For all of the good things Christian Ponder accomplished in his three years as Florida State’s starting quarterback, a strange sense of excitement has surrounded his graduation. It’s not that FSU fans failed to appreciate Ponder’s ability or production; he was unquestionably the Seminoles’ best quarterback since Chris Weinke won the Heisman Trophy following the 2000 season. But there has been a buzz about new starter EJ Manuel since he signed with FSU in February 2008, and his limited playing time thus far has done nothing to diminish those expectations.
While filling in at various stages during Ponder’s injury-plagued junior and senior seasons, Manuel went 4–2 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2010 Gator Bowl. He also came off the bench to guide the Seminoles to a Chick-fil-A Bowl victory against South Carolina at the end of last season.
And when he takes over as the full-time starter, Manuel will be surrounded by perhaps the most talented offense FSU fans have watched in a decade. The Seminoles return their top five running backs, all of their top receivers, and they have a slew of talented newcomers entering the fold.
Though he came up as an offensive coach, Jimbo Fisher knows full well the importance of quality defense — especially after serving for several years on Nick Saban’s staff at LSU. And when he talks about the Seminoles’ chances for success in 2011, the second-year head coach sounds more excited about that side of the ball than he does his own offense.
Fisher’s excitement starts in the secondary, where the Seminoles are absolutely loaded at cornerback. They have Chick-fil-A Bowl Defensive MVP Greg Reid on one side and Xavier Rhodes, a 2010 Freshman All-American, on the other.
But FSU should be much improved in the front seven as well, and coordinator Mark Stoops should have more freedom to add wrinkles now that all of the key players are entering their second seasons in his system.
Florida State’s players, coaches and fans are confident this program is on the cusp of a return to national prominence, but those dreams will be tested during a crucial two-game stretch in late September. First, the Seminoles will play host to an Oklahoma team that simply dismantled them last year in Norman, Okla. Then, they will go on the road one week later to face Clemson, which always seems to give them fits; FSU hasn’t won at Death Valley since 2001.
A loss in either game will feel like a major setback, but the Seminoles still would have a strong chance to improve upon last season’s 9–3 regular season.