The ACC Football schedule, which was finalized yesterday, does not seem to favor Florida State, raising questions about potential biases in response to the team’s desire to leave the conference, possibly exacerbated by a recent 63-3 bowl game loss to Georgia. While the conference has not explicitly stated anything, a closer look at the schedule prompts speculation.
The season begins relatively easily for the Seminoles with matchups against Georgia Tech, Boston College, Memphis, and California, either at home or at neutral sites. However, a challenging six-game stretch follows, potentially against future bowl-eligible teams. With only one bye week between Clemson and Duke, and four away games, the schedule is demanding. The opponents in this stretch, along with their 2023 records, are as follows:
– AT SMU (11-3 in 2023)
– VS Clemson (9-4 in 2023)
– AT Duke (8-5 in 2023)
– AT Miami (7-6 in 2023)
– VS North Carolina (8-5 in 2023)
– AT Notre Dame (10-3 in 2023)
Facing teams with a combined record of 53-24 from the previous season, and considering four away games, there is a realistic possibility that Florida State might enter this challenging period at 4-0 and finish with a 7-3 record, potentially ranked low or unranked.
The opponents and nonconference schedule were determined on October 30th, before Florida State became vocal against the ACC Conference. While the exact dates were pending, the teams were known. While there’s no concrete evidence that the ACC intentionally made the Seminoles’ schedule difficult, the circumstances raise suspicions, especially given the predetermined nonconference games.
Although Florida State has a good chance of making the 12-team College Football Playoff if they go undefeated or lose only two games, the tough schedule, particularly with many away games, means they’ll need to perform exceptionally well to finish with a 10-2 record or better.
Florida State kicks off the season in Week 0 against ACC rival Georgia Tech and concludes with a nonconference matchup against the Florida Gators.
