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AP Top 25 preseason poll: 5 knee-jerk reactions

By Cody Williams

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) runs with the football during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) runs with the football during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHESTNUT HILL, MA – OCTOBER 27: Florida State running back Cam Akers (3) during a game between the Boston College Eagles and the Florida State Seminoles on October 27, 2017, at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The Eagles defeated the Seminoles 35-3. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHESTNUT HILL, MA – OCTOBER 27: Florida State running back Cam Akers (3) during a game between the Boston College Eagles and the Florida State Seminoles on October 27, 2017, at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The Eagles defeated the Seminoles 35-3. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Florida State paying for last season, losing Jimbo Fisher

Entering a season-opening clash with Alabama last season, the excitement around the Florida State Seminoles was real and ultimately deserved. Then Jimbo Fisher’s group was considered a team with all of the talent and tools to compete for a National Championship. But then came the injury in that opening contest to quarterback Deondre Francois, and everything seemed to unravel for the Seminoles there.

The blows seemingly didn’t stop coming throughout the year as the locker room seemed lost and no one on the roster seemed to care about playing the 2017 season out. Things didn’t stop there, either, as Fisher then left for a lucrative job with the Texas A&M Aggies this offseason. Though the Noles brought in the highly touted Willie Taggart to replace him, the damage was seemingly done.

Now, Florida State will open the season as the 19th-ranked team in the country in the AP Top 25. However, when you look at the talent that this team has and what their ceiling is as a whole, you have to wonder how much the voters are “penalizing” them for their letdown 2017 season and for losing Fisher.

Francois could return this season, but even if he’s slower to get back, they saw progress from the likes of James Blackman in the wake of Francois’ injury last year. What’s more, the Seminoles have one of the country’s most electric players in running back Cam Akers coming back with a year of experience under his belt.

Yes, this isn’t a perfect FSU team and they might not be a title contender with the issues they could have on defense. Having said that, they have far too much talent to be coming in at just No. 19 in the preseason poll.

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