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Florida State football obituary: Noles ACC title hopes dead after 0-2 start

By Patrick Schmidt

TALLAHASSEE, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Quarterback James Blackman #1 of the Florida State Seminoles warming up before the game against the North Carolina Wolfpack at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on September 23, 2017 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Quarterback James Blackman #1 of the Florida State Seminoles warming up before the game against the North Carolina Wolfpack at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on September 23, 2017 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
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It’s over. It’s all over for Florida State this season after the Seminoles fell to 0-2 on the year.

Here lies the Florida State Seminoles. Born Sept. 2, 2017 – Died Sept. 23, 2017. The Seminoles leave behind several five-star recruits who will not focus on their NFL Draft stock and a number of seniors who see their season come to an end before September has even come to an end. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. This was the year they reclaimed the ACC from Clemson after Deshaun Watson went to the NFL, but after Florida State lost to NC State to fall to 0-2 on the year, their College Football Playoff hopes are gone and their ACC Championship aspirations are hanging by a thread. While they are, of course, mathematically still alive, without Deondre Francois under center, the Seminoles won’t be able to compete with Clemson, Louisville and possibly even Miami.

I thought Florida State would win the ACC this year and make it to the College Football Playoff. That was my prediction before their season opener vs. No. 1 Alabama, which I predicted they would lose. I liked the makeup of the defense, which was bolstered by the return of safety Derwin James and I thought Cam Akers would be an instant impact performer at running back to complement Deondre Francois and the passing game. However, everything changed in the fourth quarter of the Seminoles loss to the Crimson Tide when Francois was injured with a patella tendon injury that ended his season prematurely.

Anytime a team loses a returning starter at quarterback, it’s a brutal blow, but this was especially so for Florida State considering the youth at running back and wide receiver. Most important, it was the youth at quarterback behind Francois. Florida State turned to James Blackman, a true freshman with potential, but ideally, he wouldn’t have played for a year or two to develop. Things can change in a hurry in football and Blackman was thrown to the fire.

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He completed 22-of-38 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown after his redshirt was burned when he came into replace Francois vs. Alabama. He’ll be fine in the long run and it’s time to shift that focus to the long run and not the immediate. It’s not a familiar feeling for Florida State fans who are accustomed to and expect to be competing for championships in late November.

It’s just not going to be the case this November.

Now Florida State fans can look to Blackman’s development, the maturation of Akers and enjoy watching guys like James, Derrick Nnadi and Josh Sweat before they declare for the 2018 NFL Draft where they are all likely to be first round picks. And it’s never too early to start looking ahead to basketball season, right? There will be much brighter days ahead for Florida State, including later this season, but it’s not going to end with confetti falling on the top of the Noles at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the site of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

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