2010 Florida State Seminoles: Predictions and 2011 BCS Odds

The 34 year reign of Bobby Bowden has ended at Florida State as he put the program on the map and won 2 national championships with many more near misses. Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher takes over in 2010 college football predictions and will have an offense with 9 returning starters including quarterback Christian Ponder, a senior who threw for 2,717 yards last year. Junior running back Jermaine Thomas, the Seminoles leading rusher, also returns to an attack that scored 30 points per game last year. Online sportsbooks have the 2010 Seminoles as a 50-1 longshot in BCS odds for the national championship.

The defense has plenty of talent but is short on experience with just 6 starters back to a unit that was uncharacteristically bad last year allowing 30 points per game in college football odds. Mark Stoops, brother of OU head man Bob, is the new defensive coordinator and improvement should be expected. Florida State was slipping badly under Bowden as they were just 7-6 last year and needed a bowl win over West Virginia to send him out with a winning record. They have not had a 10-win season since 2003 and last won the Atlantic Coast Conference title in 2005. Optimism is high in Tallahassee as Fisher is a breath of fresh air with a new staff that will bring much needed enthusiasm and a new approach to the Seminoles.

Florida State has been a poor college football betting value over the years with just two seasons in the black out of the last nine and just one profitable season in the last six. FSU was 4-8 against the spread last year and has not had a winning season as a home chalk since all the way back in 2000. Much like a poor performing stock with potential they could have a nice rebound year in 2010. There is a tough non conference game at Oklahoma on this year’s schedule along with a tough conference road game at Miami but home games against ACC contenders North Carolina and Clemson.