Three years ago, the Tennessee Vols received lots of backlash for backing out of a contract it had to face the Army Black Knights in 2022. UT’s performance that season and their 2006 close win over the Air Force Falcons validated that move. Now, it looks like FSU Football should have followed suit.
The Florida State Seminoles, entering the year ranked No. 10, suffered a shocking 24-21 upset loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland to open the season over the weekend. It was the biggest Week 0 splash in a while and should’ve never had the opportunity to happen.
One of the most dangerous things you can do as a top 10 program is schedule a game against a lesser opponent who is just capable enough of upsetting you and doing so in an environment that only increases those odds. That’s exactly what Mike Norvell’s team did here.
FSU Football lost a ton of talent from a year ago, they brought in a new quarterback in D.J. Uiagalelei and were facing a defensive-oriented team with a solid coach in Brent Key who returned everybody from a 7-6 team a year ago. This had all the makings of an upset already.
However, the decision by FSU Football to play this game overseas in Ireland, which would inevitably generate more sloppy play, only furthered GT’s advantage. The ‘Noles set themselves up for a loss, one they should have backed out of regardless of what it would say about their reputation.
To take it back to Tennessee Football, the service academies run the triple option. That requires teams like the Vols to completely change their practice habits one week in the middle of the season to face them. If that service academy is good in a particular year, it’s even more dangerous.
UT paid for this move in 2006. The Vols hosted Air Force between two top 10 teams, the Cal Golden Bears, whom they beat 35-18, and the eventual national champion Florida Gators. They had to hold on to beat Air Force 31-30, and it cost them a season-ending injury to star defensive tackle Justin Harrell and a career-ending injury to star cornerback Inky Johnson.
A week later, they lost to the Florida Gators 21-20, and they ended up being two late drives by Florida and the LSU Tigers away from going 11-1, winning the East and being in the national championship hunt. That will would have been in play if two of their best defensive players didn’t go down playing Air Force.
In 2022, they would have played Army after that emotional overtime win they had over the Pittsburgh Panthers and just before Florida came to town. Would they really have pulled out the Pitt win if that next week was hanging over their heads? It seems unlikely.
All this is to say that while scheduling a splash game like one against a service academy or in Ireland may be good for the fans, but it only serves to hurt powerhouse programs. FSU Football learned the hard way just what that means.
