Five Takes: Louisville post-mortem
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This week's Five Takes include:
1. Was Saturday's setback the most embarrassing loss in school history
2. How massively is FSU's defense underachieving
3. Postseason possibilities should FSU run the table
4. Is it time for some personnel changes?
5. Weekly Stat Wrap
1. FSU’s most embarrassing loss?
No matter how you look at it, Florida State’s 63-20 loss to Louisville was one of the worst in program history. In fact, the 43-point setback was the biggest loss point-wise since the ‘Noles fell to rival Miami, 47-0, in 1976. And if not for a 10-point rally in the final minutes Saturday, it would have been the most lopsided loss in the 59-year history of the program.
So where does the loss rank among the all-time worst outings for the Seminoles? Here’s my bottom five:
1. 2016: Louisville 63, Florida State 20 – Unlike some of the other setbacks, No. 2 FSU was stomped in all facets of the game before a national television audience, including ESPN’s College GameDay. The 43-point setback was the second-worst in school history, and the 63 points scored by Louisville was the most ever given up by the Seminoles.
2. 1988: Miami 31, Florida State 0 – Florida State was ranked No. 1 at the time and suffered a shutout loss against its bitter in-state rival to open the season. The humiliating loss was made worse by the fact that the Seminole players produced a rap video touting their greatness prior to the start of the season.
3. 2006: Wake Forest 30, Florida State 0 – Many tab this game as the school’s most embarrassing loss, but at the time the Seminoles were unranked and Wake Forest, which would go on to win the ACC, was No. 18 at the time. But this game is deserving of the top five considering that FSU was shut out at home against an ACC opponent.
4. 2001: North Carolina 41, Florida State 9 – FSU was ranked No. 5 at the time and fell apart in the second half against an unranked North Carolina team. This was the first of many disappointing setbacks during the infamous “Lost Decade.”
5. 2002: Louisville 26, Florida State 20 (OT) – FSU was ranked No. 4 and fell to an unranked Louisville team in a driving rainstorm on a Thursday night. The loss was another strong sign that FSU’s dominating run of the late ‘80s and ‘90s had come to an end.
2. Massively underachieving defense
It’s comical now to look back at some of the preseason blogs that touted FSU’s 2016 defense as potentially the best in school history. The 2016 defense did set itself apart this past Saturday but for a very different reason.