive MVP was a whiff, but it's not like Payton had a bad season, finishing tied for second on the team with his seven sacks. Verse was just the best player on that side of the ball and continued to show why he should be a first round NFL Draft pick.
Big picture College Football predictions
• What I got right/best prediction: Alabama is the No. 4 playoff team.
• What I got wrong: FSU, Georgia and Ohio State in the playoffs.
Analysis: My top team teams did not qualify. My No. 4 team did and I cannot be fully blamed. Georgia has now won 30 of its last 31. Ohio State lost to Michigan and was knocked out. FSU was snubbed in a very questionable way to make way for an SEC Champion and the lone team to beat said SEC Champion.
I also had the Crimson Tide as my No. 4 team in the final prediction ahead of the final rankings. I actually had FSU as No. 3, instead of Texas.
• Worst prediction: Georgia being ranked No. 1 and winning the National Championship.
The Bulldogs became the first team in the CFP era to fall from No. 1 to No. 5 in the final rankings following a loss to the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game. Instead, an angry Georgia team faced off against a depleted FSU in the Orange Bowl and nothing went well for the Seminoles.
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