(EDIT: Monday 10:45 a.m. OK, I finally got the rule book thanks to a link in the front page story on officiating. It has caused me to finally be able to take a position on the "strip and score." To be honest, the college rule book is surprisingly thin when it comes to describing what constitutes a completed pass. Here are the two relevant excerpts:

Catch, Interception, Recovery

ARTICLE 3. a. To catch a ball means that a player:

1. Gains possession (Rule 2-4-1) of a live ball in flight; or

2. Leaves his feet and firmly grasps a live ball in flight, the ball first

touching the ground inbounds while still in his firm grasp; or

3. Leaves his feet, firmly grasps a live ball in flight and either first returns

to the ground inbounds with any part of his body or is so held that the

dead-ball provisions of Rule 4-1-3-p apply (A.R. 2-4-3-I-IV and A.R.

7-3-6-III).

Now, here  is Rule 2-4-1, which is referenced in 3.a.1:

SECTION 4. Catch, Recovery, Possession

In Possession

ARTICLE 1. “In possession’’ is an abbreviation meaning the holding or

controlling of a live ball or a ball to be free-kicked. It may refer either to player

possession or team possession.

a. A player “gains possession’’ when he secures the ball firmly by holding

FSUED writing again: I can find no other place in the rules where the definition of a catch is addressed. I can find nothing on "football move" or anything like that.

So, as I read this, the definition of a catch is, simply, securing the ball firmly while contacting the ground inbounds.

With this knowledge, this reversal is now clearly an error. Not only is there no irrefutable evidence, accoridng to the rules, there should be no doubt that this is a catch (all of this is assuming that the version of the rules I'm reading is correct, but I think they are because they include the new 10-second runoff rule).

Now, on to the Bradham hit. The rule book is very clear that "launching" is illegal, but ONLY if the hit is delivered to the neck or head. The Bradham hit fails on both counts -- he did not launch and the hit was to the chest.

So, my position on this is unchanged -- it was a legal hit, but it's still very understandable to me that a flag was thrown -- it was violent and when I watched it with the naked eye, my first thought was -- that's a penalty. The ejection was, of course, wrong, but if what the official thought he saw was a headshot, the ejection would have been appropriate (certainly the OU DB's who hit Shaw were more worthy of ejection than Bradham).

So, to summarize my overall view on this:

-The strip and score was a terrible overturn which the ACC needs to explain

-The Bradham penalty was wrong and the ejection exacerbated the error, but I can definitely see and empathize with this error

-The roughing the kicker call was borderline but defensible.

--All the late hits/Joyner spike were legit.

I don't believe for one second there is a conspiracy against us, any more than I think taking 5 bad beats on the river means on-line poker is rigged. All of this stuff will even out.

(EDIT: Sunday 6 p.m. OK, finally got my to do list done and watched a replay of the strip and score and I am, frankly, stunned. So many posts I've read said something to the effect of "he caught it and took a step before the ball came out." That simply didn't happen. Please tell me with which leg he completes a step before the ball comes out. Now, I'm not familiar enough with the college rules to know either way, but if the rule is that a receiver has to take one step with possession before it's a catch, then this not a catch. If there is some other definition, the issue remains open to me. I would certainly say the rules SHOULD be written so this is a fumble, but that may or may not be the rules this game were played under)

I'm seeing a lof of these "clearly" blown calls very differently than pretty much everybody else on this board.

And my main takeaway from this game is not that the ACC officials are corrupt, but that we are much more undiscinplined than I realized and that our offense continues to sputter.

On the officiating, I did not get the feed during the strip and score and have not seen a highlight, so I can't comment on that.

But regarding other contentious calls:

-Both of Jernigans late hits were clearly correctly called to me. He took two steps on roughing the QB and the after the whistle hit on the punt return was egregious.

-The roughing the punter call was borderline, but anytime you even touch the kicker when he is in the most vulnerable position, you risk roughing. The REAL issue here is what the hell was our player doing anywhere near the punter on that play? We did not have the block on and he had no chance of getting to the ball. Extremely stupid play -- ref should have never been put in a position to make the decision on roughing vs. running into.

-Sorry folks, but Wilder held the guy on the brilliant K. Williams return. The Miami player clearly tried to pull away and was taken down with a twisting motion. I have no argument with that call.

-The Bradham hit is tough. In the NFL, that would have been a "defenseless receiver" call, even it was a gorgeous, clean hit. I think if the shoe were on the other foot, we would have all been clamoring for a penalty to be called.

-The Tank late hit was not violent, but was totally unneccesary and clearly late. Could have cost us the game. Why give the officials the option. He CLEARLY had time to pull up.

What really bothered me in this game was our trash-talking, head-butting and thuggery. I know it's a rivalry game, but unlike the BC game when THEIR players seemed to be instigated everything, I thought in this game, we were trash-talking and strutting around unnecessarily. More than a couple times, I winced thinking that a flag might be coming for unsportsmanlike.

Joyner's spiking of the ball is a great example of a mind-numbingly dumb play.

Offensively, we finished well under Bud's pretty conservative goal of 6.25 per play. Still huge O-line issues and Manuel made some poor throws that we were lucky weren't intercepted.

Easy to say "we should have won 38-7" without bad calls, but here at TN, I've been coached to look at other metrics and looking at YPP, we were lucky to even win this game.

Not a good effort by our team and I think this site is on the verge of turning into a "whine at officials" destination which is never appealing or helpful.

Now, gather up every rotten tomato you can find and let 'er rip!

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What I really can't get out of my head from Saturday's debacle, is the decision not to start EJ and all of the ramifications contained therein.

Let me start by saying that there is no doubt in my mind that this loss has changed the entire dynamic of the program.

Now, the logic JF tried to offer up post-game was that the team was in an "emergency" and that's why he played EJ despite the warning that one hit could have him out for six weeks.

The problem with this logic is that it seems to come with a caveat that not all games are "emergent." Well, perhaps this is true. Perhaps ULM and Charleston Southern are non-emergent cases -- after all, almost everyone painted them as 99 percent games.

But I would have put us between 75 and 85 percent before  this game (I believe Bud had us at 80).

Let me tell you something -- Dan Uggla is a pretty dangerous hitter -- and he was hitting around .200 for much of the year (roughly WF's chances of victory). If the Wake game, figuratively,  was "Uggla at the bat" and the stakes were NOT just a home run in one of 162 games, but instead: One home run SHAKES THE VERY FOUNDATION OF THE PROGRAM .... you could be damn sure that it wouldn't be some middle reliever in there trying to get him out -- it would be the best pitcher available.

My point is this: This game should have been seen as an "emergency" from the getgo.

The only thing that changed between the start of the game and EJ's entrance is that we were losing. His health was the same; Tricket's health was the same. 

It can only mean that CJF saw the game as non-emergent at the opening gun, but suddenly an emergency because of the score.

Look, if you are less than 95-99 percent to win, it's an emergency, dammit. Even Dr. Lou knows that you don't overlook anybody.

Which brings me to the second main effect of the decision not to start EJ: It sent the message to the entire team that this game was not going to be a challenge!

By not starting a quarterback who every single player saw in practice was capable of playing meant that the coach might as well have given the team a pregame talk that said: "We do not need our best to beat this team."

I think this was a critical, only-make-it-once-in-your-career, blunder by Fisher. I'm sure he'll never make it again. Frankly, it's the only rational explanation I can come up with for the loss and it's actually just a wee bit comforting, in a warped kind of way.

 I think I would feel better if he took responsiblity for this royal screwup. Not in the general "buck stops here" way that coaches take blame, but in a more specific way.

 The question is now, can he save the team? Finger-pointing will commence and there is really no inherent motiviation for all but the two rivarly games on the schedule.

 But, if he can string together a couple wins -- get to the Miami game without a loss, then beat them at home and be 8-3 headed to Gainesville, he could still see a 10-win season and at least say that no ground was lost. Even 9-4 would be close enough to treading water.

 Anything worse than that, though, is regression, which is OK when you are coming off a Top 5 season, but not now.

 I think there is a good chance that Fisher's memoirs in a few decades talk about this game as one of his biggest lessons learned as a coach. Either that, or he won't be famous enough for memoirs.

The top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners survived a scare in Tallahassee before pulling away for a 23-13 victory. It was a far cry from last year's blowout in Norman as the Sooners found themselves tied in the fourth quarter against a  Seminole team playing with its freshman backup quarterback and missing three of its top four receivers.

FSU's defense bore no resemblance to the one torched in Norman. The Noles held Oklahoma to just 4.2 yards per play and narrowly missed game-changing turnovers late in the contest. Oklahoma marched the length of the field on its first possession, but was controlled by the FSU defense until a fourth-quarter scoring drive highlighted by two long passes. B. Werner was unblockable on passing downs and Christian Jones and Mike Harris also had strong showings.

Offensively, the Noles never established much of a rythym (even before Manuel's injury) and finished with just 246 yards at 3.5 yards per play. Clint Trickett came in and played admirably (somewhat reminiscent of a young Christian Ponder's appearance at VT), connecting on a Hail Mary-ish 56-yard pass to Rashad Green to tie the game late. He finished 7-15 for 134 yards and an INT. Trickett's lack of mobility means a MUCH difference offensive gameplan than when Manuel is playing. FSU had numerous running plays blown up by OU run blitzes or Seminole lineman beaten badly by their DL counterparts. When Manuel got the ball on the perimeter, he was successful, but those opportunites seemed few and far between.

A key turning point of the game came when Manuel found Kenny Shaw near the goal line for an apparent touchdown. But vicious and simultaneous shots to Shaw's head by OU defenders knocked him unconscious and knocked the ball loose just before he fell in the end zone. The 15-yard penalty was well worth it for the Sooners.

The game revealed fully the inanity of scheduling major powers for non-conference games. Not only did whatever national title hopes FSU harbored suffer a serious blow, but the Noles played a brutally physical game and suffered a number of key injuries the week before its most important conference game of the season, at Clemson.

The extent of EJ Manuel's injury is unclear. It is possible that Coach Jimbo Fisher decided to not subject him to further injury given the importance of the Clemson game. Given the length of time now devoted to making sure concussion victims fully heal, it is doubtful we will see Kenny Shaw vs. the Tigers either.

Overall, FSU did what many fans hoped for -- competed with Oklahoma and showed that great strides have been made since the humiliating loss in Norman in 2010. Still, with better luck on injuries and fewer holding penalties, the outcome could have easily been different.

Other observations:

Devonta Freeman does not appear ready to contribute. He blew a pass protection assignment badly and missed an obvious cutback lane on at least one run

FSU's young WR corps is impressive. Haggins, Dent, Green, Greene are all making plays when called on.

Lamarcus Joyner is playing lights out in the secondary

Senior Nigel Bradham's name only seemed be called when he was making freshman errors in judgment.

The Noles kicking game is stellar, but the return game generated no excitement.

Werner has clearly passed Brandon Jenkins as FSU's top pass rusher.

Way back when Saturday night’s play-by-play man Brent Musburger was hosting The NFL Today on CBS, the late “Jimmy the Greek” would appear for a picks segment. Early in this feature’s life on the show, each game would have a board with various subjects: Quarterback, running game, defense, coaching, etc. The Greek would put a check mark by the team had the advantage in each area.

The last category was “intangibles.” This is where The Greek would talk about home field advantage, momentum, and other factors – outside of X’s and O’s – that would affect the game. Often, the other categories would break down pretty evenly and “intangibles” would tip the balance to The Greek’s winning pick.

Now, the REAL authors on this site bring a plethora of X’s and O’s knowledge to the FSU fans who frequent TN. I wouldn’t pretend to be able to hang with them on nuts and bolts football strategy. But as a casual fan who happens to be pretty old, I have picked up quite a bit on the “intangibles” part of the game.

So, here is a quick breakdown of the intangibles for FSU-Oklahoma, centered around three key words.

1)      I think the most important word for this game is CONFIDENCE. Oklahoma comes in with plenty of it. FSU does not -- mainly because of last year's result.

The Noles need to establish confidence in this game – and it needs to happen early and on both sides of the ball. I’m not talking about racing to a 21-0 lead or anything. But, on defense, FSU needs to see success and that success needs to be achieved because of something the Noles have dictated to the OU offense, not just some sort of lucky break. I think the FSU defense has 3 drives to establish some level of confidence. If the Sooners have success on their first three possessions (2 Td’s and a FG, 3 Tds, etc.), then it’s going to be hard for FSU to GENERATE confidence in what they are doing in the middle of the game.

Similarly, the Seminole offense needs to have some success early. FSU needs to establish SOMETHING that is working and demonstrate that it is going to be able to move the ball with some sort of consistency. I’m not going to attach scoring goals here, but if FSU goes three and out in more than 1 of its first 3 or 4 possessions, it is going to be a confidence-sapper that we can not afford.

The only area in which FSU should have an initial edge in confidence is special teams. The Noles simply need to win special teams in a romp. This can also GENERATE confidence for the other units. A big kickoff return to start the game; forcing a turnover when OU is receiving – these types of plays can be huge for the outcome.

b)      INITIATIVE. All of the talk before this game is about what FSU will “have to give” OU and what the Noles “will be able to do” on offense. I think it’s important that FSU IMPOSE something on OU. Make THEM be forced to change what they do to deal with US, as opposed to vice-versa. Maybe we surprise them on offense by going big and trying to run it. Maybe it’s a series of trick plays that set tempo. Maybe we blitz more than we ever have. I don’t know how it is manfested, but I think a defensive/counterpunching strategy will ultimately make it hard to achieve Point No. 1 – confidence.

iii)  POISE.  Can FSU keep a clear enough head to avoid that key late hit/roughing the QB call that can turn the tide of a game? Can the Noles focus enough to have 1 or 2 fewer false starts than the Sooners? When things go bad for Florida State (and they will), can players maintain enough composure to play through adversity?  The only silver lining to OU’s rapid fire attack is that it is vulnerable to the comeback. Stop them a few times and some scores can be tallied in a relatively short amount of time.

I still see FSU losing game in the 7-14 point range. But if the Noles can establish some confidence, seize the initiative in select areas and at opportune times and then play with poise throughout, there is still a good chance of victory.

Last year in advance of the Oklahoma game, we took a look back at the 1976 FSU-Oklahoma game as an interesting point of historical reference. It was a turning point of the Bowden era as the first-year coach turned to a core of freshman who kept the game in Norman close well into the second half. That led to a follow-up interview with then-FSU quarterback Jimmy Black, which newcomers to TN might find interesting.

This week's matchup has me thinking about a few years later -- the Orange Bowl games following the 1979 and 1980 seasons -- as possible analogs to the present.

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Ahhhhh. The warmth of spring is upon us with the dog days of summer just around the corner. These sunny days remind me so much of the ACC Football Championship game in Charlotte.

(Needle scratch sounds on a vinyl record).

OK, maybe not.

There was much debating the appropriate location of the football title game after the chilly night in Charlotte and I’ve seen that debate pop up on message boards even as Old Man Winter has gone into hibernation.

The main points of contention focused on climate and then a combination of geography and matchups. Let’s break them down .... after the jump.

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Here are some excerpts from a recent ESPN inside story on FSU:

The Florida State Seminoles were sitting at something of a crossroads coming into the 1987 campaign. The Noles had posted a 7-4-1 mark the previous season and notched a school-record fifth straight bowl appearance, but those positive vibes were seemingly more than offset by two major negatives -- six straight losses to the archrival Florida Gators and the possibility that coach Bobby Bowden was going to leave Tallahassee to pursue his lifelong dream of coaching the Alabama Crimson Tide.

This certainly did not look to be the starting point of one of the greatest dynastic runs in college football history, but once Bowden made up his mind to commit to Florida State for the long term, the program almost immediately changed from a regional power to a perennial national championship contender, going 11-1 in a season that began FSU's string of top-5 finishes.

The 2011 Seminoles might be in much the same boat as that 1987 squad.

Here is a story written on this site back in January.

http://www.tomahawknation.com/2011/1/30/1931858/was-2010-1986-all-over-again-for-the-seminoles

See any similarities?

I'm an author on the FSU SBNation site who always grew up hating the Tide, so I've decided to come over and wish y'all luck.

But more importantly, I want you to be prepared for what you could be facing Monday night if you live in the northern two-thirds of Alabama, Mississippi or Georgia.

In additon to being an FSU fan, I'm an avid weather hobbyist who has been tracking winter storms for years.

And there is a potentially MAJOR storm to track Sunday into Monday. This is shaping to be an old-style "1980s" type Gulf storm which spreads a wide swath of winter precip across Dixie.

Here's the important part. There will almost certainly be a significant swath that will receive a prolonged ice storm from this system.

We're talking a serious, crippling ice storm that will leave many thousands without power MONDAY NIGHT.

You should take steps NOW to make sure you don't miss the most important Auburn football game in history.

If you don't have a generator, consider buying one, even if it's a small deal just big enough to power your TV. Otherwise, make arrangements to find a friend or a business with a generator so you can watch the game.

Travel will likely be hazardous BEFORE the power goes out, so you should not simply "hope" that you will keep power if you observe that ice is accumulating on trees. When power goes out (and if you are getting ice, it WILL go out) it will be too late. Get to a place where you KNOW you can watch the game BEFORE travel gets too treacherous.

Why am I being so anal about this.

Well, I live in North Carolina and there was a terrible ice storm the day before the FSU-Tennessee Fiesta Bowl national title game. I lost power and missed most of the game (yeah, I know, a blessing) while I WALKED through town looking for someone with power.

Now, this storm could not pan out or turn into an all snow event (bad for travel, but usually not bad for power outages) or be all rain. And even if there IS ice, it won't be until Sunday when we know where that dreaded zone of death will set up.

But if you are prepared, you can make sure you aren't out in your car listening to the game on the radio when the Tigers beat the Ducks.

War Eagle!

I'm offering this not as a belief, but as a theory -- which is a fancy way of saying, I could be wrong.

Here's what I'm wondering ... well, first, I consider it a given that the University of Florida head coaching job has accoutrements that are unmatched by most schools in the country. From money to facilities to a recruiting base to a fan base, the program ranks at or near the top in all.

It's in the highest-profile conference in the country, has a strong brand -- hard to find ANY weaknesses in this overall program.

But here's a real issue, it seems to me, with this program: It devours coaches who have the highest qualifications possible.

Let's put ourselves in the shoes of a UF coaching candidate who is analyzing the coaching history at the school over the last 20 or so years.

First, let's look at Steve Spurrier, who inherited a program that was 0 for 57 years on SEC champoinships. Spurrier ended up going 122-27-1 as the Gator's coach. He won 6 SEC titles in 12 years and the schools first national championship. But he quit abruptly after 12 years -- the stated reason was that "12 years was long enough" but there was a widespread belief that Spurrier had grown weary of the unrealistic expectations of Gator Nation.

Then, after the failed Ron Zook experiment, Urban Meyer came to Florida as, literally in many respects, a program savior (a role Meyer clearly embraced).

Meyer's record -- 64-15 with 2 national championships. The circumstances of his departure are unclear, but there was obviously a disconnect between the demands of the job/expectations of the program and his physical and emotional ability to meet those demands

So, if I'm a candidate looking at those two coaches carcasses, I'm asking myself: "If Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer couldn't do it, can I?"

After all, Spurrier was the ultimate Gator -- Heisman winner turned coach. And Meyer had success that as recently as 20 years ago, Gator fans could only dream about.

Could it be that this has become the New York Yankees job of college football -- one that is coveted by some, but eschewed by others who value their OVERALL career and personal health more than claiming they "are at the top of the mountain?"

This is a case where what's good for the league is not necessarily good for FSU.

FSU Coach Jimbo Fisher issued some not-so-thinly veiled comments about Charlotte as the venue of the title game, saying, in as many words, lets see what the weather looks like before we crown this the permanent home. Fisher indicated he prefered a dome.

Well, I have no doubt that if Atlanta weren't taken by the SEC title game, it would be the home of the ACC title game. But shy of some sort of scheduling tap dance, I don't see how that will ever change.

So, what about Charlotte?

Saturday's game will be a sellout or near sell-out in terms of the number of tickets actually sold. Right now, it's a buyer's market because all the N.C. State fans are trying to unload their tickets (expect lots of VT fans sprinkled in on the Atlantic division side Saturday night). So, I would expect there to be a good number of empty seats Saturday night. The weather will be quite chilly (40s during the game) which will also slightly suppress ACTUAL attendance, but I'm sure we'll still see at least 60,000 in attendance and perhaps 65k.

Of course, this will be more than enough for Charlotte-as-the-site proponents who will say -- "there wasn't even a Carolinas team in the game and we sold it out and had the stadium mostly full!"

And you know what, they would be right. While it would be much better for FSU to play the game in a) a weather-neutral cliamte b) closer to home .. .there is just no getting around the fact that Charlotte is located PERFECTLY in terms of geography. While temps in the 40s seem brutally cold to Floridians (and I used to be one), for most, it's just crisp football weather that will not deter most fans from attending a big game. The truth is, climatologically, EXTREMELY bad weather conditions are quite rare in early December (by that I mean, sub freezing temperatures before midnight or frozen precipitation).

This will also be a "win" for the Carolinas faction of the ACC which still resents the inclusion of FSU/Miami in the first place.

So -- and this may be stating the obvious -- look for Saturday night's game to be heralded as a grand success and for Charlotte to be named the permanent home of the ACC title game.

This could hurt FSU and even cost the Seminoles a league title or two over the years, but I believe it's the right thing for the ACC in the big picture.

I spent the better part of the last hour scrolling through every FSU game result on nolefans.com, and based on that research, I am making this claim:

That's the first "walk-off" field goal for FSU in the history of the institution.  By "walk-off", I literally mean making a kick with 00:00 left on the clock.  

We've had a walk-off touchdown and some LATE field goals that ended up winning games, but unless it happened in the late 40's or early 50's when game reports are not complete, or unless I just missed it on their site,  it has never happened to FSU.

I promise you, as a North Carolinian, none of you feel any worse about this game than I do.

It will be a painful morning at church and week at work (expect 2-15-1 to be said by me about 100 times this week).

But as nauseating as this feels in the short-term, in the big picture, it should actually be what we all expected.

Perspective No. 1: I wonder if any of us feel worse than fans of the home team in this loss?

Yes, in season No. 1, the great Nick Saban LOST AT HOME to Louisiana-Monroe!

Did that mean the Saban system was flawed? No.

Did it mean he wasn't a good coach? No.

Did it cause all their recruits to bail? No.

All it meant was, you can't teach a team how to WIN in one season. You can't fix years of problems in just 8 games.

Yes, we could easily be 8-1 and in the Top 10, have locked up an ACC title game berth and feel "back."

But that "could" really isn't a "should."

Which brings me to Perspective No. 2: Let's go back to the pre-season win prediction chart.

The average of the predictions by people on this board was an 8-4 regular season.

I would submit that we will be favored to beat Clemson and Maryland and be a slight underdog to Florida.

Percentage wise, it will be something like 70 to beat Clemson, 65 to beat Maryland and 40 to beat Florida. That's 1.75 which would round up to 2 wins and ... TAH DAH! ... an 8-4 regular season.

Sure, it's disappointing to have missed a chance for much better, but it shouldn't be seen as an indictment of the entire system. Learning to COMPETE and learning to WIN our two different skills.

Once our players and coaches are fully immersed in the system, I believe we will EXPECT to win close games, rather than HOPE to win them.

But beyond intangibles, we still have tons of execution issues to address, as evidenced by last night.

Did we really think we would magically learn to not get beat deep after what happened last season?

Did we really think our receivers would magically learn to run crisp routes?

Etc. Etc. Etc.

It sucks to lose -- especially games we could or should have won. For me, it sucks to lose to UNC and N.C. State.

I'm sure it sucked to lose to Lousiana-Monroe.

And if next season or the next we are still going 7-5, 8-4, 9-3, then it's time to re-evaluate.

But right now, we are actually EXACTLY where most of us predicted we would be, even with really no luck at all.

In the middle of a football season, it's very, very easy to get caught up in the trees.

How come Ponder's stats are down?

Why can we run some games and not others?

How will we stop Russell Wilson?

Nothing wrong with any of those questions.

But, at roughly the midpoint of the season, it might be a good time to consider where the overall Florida State University football program stands. Here are some key points for your consideration:

Recruiting:  FSU is currently ranked in the Top 10 of the Rivals, Scouts and ESPN recruiting evaluations. This noteworthy in two respects: 1) The Noles have MAJOR recruits still on the board and in play 2) This was a year when FSU was going to have to recruit "big uglys," who usually have lower "star" ratings. Anything in the Top 10 would be a huge victory and Top 5 would be a grand slam.

The defense: One play in the BC game stood out to me --- the Eagles were running a smash route (or at least a version of it). A replay showed L. Joyner following the outside receiver, but then handing him off and peeling off to cover the slot running a flag route. It was a great indication that they are really starting to understand the zone defensive scheme of M. Stoops.

We have all seen the total defense stats that show marked improvement. I'm still not sure if we're as good as the stats show, but I know this: There is no way ALL or even HALF of the possible improvement can be realized in one half of a season. This defense will keep getting better and better.

Organization: I could be way off on this and someone less lazy can probably produce stats, but it sure seems like we have fewer delay of game penalties than we used to and blow fewer timeouts because we aren't organized. We seem to have the right people on the field more often. Our special teams are organized and effective (how about the kickoff coverage team!) Plus, we all know, though Bud's great reporting, that the strength, conditioning and nutrition programs have been upgraded as well as the personal interactions with players vis a vis academics, etc.

The ACC: I don't know about you, but If all of the Top 10 teams played each other 10 times in an (obviously virtual) round-robin, neutral field tournament, I feel pretty strongly about who would emerge as the best team: Alabama.

The Tide's (and every other SEC team's) path to a national title is so very difficult. Yes, SEC teams have won a number of titles in past years, but I think that is an aberration. And it's also because the ACC did not have a dominant team. All things being equal, a dominant ACC team has a much better chance of making it to a title game than a top SEC team, for the simple reason that there is a much higher chance the ACC team can emerge from its conference slate unscathed.

My point is, if FSU can put together an "SEC program in the ACC" as JF is attempting to do, it should position us perfectly to make national title runs in the years to come.

Bottom line:  I still think we lose 1 more game, maybe 2. But even if it's 3 ... this is a program CLEARLY moving in the right direction. I know the BC game was cause for pause, but even if FSU gets to where it wants to be, the days of blowing out every mediocre opponent are probably gone -- too much parity.

This program is obtaining the players, is implementing the schemes, is establishing an organization and has a place in the college football landscape that should translate to success for years to come.

I can remember the last 34 meetings with Miami. I think this one ranks No. 3 for me, behind the 1993 win and the "Dexter Carter" win over what was one of Miami's best teams.

Some thoughts on positives, negatives, and areas where I'm still not sure.

THE GOOD (OR GREAT)

O-line -- I'm not sure if it was Datko making a big difference or what, but they were strong and nasty and dominant. Hudson was back to 2009 form and I don't believe Ponder was sacked. If this becomes the standard for this group, my win percentages will climb.

Lonne Pryor -- I said after the first time that I saw him he looked like an Edgar Bennett clone -- he is only reinforcing that view. Frankly, I think he needs to get the ball more, but his blocking is ferocious and he is becoming a key part of this team's foundation.

Mister Alexander -- perhaps no player exemplifies the difference between the prior and current regimes. He was maginalized as situational pass rusher last year. This year, he is a complete outside linebacker who is our fiercest hitter and is a leader on this team.

Mark Stoops -- if this is where we are after just SIX GAMES ... imagine where we will be in 2012!

NOT SURE

Christian Ponder -- he did a lot of good things, but it's amazing what we're doing without him being "on." He is not throwing accurately on the run, still make some poor decisions and just doesn't seem to have found a groove all season. I'd like to see a wide view on the interception -- Miami blitzed and B. Reed was triple covered -- surely somebody was open. He's certainly not playing horribly and his toughness can not be questioned, but if he could regain last year's mid-season form, this team would be scary.

Nick Moody -- His stock is rising with me. I know he is still learning the position and gets caught out of position. But I think there is real intangible value in having such a heavy hitter at safety. Perhaps a few of the Canes' drops could be attributed to footsteps???

Pass rush -- I know it might seem ridiculous given our sack stats, but there were too many times when our four-man rush really generated no pressure at all.

NOT SO GOOD

Bert Reed - Continue to be unimpressed with Reed. He is not making tough catches and his not showing elusiveness. Of particular note was his weak effort on the reverse when he basically just dove in a fox hole when confronted by Miami defenders.

Lamarcus Joyner -- He's going to be fine, but enough with the "X" hand signal after a pedestrian defensive play

OVERALL
This game was MUCH closer than the score indicated -- we were terrific in red zone and the fumble play was huge. This game is a HUGE step, but I think caution is still wise. We've still gof four games on our schedule we can easily lose. Still, there is no getting around the importance of this victory. N.C. State game becomes huge. A win there would virtually lock up the ACC. Will be interesting to see the team's attutude against a terrible BC team.

This will come nowhere to matching Frank's indefatigable treatise story on the 1965 FSU-Oklahoma game, but
it is another humble foray into Seminole history tied to this week's opponent, Oklahoma.

For an opponent FSU has played on a handful of times, Oklahoma holds a special (and often dark) place in the hearts of many Seminoles. Orange Bowl losses to end the 1979, 1980 and 2000 seasons still sting.

Yet it is the seemingly innocuous 1976 battle which holds often overlooked historical significance.

1976 was Bobby Bowden's first season at FSU and his only losing season (thank you Greg Reid and EJ Manuel) as the Seminoles head coach. FSU finished 5-6 -- a record that seemed just a pipe dream after a sloppy road loss to Memphis in the season-opener and an embarrassing 47-0 shellacking at the hands of Miami, which scored on its first 10 possessions.

The Bowden era was hardy looking like a dynasty-in-the-making.

And next up was No. 4 Oklahoma in Norman.

OUCH!

It was time for drastic action and Bowden was ready.

"If we were going to get beat, let's get the young guys ready," Bowden said. (**NOTE: Please see comment on this quote at bottom of this piece)

Bowden inserted six freshman in the starting lineup: wide receivers Kurt Unglaub and Jackie Flowers; defensive end Scott Warren; offensive guard Mike Good; fullback Mark Lyles and defensive tackle Walter Carter.

Incredibly, all six of these freshman would "stick" -- going on to have terrific four-year careers at FSU.

Now, to the game .... 

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I may be the last person to have come across these, but there are some fascinating historical videos popping up on Youtube that are FSU related.

Here is a video of the 1964 FSU-UGA game in Athens.

Here is what purports to be a home video of the 1967 FSU-Florida game, but since the 1967 game was in Gainesville, I assume this is the 1966 or 1968 game.

Here is a portion of a fascinating documentary on the Marching Chiefs traveling to the Sun Bowl in 1955.

And speaking of the Chiefs, there a number of videos showing the Chiefs from the 1977 season. Here is the pre-game show from the Cincinnati game. Although there is no audio, it does give a sense of how the pre-game show has evolved.

The Chiefs videos also reminds me of a couple things: 1) in the early Bowden years, Virtually ALL of our home games were at night. Only when on TV (which was rare) did we play during the day. This was promoted back then as "Saturday Night Fever." 2) Doak really was an erector set back then ...

Well, we come to the end of our journey -- the Top 10 individual offensive game performances in FSU history. In case you  missed it, here are the 10 honorable mentions and here are "the next 21" that didn’t make the cut.

Remember, this is about a combination of statistical performance, game importance and intangibles. Oh, and I guess the other part of the equation is my own biases.

Anyway, let the debating (or is it yawning?) begin! 

Continue reading this post »

Yesterday, we brought you the "next 21" greatest individual offensive game performances in FSU history. Put another way, they are the 21^st through 41^st best in that category.

Today, it’s the 10 honorable mentions (11 through 20).

Since we are getting closer to the conclusion of this series (some of you might be saying "mercifully") I’ve added some comments with each performance.

Thursday we will unveil the Top 10 – you can probably guess some of them, but can you guess them all?

So, here are the offensive single game performances that just missed Top 10 status:

Continue reading this post »

When I started work on my list of Top 10 individual, single-game defensive performances in FSU history, I ended up with about 15 performances to whittle down to 10 with honorable mentions. Not too hard, huh?

Enjoy!

Continue reading this post »

Like many of you, today I made a mental note that the 2009 season is officially over. Actually, what i thought was -- my next weekly Seminole weather report will be sometime in late August or early September.

So then I started thinking about things to look forward to -- NSD, spring practice and then summer camp.

Then I started thinking about how positive the future is for FSU. The atmosphere at the Gator Bowl was so positive and there is such brimming confidence that Florida State is "back."

We know all the reasons why there is such a good vibe for the program -- a bright new staff, some big recruiting wins, etc.

So I thought all of these things and was feeling pretty good. Then I spent a few mintues at lunch looking at the depth chart -- mainly on defense. And finally, I looked at one more thing -- our schedule.

And I came to this conclusion: There are going to be some very disappointed FSU fans next season and possibly the season after.

First, the depth chart.

I didn't really spend much time on offense -- we're fine at QB -- I feel good about RB. Our O-line is sick (although I do worry a bit about 2012). We definitely lose some top WR's but Reed/Fortson/Easterling make a good nucleus there.

It's the defense that is so worrisome.

I get real concerned about expectations when I read fans already penciling true freshman into starting roles. For every Marvin Jones there are 100 other 4 and 5 stars who do not make a significant contribution as freshman.

So, if we look at, say, the secondary, we see HUGE question marks -- Jenije is the only senior; Dionte Allen the only junior. Neither have proven themselves to be anything other than huge question marks. While Greg Reid has shown himself to be a lethal kick returner, his ability to play everydown cornerback is still in question. The truth is, we need him to be Joe Hayden more than Brandon James, to use a UF analogy.

Now, M. Harris brings more experience than the typical recruit, but our cornerbacks are a group where the experienced players are unproven and the rest are inexperienced.

At safety, we will have no seniors OR juniors. I'm sure Matt Elam will make a fine college safety, but the chances he is the starter on opening day are slim.

Now, I know what you are already typing -- with top-notch coaching from a secondary expert like Mike Stoops, this unit will be much improved and will learn faster. That's probably true, but the main point I'm making is that Stoops -- with the departure of the Robinsons from the secondary-- will have much LESS to work with than our current staff had this year.

On the DL, the story is similar. Markus white is our only returning senior -- I don't know about you, but for me he was the most frustrating player on our team this year. I think his ability to start is in serious doubt. The rest of the DT/DE depth chart is a hodgepodge of players with potential but huge question marks. And while our recruiting has been excellent in many areas, DL's are still a big need.. I think we will have big issues in the trenches on defense next year.

LB is less concerning with the Nigels back along with Smith and Williams and a strong recruiting class for backups.

My point is -- yes, we had coaching problems on defense. But we ALSO had talent problems. One good defense-heavy recruiting class isn't going to solve those problems overnight.

Especially when you look at our schedule.

Non-conference: at Oklahoma, BYU, Florida, Samford.

Conference: We do trade Virginia for GT which is a gain and also don't play Duke and VT, so it could be worse.

As a point of comparison, Alabama's non conference schedule in 2010 is: Georgia State, Duke, San Jose State and one legit opponent -- Penn State. Florida's 2010 -- App. St, Miami (Ohio), USF, FSU.  Texas in 2010 -- Rice, Wyoming, UCLA, Florida Atlantic.

I know FSUncensored has written about this a number of times, but we are simply not scheduled to have the type of won-loss success that our fans are used to and certainly not scheduled to win a national championship.

It doesn't get much better in 2011 -- we lose BYU, but pick up Air Force. The fourth spot is open and should be a cupcake.

So, we could be a MUCH improved team next year and still lose four or five games (a  darned good team could lose to OU, UF, UM and Clemson and win the rest). Based on the talk I've seen, though, 8-4 would be viewed as a disappointment. Then in 2011, we could be even better and still lose 2-4 games.

Could our we beat these expectations and do something magical? Of course, but if that's the expectation rather than the hope ....

Certainly not trying to be a Debbie Downer but I decided today on the first work day of the new year that I would not allow the glow of the great week last week turned out to be blind me to the huge issues still facing our program. Remember, the first year of the Bowden years WAS a losing season. We certainly didn't fall as far in the 2000s as we did in the early 70s, but my point is -- give it some time.

This report comes from FSUncensored ....

As has been widely reported, Bobby Bowden said at today's luncheon that his future at FSU will be addressed at a Tuesday press conference and that it will be "his decision."

My sources say Bowden wasn't given a legitimate option to return and they believe he will retire. Bowden will make it look like it was his decision. He doesn't agree with it but is very prideful and won't be embarrassed. He is definitely not all there in his advanced age. As I indicated yesterday, there was simply no way the powers-that-be could let someone in his current condition continue to make football decisions.

If he was coming back he would have announced it today --  in front of a few hundred boosters/friends. He wouldn't need press conference to announce it. Also, they wouldn't set a specific date if a decision wasn't already made.

This has all been in the works since September after the USF game/BC sideline circus/homecoming 35k empty seats debacle. Bowden might not have believed it, but his people knew of it. Big boosters told the FSU administration they wouldn't support an incompetent and they were especially concerned about Bowden's diminished mental capacity.

There was some talk of Bowden being offered an opportunity to return as a ceremonial head coach with no powers but I believe that after he rejected it in early September, the offer was off the table. People close to Bowden indicate that even though he needs the money, he is too prideful to coach under those terms.

Again, based on the information I have received, I believe Bowden will retire, that the decision has been made and that all that remains is discussing how much extra cash he will receive on top of his guaranteed $1 million. At this time I am unsure if he will welcome the ambassador role to help FSU boosters raise extra money in exchange for money.

Here is the link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4696610

It seems clear to me that this is face-saving by Bowden and that the announcement will come this week that his time at FSU is over.

It's so sad for me to express just how joyful I feel at this news.

It's even more sad to feel like this makes the day a "net win" for the program.

But it's true.

It has been so interesting to watch E.J. Manuel get meaningful playing time in his two starts since Ponder's shoulder injury. He's certainly showed flashes of brilliance as well as evidence that he has LOTS of mistakes to work out of his system.

But the very least we can say is this: We can actually breathe next year when Ponder decides not to slide to end a run, knowing we have a capable backup.

Manuel's ascendancy into the spotlight is also an interesting juxtaposition to the descent of Bobby Bowden as his time at FSU draws to a merciful close.

The Bowden era will be remembered for many things -- the program re-launch in the late 70s, the dynasty years in the 90s, superstar players such as Simmons, Sanders and Ward; daring playcalling and then offensive innovation with the spread formation.

A sometimes forgotten aspect of the dynasty was Bowden's embrace of a quarterback succession plan.

Bowden began to set up a recruiting structure by which he spaced quarterbacks two years apart, with redshirts factored in, so that a quarterback became a starter as a redshirt junior.  New "elite" quarterbacks were recruited when the incumbent was a redshirt senior.

This system became most noticeable during the early 90s when FSU fans salivated at the prospect of Charlie Ward quarterbacking the Noles. But they patiently waited (and some fine seasons made it easier) for Casey Weldon to graduate so Ward would take over as a redshirt junior.

The system fell apart in the early 2000s due to injuries and other factors, something lamented by Bowdenistas as a reason for the downfall of the program and as an excuse for the ineptitude of Jeff Bowden.

I submit, however, that this system's time has passed (much like the man who who practiced it).  This is a new era of college football where the quarterback position is placed in the line of fire much more frequently than ever before.

To illustrate this, let's take a trip back to the Ward era. When FSU fans think of Charlie Ward's style of play, they think of two things -- Ward's passing in the spread offense and his incredible elusiveness in the pocket and as a runner. You'd probably have to go back to Kelly Lowery and Eric Thomas running the option in the early/mid-eighties to come up with quarterbacks who featured running as part of their arsenal more than Ward.

In 1993, Ward carried the ball 65 times and was only sacked 10 times (!!!) which is 55 rushing carries. He missed one game with injury, so he rushed the ball exactly 5 times per game.

Let's compare that to Christian Ponder this season.

Through the first 8 games (left out final game vs. Clemson when he was obviously injured ), if you take out sacks, he had 53 carries, which is an average of 6.7 carries per game -- that's about a 33 percent increase in rushing carries. As you can see, Ponder reached roughly the same number of carries in just 8 games that Ward had in 11 games.

My point?

If you are going to run the type of offense currently in vogue (making the defense account for the QB run threat on every play), the quarterback must be an effective runner.  If he never runs, the defense doesn't have to respect the threat of him running.  As such, you don't have the luxury of grooming quarterbacks for three years so they can enter the fray as a redshirt junior.

You need AT LEAST two quarterbacks ready at all times. The chances of getting through a season without injury is small enough that it would be foolish to not have AT LEAST two quarterbacks ready to go. I would submit that  -- even if the opportunity doesn't present itself in the form of blowout games -- an offensive coordinate must force himself to give the second-stringer (and maybe third) meaningful playing time early on in his career given the high probability that he will be needed before he is "ready."

This should HELP recruiting. Instead of telling somebody -- "look, in the best case (for us), you're going to be holding a clipboard for the better part of three years." We can say this: "you may not be the starter for three years, but you're going to get important playing time early , we will develop special packages for you and given the type of offense we run, you could very well find yourself starting a game as early as your redshirt freshman year."

When Bowden heads out to pasture retires at the end of this season (hopefully), I hope he takes his quarterback succession plan with him.

So, Bill, what's your outlook for the rest of the FSU football season weather-wise?