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Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Florida State Football Preview 2025: The Seminoles Hit the Refresh Button
What happened to Florida State? This isn't actually all that program got caught in an all-time bad break perfect storm at the end of 2023 to miss out on the CFP, made worse by a 63-3 Orange Bowl loss to a Georgia team that could've put up 80+ if it tried, and …Because there wasn't enough horrible luck for that Seminole team, it was the last year of the four-team the hits just kept onnnnnnnn coming. X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN Florida State Offense BreakdownFlorida State Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to SeasonAfter suffering the most brutal of gut punches, Florida State seemingly had a good enough team returning to quickly get back on track. Fully motivated, it all instantly fell apart after a last-second loss to Georgia Tech in Ireland. From there, the bad vibes never went away. Oh, and 2024 Florida State played a way harder schedule than it did the year 2023 team was great, starting with a dominant win over Jayden Daniels and a strong LSU team in the opener, but lost in history was how FSU slipped by Clemson because Dabo's 19th-string kicker biffed the game-winning field goal try in regulation. Also forgotten was that the LSU win and the ACC Championship victory over Louisville were the two victories over teams that won ten games. In all, the 2023 team played seven games in the regular season against teams that went bowling. The 2024 team played 11 - Charleston Southern was the lone outlier - including five that won ten games or more. Three of those were against CFP teams, and one was against a Notre Dame squad that played for the national doesn't mean Florida State should've lost to Boston College by 15, or to North Carolina by 24, or to Florida 20, all at home. And now this becomes a wildly interesting experiment. From 12-1, to 1-11, to almost completely starting over, at least with the starters, FSU is loaded with upperclassmen, it's totally reliant on new guys, and that might be exactly what the program should be between 11 to 15 new starters for the opener against Alabama who weren't part of the 2023 fun or the 2024 pity party. Getting Gus Malzahn as the offensive coordinator was a coup, there's a new defensive coordinator, and overall, the refresh should get everything going again. It might be one of those Mike Tyson "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth" things with Alabama to kick things off, but there's talent, along with decent depth on the way to a bowl. Remember, FSU has only been to three or those since there's an expanded playoff this time around, just in case head coach Mike Norvell makes it three double-digit winning seasons in four years. But that only happens if he gets a lot more out of his … Florida State Offense BreakdownFlorida State Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Iowa Football Preview 2025: The Hawkeyes Are Set For A 10-Win Season
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a great pitcher named Bret Saberhagen. He's a fringe Hall of Fame candidate who won two Cy Youngs, a World Series, and had a great career. He's also forever known for a long stretch of rocking in odd-numbered years and being blah in even-numbered football has become the Bret Saberhagen of the Big Ten, winning ten games in 2019, 2021, and 2023, and failing to get past eight victories in 2020 (to be fair, there were only eight games), 2022, and 2024. X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN Iowa Offense BreakdownIowa Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season Iowa has won ten or more games in a season 11 times. Eight of them have been under Kirk Ferentz. Appearances in good bowl games have become the norm. The team committed the fewest penalties per game in all of college football, only Air Force was flagged for fewer yards, there weren't problems with turnovers, and ...Iowa lost to UCLA and Michigan State. If last year's team beat the Bruins and Spartans - who both finished with losing seasons - it would've been a ten-win Hawkeyes were good, but five of the eight wins were against teams that ended up under .500, another was against Illinois State from the FCS, and another came against a meh Nebraska that's been part of the formula for Iowa. It usually beats all of the teams it's supposed to. In the 10-4 2023 season, Northwestern was the only FBS team Iowa beat that finished with more than seven 2021 and 2019, Iowa won ten games in both seasons, beat good Minnesota teams, and the other 18 games came against the meh. This year, Oregon will finish with more than seven wins. So will Penn State, and so will a few other good teams on the Iowa slate. So no, Iowa might not get to ten wins without a little bit of help, but it's 2025. It's an odd year in so many a program overdue to make the College Football Playoff, and puts itself in a position to win every year, it might just Saberhagen its way into something special. Iowa Offense BreakdownIowa Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
SMU Football Preview 2025: The Mustangs Are Built To Do It Again
Well that last season, SMU hadn't won a regular season game against a Power Five-now-Power-Four program against anyone by TCU since an all-time bet-on-yourself move, SMU became a part of the ACC, but without taking a dime of TV revenue until 2032. It was looking to raise the school's profile with a long-term plan, and it helped get the alumni fired up and ready to write and Cal were the higher-profile gets for the ACC, SMU was expected to be a nice scrimmage for the established programs, and then ... probably didn't belong in the expanded College Football Playoff - technically, a case could've been made for BYU instead with an 18-15 win over the Mustangs in Dallas - but let's start with this. If last year at this exact time, you were told SMU would be in the CFP discussion ... X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN2025 SMU PreviewSMU Offense BreakdownSMU Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to SeasonSMU almost pulled off a thriller of a comeback in a 34-31 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship, and it got its shot. In the ten years of the College Football Playoff, no two-loss Power Five/Four program would've been left out of an expanded 12-team model - it had to be done. SMU had to be what that the Mustangs were outplayed and outclassed in a blowout loss at Penn State. They made it. Everything the school could've dreamed of came true. SMU made the (bleep)ing College Football Playoff. Texas A&M hasn't done that. Neither has Baylor, Texas Tech, or Houston. Take it outside of the football-mad state - Wisconsin, Florida, Ole Miss, Auburn, Missouri, USC, Utah, and Iowa have yet to make the last year, Penn State and Tennessee hadn't been in, it wasn't a fluke. Okay, so the ACC was fourth among the Power Four conferences by about a gajillion miles. SMU hung up 66 on TCU, walloped Florida State 42-16, took out a good Louisville squad, and in all, beat six teams that went bowling, and again, almost took out Clemson. All head coach Rhett Lashlee has done is go 22-6 over the last two seasons and 29-12 since taking the job in recruiting class was terrific, the staff kept around everyone important, crushed the transfer portal for key positions, the depth is better, and the starting 22 will be more talented than last year's schedule is tougher - Florida State will likely rebound, Miami is on the slate this time around, and good luck with those road trips to TCU and Clemson - and the team will be the hunted, but after last year, you're insane to think SMU can't do it all again. SMU Offense BreakdownSMU Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Illinois Offense Preview 2025: The Fighting Illini Are Loaded
The Illinois offense only averaged 365 yards per game. It didn't run well, it wasn't explosive, and it didn't come up with a ton of first downs, but it didn't turn the ball over in bulk, and when things were working, it kept games in total now it comes back transfer portal is helping with the depth and options, but if you liked what you saw last year out of the starting 11, get ready for more, starting with ... X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN2025 Illinois Preview Illinois Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season - Luke Altmyer is back for a third season, throwing 35 touchdown passes after transferring over from Ole Miss in 2023. He runs just well enough to be a positive, but his fifth-year senior leadership will be the biggest positive. Ethan Hampton (Northern Illinois) is a capable backup who can move. - The offense might be loaded with veterans, but it's losing the combination of Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin. Those two led the way with 109 catches, and now it's up to Malik Elzy to rise up on the outside, and Collin Dixon and Hank Beatty to step up in the slot. Hudson Clement (West Virginia) and Justin Bowick (Ball State) are deep play threats. The tight ends aren't stars, but they can bring the pop. Tanner Arkin caught 16 passes with three scores last year. - Leading rusher Josh McCray took off for Georgia, but the Illinois running backs are good if they can stay in one piece. Aidan Laughery was second on the team with 589 yards and four scores, Kaden Feagin is a 250-pound load, and there's just enough depth to be okay. - The line is loaded with experience, and now it has to be far stronger. It was decent for the ground game, but the pass protection needs tweaking. JC Davis is an All-Big Ten left tackle, and Melvin Priestly has a world of upside on the other side, if he doesn't kick inside to Josh Kreutz should be an all-star, and guards Josh Gesky and Brandon Henderson are massive 325+ pound blasters. Illinois Defense Breakdown2025 Illinois Preview Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Duke Blue Devils Offense Preview 2025: Will Darian Mensah Be THAT Good?
X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN2025 Duke PreviewDuke Offense BreakdownDuke Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season - The offense wasn't along for the ride, but it didn't exactly hold up its end of the bargain like the defense did. It was horrible on third downs, the passing game wasn't effective enough, and the rushing attack was among the worst in the nation. - Quarterback Maalik Murphy was and is great, but he threw too many picks and didn't hit enough third down throws to keep things moving. He's off to Oregon State, the program paid retail for Darian Mensah from Tulane, and now the big downfield plays should come. Henry Belin IV is a strong No. 2 option. - Que'Sean Brown and Sahmir Hagans are decent returning receivers - they finished third and fourth in yards, respectively, but the firepower is coming in through the Anthony started his career at Michigan, went to Oklahoma, and wasn't able to stay healthy. If he's in one piece, he's a deep threat star on the outside. Cooper Barkate (Harvard) caught 63 passes for 1,084 yards and 11 scores last season. - The offensive line was among the best in the nation in pass protection, but it didn't do much for the running game that averaged just 93 yards per game. Almost all of the starters from late in the season are back, with Brian Parker the best of the lot at one tackle job.- Jaquez Moore was second on the team in rushing in 2023, got hurt last year, and now he's back, along with last year's second-leading rusher, Peyton Jones. Mensah will add rushing yards, too. Duke Defense Breakdown 2025 Duke Preview Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
