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Attempting to answer questions still on the mind of every serious Seminole fan

Still bummed about last Thursday, we asked regular contributor Seminole Steve some of the questions still haunting most of our minds. Since Steve has both played and coached the game, he's pretty savvy at analyzing what went wrong and how to fix it.

FSU's defense was a disappointment throughout the season. Do you see changes coming?

Seminole Steve:  The only logical move I can see Jimbo making is getting rid of Bill Miller. Miller did a decent job with the young linebackers as Matthew Thomas came on later in the year but anyone can do that job with the amount of talent given. Charles Kelly needs to move back to linebackers coach and a new secondary coach needs to be brought in. Yes it is noted that Jimbo likes his Defensive coordinators to coach the secondary as well so the calls can be made from the back, as covering wr's and filling the run gaps become more and more important. Odell Haggins has done an amazing job every year although this year may have been the least talent he has had for the amount of top talent we have recruited. Chris Casher never panned out to be a top pass rusher and moved back to LB. Mario Edwards lost a step or two almost comparable to Clowney the previous year whether he was double teamed more or just saving his stock for the draft. Goldman was in and out, NLS was hurt, and Featherston was really the only bright spot vs inferior offensive lines. Put 20-30 lbs on him and he will be the next Brandon Jenkins or Tank Carradine. He is fast, has long arms and can break away from the initial contact of a tackle. Haggins will work him into a top talent as soon as he commits himself to the weight room. 

Charles Kelly is a real work horse which is admirable, but if he is allowed to stay his philosophy has to change. I believe Jimbo will retain him because Muschamp is already gone and so is Pellini (they both worked with Jimbo). Kelly called way too much a passive defense this year and did not utilize the athleticism that Mark Stoops and Pruitt used in the past to become top 10 defenses in the nation. We stayed back and waited for opponents to come to us instead of attacking this year, resulting in less turnovers and more yardage being given up. 

Oregon was the more physical team, though FSU was physically bigger. They out-hustled the Noles and just wanted it more. Which brings up the fundamental question of what happened to our toughness, our attitude of dominating an opponent? We didn't have it this year, even against lesser opponents?

Steve: Intensity and toughness feeds off the coaches. I truly believe we need a loud mouthed, animated coach on the field in charge of the defense. It has been an integral part of our winning process. Even though Stoops didn't run up and down the sidelines and give high fives, he was in their faces and constantly getting into it with Jimbo because they were so competitive. I just don't see it with Kelly, although I believe he will get one more shot to right this ship as we need some continuity on the staff. Four coordinators in four years is just too much.  

Part of Kelly's problem I have noticed is that he is a very relaxed guy. There is nothing wrong with that, as he knows his x's and o's and is great at making adjustments. But here is the thing, is he mastermind enough to develop a plan where the defense can attack and make plays instead of just reacting and changing in the second half? I am not doubting his ability to be a great coach, but he comes across as having no fire in him and doesn't get into his players face when they screw up or when they make a big play. Look at the top defensive coordinators across the leagues, they are very dramatic on the sideline and have a lot of energy. Players feed off a coach's energy and intensity. 

Rose Bowl Roundtable: If it looks like a Duck and quacks like a Duck...

Three ChantRant contributors look deep into the crystal ball before what may be the most exciting game of a season chock full of them.

1. There's no stopping Mariota. But how does FSU's D limit his ability to scamper for huge gains?

Wall St. Nole: I agree, no stopping Mariota directly, so the Noles have to figure out how to take away the rhythm of Oregon's offense. This is almost as difficult. If we can reduce Oregon's assault it will put more situational pressure on Marriota. We can start by stopping the run with Freeman and limiting screen plays. This will require Mariota to run himself or look for one-on-one matchups. You have to like one-on-one with Darby, and Jalen Ramsey has really done well with the tight ends here lately.  

Roswell Nole: Jalen.  Ramsey.  Spy.

Old School Nole: By taking a page from Arizona's defensive strategy. The Wildcats were the only team to beat Arizona this year. They did it with pressure, rushing only three and without blitzing. Mariota still had strong numbers, but less than his average. The intense pressure rattled the Oregon QB enough so that he fumbled twice and wasn't his normally sharp self. This week's news that Mario Edwards has slimmed down to a svelte 278 lbs. could be the key to an FSU win. Imagine a big AND fast number 15 breathing down Mariota's neck all night — a deja vu nightmare of what he faced against 'Zona.

2. How does FSU avoid first half sleep walking and second half desperation?

Wall St. Nole: Execute. They have had some really well designed opening drives in the latter part of the season. Unfortunately they've stalled due to penalties and lack of execution in regards to the route or blocking scheme. With the running game in pure form now, look for the Noles to come out executing a balanced offensive attack. 

Roswell Nole: Preseason is over and they survived.  Now the fun begins and they will be tuned in from the first snap.

Old School Nole: With a laser-focused Jameis Winston at the top of his game — very possibly his last game (let's hope next to last) as a Nole. FSU's first half woes this season, IMO, can be largely blamed on Winston's distractions due to off-field problems. Now that the ominous cloud has been lifted, Jameis will be ready to rock. And it's never been truer, as Winston goes, so go the Noles. Remember his "we ain't leavin' without a victory" speech before the 2013 Clemson game that pushed all the right buttons? Boom! In last year's title game at the Rose Bowl J.W. obviously had butterflies. This year he'll be all business. And if he needed one more incentive, Winston's fierce competitive streak will drive him to prove he's the better QB on the field.

3. Predict not just the final score, but HOW the game will be won?

Wall St. Nole: The Noles D has not shown me enough this year to have a lot of hope to limit points against the best offense in the country. But I'm hoping there is something in the water now that we are "going back to Cali!" 

The Noles get a key first half turnover or special team TD, the offense does its thing and the Noles avoid a late comeback to win 38-35. 

Roswell Nole: 41-38 FSU  Defense sacks Mariota on fourth and goal!

Old School Nole: Like so many FSU games in this crazy season, the Rose Bowl will be a nail biter down to the final tick (which may just be in overtime). And something tells me that it all comes down to one talented toe. Oregon has a good field goal specialist (two of 'em, actually). FSU has a great one. Final score: Noles 51, Oregon 49.

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus: Noles take down gators on the hardwood

by Wall St. Nole

Nope, it's not a typo. Despite the turnover ridden game, the Noles managed to defeat the Florida Gators for the first time in 5 years. With the game tied up and 3 seconds to go, Devon Bookert had an air ball deflected in the basket from a UF player who attempted to rebound the shot. This is the Nole's first quality win (still not a top 25 victory) and is exactly what this team needed with conference play right around the corner. Here are a few quick hits from the game.

Chemistry - The Noles may have finally found a combo that has decent rhythm on the offensive end and rebounds very well on the defensive side. Cofer, Bojo, Bookert, Brandon and X-Man appears to be our best unit. 

Struggles - The Noles may want to continue searching for better setups when attempting to break the full court press. They were awful, so enough said.

No fluke - Montay Brandon's early season scoring was no fluke. He has continued to impress and despite not being a great shooter, he has really turned into a solid player. He is by far the most improved player from last year's squad. His ability to finish on fast breaks and at the basket was something missing from his game for the past 2 years.

Just in case, here are a few words you can use to respond to a quack attack

Been too busy during the holidays to read websites devoted to covering Oregon football? Good. Doing so would probably have kicked your blood pressure into the danger zone. (Sorry, no links. We won't generate any more clicks for them.)

The level of vitriol runs from subtle digs to a kick in the cojones. Some posts are so nasty, you'd think the Rose Bowl isn't a football game — it's a titanic battle of good vs. evil

Evil, of course, is how Florida State is cast because of the obvious — focusing mainly on Winston, but including Dalvin Cook, P.J. Williams and others. Most of the accusations are recycled half-truths, innuendoes and spin from the New York Times. 

As you might expect, there's no effort to balance the rants with silly things like facts that don't fit the narrative. 

FSU fans are not spared the mean-spirited cheap shots. We're seen as amoral rednecks; the polar opposite of west coast cool.

In short, hate is what's being ginned up. 

The question now is, will Oregon fans take the bait? If you're in SoCal and wearing Seminole gear, don't be shocked to hear a little snarky stuff while waiting for your Double-Double at In And Out Burger. 

So if things get a little chippy, here's how to put the sanctimonious in their place. With just two words.

Jeremiah Masoli. 

Yes, the Ducks have a (former) QB of their own that was no angel.

In March of 2010, Coach (Chip) Kelly suspended Masoli for the entire 2010 season after he pleaded guilty to burglary for the theft of laptops and a guitar from an OU frat house. 

Masoli practiced with the team during the spring, obviously looking toward a return in 2011. But in June of 2010, Masoli was kicked off the team after arrest for marijuana possession and driving infractions.

But then Oregon knew they were getting a kid with a shady past. During high school Masoli spent nearly three months in a juvenile facility for robbery.

Those are facts you, and any Oregon fan, can Google. 

How soon they forget.

December Blues for FSU Hoops

by Wall St. Nole

The Noles have hobbled into December with a 6-4 record. At times it's not too pretty for the Noles as they are without their starting point guard in Devon Bookert, and leading scorer Aaron Thomas has missed time as well. Although there have been flashes of real solid play the Noles aren't turning heads and they appear to be "rebuilding" yet again. Here are a few quick takes as FSU preps for December and a schedule that will show little mercy. 

Repetition.  We did a blog post earlier in the year that I could easily repeat. The 3 point defense is horrific. What happened to the Junkyard D? With fresh faces and constant lineup changes, the Noles will have to develop consistency on the defensive end to have a chance at keeping up come conference play. 

Bigs Improving.  I like the idea of BoJo in the starting lineup. He can be a bit flakey at times but he is consistent around the rim and the guys love feeding him. OJO and J Smith continue to improve, and you have to like the athleticism from the freshman Cofer. 

AT, X-Man and MB.  Yes I know everyone calls him XRM, but not us. X-man is way cooler. Back to the topic at hand. If anyone can get us back on track it has to be a combo of these 3 guys. Aaron Thomas looks a bit rusty coming back from his dehydration issues and XRM has been handling the point well but shooting very inconsistently. The bright spot is Montay Brandon, who had a career high with 23 points against UCF and as discussed before, looks like a completely different player this year. We need to define roles for these 3 guys, set expectations and work on rhythm and timing. This is a really good trio but we have to pay attention to detail to start getting W's on the board. 

The Noles will be in action this Saturday night when they take on Notre Dame in South Bend. You can catch that game at 8:00 on ESPN 2.      

The ACC Championship Game, or: The Only Way To Watch Decent Football In Charlotte

By Teddy Hayduk
On Twitter: @tmhayduk

Let’s talk about Georgia Tech. Well—more specifically—lets talk about Georgia Tech’s football team…because (lets get real), none of you reading this went to Georgia Tech—and rightfully so. If I wanted to spend four years on a campus comprised almost entirely of male engineering nerds I would have gone to UF at half the price. Not exactly a target rich environment. But I digress. I want to talk about Georgia Tech’s football team because as it turns out there is a whole other division of the ACC that also has football teams who play against each other. And, by rule, one of them has to play against a team from the real ACC in the ACC Championship Game. I know—I was surprised too. This game will take place on Saturday in Charlotte, NC. If you arent familiar, here is some background. NC is known for many interesting things such as fielding two collegiate basketball teams that can beat the resident professional team, being the ancestral "home" of basketball, and acting as a haven for NASCAR fans who consider themselves "to classy" to attend races at Daytona and 'Dega.

Anyway, as a devoted and respected member of the sports media (sporadic blog contributor counts, damnit) and a real life actual PhD student, I must remain open-minded and give this ridiculous excuse for a state as well as GA Tech the credit they deserve. After all, they have actually won an ACC Championship game as recently as 2009…which the NCAA vacated due to the results of an investigation. Regardless, they beat out Clemson 39-34 in that game, and any team that causes Dabo to make that face where you cant tell if he’s sad or just really dumb is alright in my book.

Sad or dumb? You be the judge.

 The fact of the matter is that the triple option offense is not difficult or particularly tricky to defend. There are, as the name implies, three possible destinations for the football on any given play. While that may sound like a lot, think of the fact that when FSU has four eligible receivers and a running back in the formation, there are five—six if you include Jameis as a running threat—for a defense to worry about. So, in actuality, three isn’t too bad. The reason defenses hate playing against the triple option offense is two reasons: a) it’s really really ridiculously boring to defend and b) the offensive line will utilize cut blocks on every play.

The first reason is pretty obvious—it takes a lot of mental stamina and patience to play “assignment” football. Essentially this means a defensive player will have to maintain what coaches call eye and hip disciple. This comes down to knowing who you’re responsible for tackling, keeping your eye on that offensive player, and maintaining a committed pursuit to that player even if he doesn’t have the football. This goes against many defensive players instincts. Specifically, it targets those defenses that rely on the “see ball, get ball” strategy of doing business.

It's the Wreck Tech Roundtable: Three questions answered by three savvy Noles

1. What the heck is up with Jameis and all those INT's?

Wall St. Nole: Jameis had the worst day of his career as his turnovers, specifically in the first half continue to mount. I am of the thought that his performance is not due to the issues surrounding the hearing. He has handled that adversity well. As far as Saturday, we hadn't played a secondary that good since Louisville where he had similar results. That means unfortunately, we have to give some credit to the Gators. On top of that, the play calling hasn't helped him much as everything lately appears to be underneath or in tight windows. He HAS to start making better decisions on his reads. Throw in the ineffectiveness of Bobo Wilson, having a RB out wide on the first pick, O-line penalties digging him in a hole and you have your self a pretty rough day. 

Roswell Nole: There's something physical going on with Jameis. Either he's not "compartmentalizing" the off-field stuff well and/or maybe the ankle is causing his mechanics to suffer. His decision-making seems to be okay, it's just the amazing throws he was making last year-often into very tight windows-are few and far between this season. He's even overthrowing open receivers some, and that never happened in 2013.

Teddy Hayduck: Jameis’ first half struggles this past week seem to be a combination of a few circumstances. First, let’s be clear that 2 of his 4 interceptions were spectacular defensive plays, not a misthrow or poor judgment on his part. UF’s secondary was head and shoulders above the rest that he has seen this season. Therefore fitting the ball into certain gaps becomes difficult when he is used to defenses that are slow to react or athletically inferior. That being said, his INT-spree this season has been a re-occurring issue, due mainly in part to a natural regression to the mean process. His level of average play probably lies somewhere between last season’s statistical representations and this season’s.

2. Does FSU's D have enough gas left in the tank to deal physically with Tech — AND mentally with the Jacket's tricky Triple Option?

Roswell Nole:  Absolutely. The progress the defense has made this year is remarkable, and that side of the ball is relatively healthy so the depth should be adequate. As it has been stated, Kelly's familiarity with Tech's offense will help immensely. I'd look for the Nole D to start well.

Teddy Hayduk: The question of ‘enough gas left in the tank’ is an interesting one because FSU’s starters have probably played twice as much football this season as they did last season. That wears you down fast. It will be interesting to see what happens, but I think they dig deep and make the plays they need to. Mentally, preparing for the IIIO feels a lot like studying for the Verbal SAT. It’s tedious, boring, and repetitive. Jimbo will have to instill the importance of staying mentally tough for the final 60 minutes of the ACC season.

Georgia Tech's Triple Option is all about...well, let's Coach Paul Johnson explain

The Basics.

The Long Version.

The Really-Inside-Baseball Version.

Noles Win Again! Championship Week is Finally Here

by Wall St. Nole

It was the defense's day to shine on Saturday as the Noles took down the Gators. Despite 4 turnovers, the defense held UF to multiple field goals and only one touchdown on the day.

Here are a few quick hits on Saturday's game along with looking ahead to the ACC Championship in Charlotte this Saturday. 

Luck or Skill.  I'm here to tell you the win streak is NOT by luck. There are a lot skilled players on this team that step up when the situation arises. It seems they can't all get on the same page for a dominant win but the talent level of this team is often overlooked. Jameis Winston had the worst day of his career Saturday but the defense had his back. The linebacker corps along with great individual plays made the difference in this game. 

Return Team Woes.  What's going on with that unit? Karlos took the opening kick slower than a turtle, Kermit continues to fall on his own and we can't block to save our life. On Monday, Fisher implemented yet more changes to the lineup to assist in better blocking. I assume this will be a big emphasis all week.

Iron Chef.  I've mentioned the "Cook" is in the kitchen but I'm here to tell you he is an Iron Chef. You would have to go back to Travis Minor in 1997 to find a similar FSU freshman campaign. This guy has all the tools and is lights out. Fisher continues to have more confidence in him and I really believe the sky is the limit. At this moment he is miles ahead of any other back on this team. Give him the rock!

Back to defending the Option.  Obviously Seminole fans would have preferred to play Duke in the ACC Championship, but that ended up not being the draw. I think we all are a bit more concerned than we would like to be for this game. The good news is the improvement the team showed from the BC game to the UF game. We are nowhere close to being a dominant Defense but we have highly skilled players who can make a big difference. If the Noles can win the defensive battle on first down we have a great chance of victory in Charlotte. On the offensive side of the ball, look for Jameis to bounce back against a soft GT defense. 

The FSU-Uf game may be over, but the memorable photo images keep on coming

Sideline shots from Saturday by Chris Holder Photography.