By Joe Joe Wright

joejoe.wright@cordeledispatch.com

All jokes aside I really think that Florida State is going to be good this year. You folks just don’t know how bad that hurt me to say that, can you say ouchhhh!!!!! The Noles are returning 18 starters 11 of them on offense. They have a big stout guy at quarterback and one of the 3 best running backs in the country in Dalvin Cook. The Criminoles threw for 3325 yards last year and completed 63% of their passes. They rushed for 2187 yards and they averaged over 31 points a game and now they have everyone back. Add to this the fact that “ Free Shoes University” arrests are at an all time low this year and you have a team that is really poised to make a run at all the marbles.

As many may know I have a lot of friends that are just absolutely silly about Florida State so getting in my digs into their team only comes naturally to me. There are not to many cupcakes on their schedule either with 5 of their 12 games against ranked teams and a date down in Miami against what will be a vastly improved Hurricanes team. The Seminoles have one of the toughest schedules in 2016. If I had to guess I would say that Florida State will stump their toe one time this year against either Ole Miss at the start or Miami, Clemson or against the Florida Gators. That will not be enough to keep them out of the playoffs at the end of the year. End prediction is Florida State plays for the National Championship, oh the pain of that.

Now whether or not they play LSU, Tennesse or someone else I can’t see but I do feel that for the first time in the playoff system two SEC teams will go and here is why. First of all I think that FSU gets by Clemson and wins the ACC. Oklahoma will not make the big four dance because of one loss and they don’t play a championship game. Who is going to beat the Sooners? Well they play Houston to start on the road then a cupcake then they host Ohio State, travel to TCU, play Texas (Much improved) in the Red River shootout. Then at the end of the year they have Baylor, and then travel to West Virginia and then Oklahoma State. I say they slip up somewhere. Stanford has 4 ranked teams on the road and 3 in a row, they will lose! Notre Dame has USC in LA; they open with Texas on the road, Michigan St, Stanford and Miami no way they survive. I don’t see Houston who plays Oklahoma and Louisville going unscathed, nor do I see Michigan, Ohio St or Iowa going undefeated. That puts a lot of 1-loss teams in the mix and opens the door for two SEC teams to slide in. On the dark horse side of things look for Louisville, Oregon and maybe even them Georgia Bulldogs to make a run. Oregon has the easiest road and Georgia has to get by North Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Florida, Auburn and Ga. Tech. If the Dawgs can get to and win the SEC then they will go if they had two losses. Either way this year it is going to be exciting and I will be in my recliner Saturday all day soaking it all up.