Warchant Roundtable: Tackling the 'What ifs' of the 2017 season

What if FSU blows out Alabama in the opener?

Gene: It’s hard to imagine the game going this way, but anything is possible in college football. If FSU did take Alabama to the woodshed, it would certainly push the ‘Noles into the No. 1 spot in the rankings. It would also look great on the resume for the playoff committee should FSU stumble at some point during the season. From a conference perspective, it would be further evidence that the ACC has surpassed the SEC as the kings of college football (Alabama would have lost back-to-back games to ACC teams). Finally, a dominating victory would give the program a major feather in its cap and provide some nice momentum on the recruiting trail. After a couple of ho-hum seasons, you get the feeling that FSU needs a boost to get its recruiting mojo back in full swing.

Ira: That would be the type of win that would send a message to the rest of the college football world -- especially when you look back at how the 'Noles ended the 2016 season, with a blowout win against Florida and a bowl victory against a senior-laden Michigan team. Suddenly, FSU would be the team that every other team in the country is chasing.

Of course, the downside to a win like that is you become the hunted -- and more importantly, you face all the distractions that come with being the No. 1 team in all the polls. That's a good problem to have, though. And FSU's coaches have experience dealing with it during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

The 3-2-1: What we know (and think) about FSU heading into media days

Ryan: Yeah, if FSU blows out Alabama, this team is actually kind of screwed for the rest of the season. Every media member and every fan will expect this team to not only win, but win big, every single week. That's an unfair expectation, but it would be the reality. Not saying every game has to be a 55-0 beatdown, but it would have to be a substantial win of at least 21 points to keep people from getting down on the team.

What if Alabama blows out FSU?

Ryan: Should that happen, it'll lead to questions about whatever the weak links were in that game. But there'd also be the understanding there's 12 games left in the season. Plus, it's not a conference loss and would not put them in a hole in ACC play. And while it'd be a humbling loss, it'd give Jimbo Fisher and his staff material to work with throughout the year. We saw it last year after the losses to Louisville and North Carolina. They called out their players and FSU was in every game going forward, including the loss to Clemson.