FSU football: What the 2023 Season Meant to Me & The Seminole Program Moving Forward.
Why this iteration of the Florida State Seminoles may be my favorite team of all time.
Happy New Year to all Renegade Report subscribers! I hope all of you have had a great start to 2024, even though it ended in an anti-climactic fashion for our beloved Seminoles. The truth is, there is not a whole lot to say about the 90th version of the Orange Bowl that would be construed as positive for Florida State. The best part about the game in my view is that so many players were able to play, and the coaching staff was able to get a better gauge of where these players were in their development. I also believe to the contrary, the team played hard, even though they had an impossible task ahead of them.
This team considered their season to be over when they were snubbed from the CFP. Every single goal they set out to achieve was accomplished from winning the conference title to ending an inglorious losing streak against Clemson. Florida State fans cannot let the results of December change how they feel about this team and what they meant to all of us this season.
I have been alive for every single FSU national title team. I remember shedding tears when Florida State won it all 10 years ago in Pasadena. However, this 2023 Florida State Seminoles football team might just be my favorite FSU team of all time. Why would a team that didn’t even get to play for a national title earn my favor over three FSU teams that did? The 2023 version of the Seminoles did more to give me a personal connection to the team than any other version that I have witnessed.
FSU’s main NIL collective The Battle’s End did a particularly amazing job of showing off the personalities of the team. The FSU faithful were treated to great content that included Keon Coleman being a total foodie when it comes to Waffle House and McDonald’s. We were especially touched to see Johnny Wilson’s interview expressing real fear and anxiety about FSU being his last chance to play football at the highest level. The 2023 team also showed us how to handle adversity that comes in all forms.
Our hearts were shattered when Jordan Travis was lost for the season with a lower leg injury. How the team responded should be a part of FSU lore forever. The defense stepped up when the offense was shorthanded and delivered two of the greatest performances in program history consecutively. We all felt angry when the NCAA denied Darrell Jackson’s waiver to play, despite transferring to be closer to his ailing mother. He showed true resolve in the face of adversity by continuing to practice hard and helping his team prepare for games. More than anything though, this team was just fun to watch.
Sometimes you didn’t always know what you were going to get with the 2023 Florida State Seminoles, but that wasn’t always a bad thing. We were treated to a dominating second half against SEC power LSU. I know I leapt out of my chair when Kalen DeLoach forced a pivotal fumble that he then scooped and scored a touchdown on to flip the momentum on our side against Clemson. The Deuce Spann kickoff return touchdown helped FSU halt Duke’s momentum and allowed us to turn the tide in our favor for a three score victory.
I can only speak for me, but this recent Florida State squad has captivated me more than any other FSU team in program history. NIL allowed fans to see a side of their favorite players that they would have not been able to see in recent years. This team took on the identity of its head coach, and continued to battle even in the face of some insurmountable odds. They had a clutch gene that is rare, but can only be found in the greatest of athletic teams. That is what made them fun to watch.
I refuse to let 13 spineless cowards who convened in a Grapevine, Texas hotel steal my joy from arguably my favorite season of college football fandom. While this season could have and should’ve been so much more than it was, let’s celebrate everything that was accomplished. Our program is no longer a laughing stock, and is very much here to stay as a national power.
Agreed! It was tough getting curb stomped in the Orange Bowl but this is my team! Can’t wait for ‘24!
Well said!