There’s a retro feel in Tallahassee these days, as Florida State fans are hopeful that the Seminoles are rounding into the form that turned FSU into the dynamo we all remember from the 1990s. Second-year coach Jimbo Fisher is rolling on the recruiting trail and has the ‘Noles back in the preseason top five of the major polls.
Bud Elliott of the great Florida State blog Tomahawk Nation has all the answers about what to expect from the ‘Noles in 2011 in this edition of “Five Burning Questions.”
1. I know you were on the “Bobby must go” bandwagon at the end of Coach Bowden’s career there at Florida State. Happy now?
Absolutely. FSU should consistently be one of the best teams in the country, given the available talent, tradition, academic standards, etc. The administration let that nonsense go on to where it encompassed almost a third of Bowden’s time in Tallahassee.
2. FSU’s defense made huge strides last season. There isn’t nearly as much room to improve this year, but are you still expecting the D to take a few steps forward this season?
From 88th to 41st in F/+ defense (Bill Connelley’s ratings) is huge. But the defense didn’t seem comfortable for much of the year with the new scheme, and that was a function of not having played really any zone before. This year the fits, meshes, drops, reads, etc. should all be better. Not to mention the personnel is much, much better, particularly up front and at safety. Everyone agrees this will be FSU’s best defense in at least half a decade, if not longer. Jimbo Fisher, who rarely says stuff like this, said “this should be a really good, dominant defense.” There is still much room for improvement. 41st will not be acceptable in Tallahassee. Heck, I think most would be very disappointed if FSU’s defense was not top 20 or better.
3. How do you think the Seminoles offense changes with E.J. Manuel replacing Christian Ponder under center?
I expect the offense to have greater variance. By that I mean I expect more big plays and more wtf moments. EJ has much better physical tools than Christian Ponder, and he can make a living on some throws that CP7 could throw, but would have preferred to not make his living on. He does not have the same grasp of the offense that Ponder did. I think Ponder was a better scrambler, but EJ does a better job of scrambling to throw. I also think EJ is better on designed run and he is much, much, much better with the option. He has a real knack for the pitch. Ponder had trouble pitching properly.
4. If you had to pick one facet of this team (a position group, the coaching staff, an attribute) that could give this team trouble this year, what would it be?
Due to some unfortunate attrition, FSU is a bit thin in terms of proven offensive tackle depth. I’ll go with that. FSU cannot afford to lose either of its two senior tackles. Sure, FSU would still win plenty of games without them, but a conference championship would be much tougher to attain, and a national title would be out of the question.
5. “Jimbo Fisher.” Sounds like the name of a guy who has a permanently reserved seat at the bar of the Tallahassee Outback. How do you picture the coach getting down in his spare time?
Jimbo loves ball, so he spends a ton of his time watching film. But he does enjoy hunting, and baseball as well. And now that his youngest son has Fanconi Anemia, he spends time trying to raise awareness and money to fight the disease. You can do the same HERE. Terrible disease, but all our prayers are with Ethan and family.
Follow Crystal Ball Run on Twitter at @CrystalBallRun.
Get more from Bud at Tomahawk Nation.
