Florida State Needed to Lose

Saturday night, I watched the game in downtown Atlanta and was in absolute shock as Lance Austin returned a block field goal all the way back for a touchdown to defeat Florida State and snap their 28 game ACC winning streak. It stung, no pun intended (Yellow Jackets). The only feeling I could equate this loss to was our last ACC loss, against NC State in Raleigh. There are many similarities between the two losses. For one in both games Florida State scored 16 points in the first half and followed it up with a big goose egg in the second half. In both games, Florida State squandered red zone opportunities in the first half that would've possibly put the game away. Lastly, Jimbo Fisher's over-conservative play calling took our offense out of rhythm and led to an offense with no flow throughout both games. Now here's where they the losses are not the exact same yet, the 2012 NC State loss was the best thing to happen to the eventual 2013 National Champion 'Noles. Only time will tell if this Georgia Tech loss will be the best thing to happen to the 2016 version.

Ask anyone on that National Championship team about the NC State loss and they will tell you it was one of the main turning points and main reasons they went undefeated in 2013. The 'Noles had just come off a huge win against the #10 Clemson Tigers. EJ Manuel and co. were on cloud nine and everyone had us as a real player in the chase for a National Title. We went into Raleigh, a place where we always struggle to win, still high from our performance from the previous week. After we took a 16 to 0 lead at halftime we seemingly napped through the entire second half only to be rudely awakened by Mike Glennon completing a pass to Bryan Underwood for a touchdown. That was it. 17 to 16. NC State pulled off the massive upset. Till this day, it's most painful loss I have experienced as a Florida State fan. And that's taking into consideration, last Saturday, and even games like Wake Forest in 2008. That 2012 team was stacked with future pros ones whose NFL careers we could write entire articles about. Without that loss and the way it happened, we do not win the National Championship in 2013. A certain freshman who red-shirted that year made a lasting impression on his teammates that night in Carter-Finley Stadium.

Telvin Smith is the greatest leader that I have seen come through Florida State, Lamarcus Joyner was the first big time recruit to commit top Jimbo, and Rashad Greene is the best receiver possibly to wear the garnet and gold. The three of them along with the rest of the returning playeres were determined to not let NC State happen again in the 2013 season. Jameis Winston had a huge part in the magical run, but we forget all the people around him that had struggled to get FSU over that hump as consistent National contenders. Every player on that team knew how terrible it felt to lose to a team they had no business losing to, that fueled the fire and that is why we blew out almost every team we played in the 2013 season. Compare that to the 2015 team and only a small number know what a tough loss actually feels like, only 13 of our 85 scholarship players have suffered an ACC loss. Only six of them played in that game in Raleigh. Take those stats in. Crazy.

A majority of Florida State's team will be back next year. We lose Everett Golson, Niles Lawrence-Stample, Reggie Northrup, and Terrance Smith to graduation and likely Jalen Ramsey to the NFL. Those are some big names, but offensively we should be more consistent with everyone returning. That being said, it is always scary when you have a question mark at quarterback. The quarterbacks we have possess a great deal of potential but no experience unless you consider Sean Maguire. Defensively, we are loaded on the line and in the secondary, but linebacker will be a weakness barring a big time recruiting class at the position. Most importantly, what this team will have more of than the past year and a half is an edge to show the nation that they can play with best of them. Nobody enjoys losing, but a loss can humble anybody. The 2013 team was special, we may never see another one like it at Florida State, but that team had to learn what a loss tasted like before it learned what a win did. The Georgia Tech game was much more of a crazy, fluke ending than the NC State loss, but it provided a wake up call to the Seminoles. Just walking out on the field in the garnet and gold does not guarantee a victory. Training in the off-season, focusing on minor details, and playing your tail off every play, that right there is what wins you games. It hurts to say, but Florida State needed this loss. Now it is time for the next group of 'Noles to start their own streak. Hopefully, a year from now we will be thanking Georgia Tech for waking up a sleeping giant.

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