Jacksonville State is going to smell blood in the water. Everyone knows that FSU, once a storied program, has been completely dismantled. They are worse off now than Miami ever was in the last 20 years. Think on that for a moment. Worse than the Randy Shannon years. Yes, worse than the Golden years.
We may have had our problems over the years but we had athletes that were only poorly coached. We were only ever a great QB, a competent coach, or a kicker away from sniffing greatness yet we still went no worse than 5-7. Analyst are legit talking about FSU having an 0-something season. They don't have an experienced position group to build around. Their coaches command no respect in the locker room and the program is still reeling from the effects of horribly negotiated coaching contracts. Not enough can be said about the cultural problems plaguing FSU. Of all the problems they have, the culture problem will be the most difficult to surmount. The opportunity the portal presents makes being an athlete at a terribly-run program an enticing go-to option. Add the COVID eligibility waiver--the stars literally could not have align for a worse favor for FSU. Just keep it in perspective. For all the years full of weeping and gnashing of teeth at Miami, we were never in as bad of shape as they are. Norvell is going to have to cycle out all the poison in the locker room that has likely infected their underclassmen. We're talking minimum 4 years of rebuilding with a more realistic expectation of 6-8 seasons before they see any meaningful fruit from a uniform Norvell recruiting class.
I'm going to go with FSU in this one--but coyly, by a field goal. Jacksonville State will keep it close and competitive and I would not find it surprising if they pull off the upset. FCS programs are always looking for a signature FBS win. This might be the closest they'll come to one since 2010.