Nov 14, 2015; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive end Demarcus Walker (44) battles at the line against North Carolina State Wolfpack offensive tackle Will Richardson (66) during the second half of the game at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
FSU football schedule predictions and early game-by-game preview for 2016. Projecting how the Seminoles will do this year.
– 2016 Florida State Preview
It was a down year for Florida State – the Noles lost two games. Can the schedule work out well enough to get back to the CFP for the second time in three years? Check out the FSU football schedule predictions for every game this season.
Sept. 5 vs. Ole Miss (in Orlando)
Just how good can the Seminoles be offensively right out of the gate? Ole Miss will turn the dogs loose defensively, and it’ll force enough mistakes to take advantage of the big moments early on, but FSU will kick it in midway through the second half. The Noles will have the explosion; the Rebels won’t.
Preseason Prediction: Florida State 34, Ole Miss 24
Sept. 10 vs. Charleston Southern
Even though the Buccaneers are going to be okay, they’re about to get their ship blown out of the water. They went 10-3 last season and reached the FCS playoffs, but this week they’ll simply grab a paycheck and move on.
Preseason Prediction: Florida State 58, Charleston Southern 3
Sept. 17 at Louisville
Florida State is better than Louisville and is coming off a nice week off against Charleston Southern – but it’s about to get hit with a rough loss. The Cardinals get an early home game in Papa John’s, and it’ll take a little while for the Noles to wake up. By the time they do, it’ll be too late as Lamar Jackson comes up with the game of his life.
Preseason Prediction: Louisville 23, Florida State 20
Sept. 24 at South Florida
The Bulls are going to get way, way up for getting FSU in Tampa. The defense will crank it up just enough to keep it close for a little while, and then enough will be enough. The Seminoles’ defense will drop a hammer in the second half with several key stops turning a tight game into a laugher.
Preseason Prediction: Florida State 37, USF 17
Oct. 1 vs. North Carolina
After a couple of rocky games, this is when the Noles look the part. The secondary will dominate, Dalvin Cook will run wild, and the much-hyped matchup of possible ACC Championship teams will get out of hand right away.
Preseason Prediction: Florida State 34, North Carolina 14
Oct. 8 at Miami
After winning six in a row in the series, FSU will worry about having to deal with a new type of Miami team with a new type of attitude. They’ll be right. Mark Richt’s Hurricanes will come up with a terrific defensive performance, while quarterback Brad Kaaya will be effective enough to pull off the upset.
Preseason Prediction: Miami 20, Florida State 17
Oct. 15 vs. Wake Forest
Ohhhhhhh, nooooo. Florida State will be 1-2 in the ACC and coming off a loss to Miami. Wake Forest will be in big, big trouble from the opening kickoff as the FSU 2016 season attitude adjustment begins – a desperate must considering what’s coming next.
Preseason Prediction: Florida State 44, Wake Forest 6
Oct. 29 vs. Clemson
With two losses, the CFP might be a bit out of the picture for FSU without a good win over the Tigers. The ACC title hunt will be back on with a win, and the Noles are going to get one with a tough defensive day against Deshaun Watson to keep him under wraps late. It’ll be a thriller worthy of the hype.
Preseason Prediction: Florida State 23, Clemson 20
Nov. 5 at NC State
It’s an okay Wolfpack team that’ll have a hard time getting anything going against a good schedule. Fresh off the win over Clemson, the Seminoles will look the part with a balanced offensive showing against a program that’s given them a hard time over the years. Don’t expect a road letdown.
Preseason Prediction: Florida State 35, NC State 16
Nov. 11 vs. Boston College
It was a pulling teeth game last season with FSU coming up with a tough, 14-0 win in Chestnut Hill. This time it’ll be all Seminoles after getting up 17-0 in the first quarter.
Preseason Prediction: Florida State 37, Boston College 6
Nov. 19 at Syracuse
Be very, very, very careful with this one, FSU. There’s an extra day off to prepare after playing Boston College on a Friday, but Syracuse is playing its final home game of the season and it’s going to turn everything loose. The Noles might have won eight in a row in the series, but the Orange will make them earn No. 9.
Preseason Prediction: Florida State 30, Syracuse 23
Nov. 26 vs. Florida
The Gators will be far better than they were at the end of last year when they came up with the uggo of all uggo performances in the home loss to the Noles. The defense will be tough, and the offense will move the chains, but the points won’t be there. The game will be closer than the final score.
Preseason Prediction: Florida State 31, Florida 13
2016 Prediction: 10-2
2016 ACC Prediction: 6-2