Florida State vs. Miami 2017Rivalry Week

I wonder what the odds were of this game being played on October 7th, kicking off at 3:30pm, featuring 18-year old true freshman James Blackman as FSU’s starting quarterback.

As of September 1st 2017, the above was a pipe dream as the original kickoff was set for 9/16 at 8pm.. But its October now and after losing redshirt sophomore quarterback Deandre Francois for the year and two games postponed/cancelled because of Hurricane Irma, the 2017 Florida State Seminoles find themselves a most peculiar 1-2 heading into a rescheduled rivalry week.

To put just how odd of a spot head coach Jimbo Fisher is in, not only was the last time he started a true freshman quarterback in 1989 but the last time Florida State lost to Miami, James Blackman was in 5th grade.

So what? No Miami player cares. They want us. They smell blood in the water. They are coming to Tallahassee for the first time in a long time expecting to win. And that's the handicap for the 2017 match up. For the first time in a decade the ‘Canes are a 3 point favorite heading into the game.

The reality is we have two games to judge this FSU team on, and they don’t grade out so high. Blackman has assimilated himself into the starting role, however those around him have not stepped up outside of junior WR Auden Tate, who has scored in each game this season including the game winning touchdown in this teams only win. The shutdown stellar defense has let up dozens of first downs against two sub par offenses, however coming up big in the 4th quarter against Wake Forest pitching three straight 3-and outs giving Blackman the chance he needed to lead his team back.

If FSU has any plans of trying to salvage this season, you will see it in the play of the 5 young men who will suit up and start on the Noles’s offensive line. They were down right horrible last week, and below average the week before. As the OL goes so does the Jimbo Fisher offense. In a complex scheme built on timing and options, an under preforming offensive line does no favors to its young QB who has shown flashes of incredible arm talent yet predicable and understandable panic when the pocket is constantly collapsing around him.

Can the defense play up to its potential and control the trenches against a stout Canes running game featuring Mark Walton? Will Derwin James or south florida native Tavarous McFadden secure their first interception of the year against a first year starter at QB on the orange side of the ball? Will special teams come up big as it has with big returns and a strong kicking game in the last two games, or revert back to how the unit preformed against Alabama? (yes that was also this year). Can the O-line give the young gun a chance to throw the ball around against a suspect Miami secondary? Can they win the one on one battles to spring the run game to open things up for Blackman?

There was a serious case to be made that this is the year Miami would snap the 7 year streak. And that was before Nole nation even knew who James Blackman was.

So what?

Ill be in Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, and ill get to see FSU take back its 2017 season with its 8th straight win against the Miami Hurricanes.

23-16 Noles.