FSU games could be ugly this year, but that doesn't equal losses.
College football guru Phil Steele released his experience ratings Monday.
"I awarded 3 points for every senior starter (2.5 for every additional senior in the two deep) 2 points for every junior starter (1.5 for every additional junior in the two deep) 1 point for a sophomore starter (0.5 for every additional soph in the two deep) then subtracted 1 point for every frosh starter and .5 for every frosh in the two deep. The total points column uses that formula to figure out the points awarded to a team. The number before the team is where they came up in my overall ranking of all the teams in the NCAA. This list was compiled during magazine season and there have been some changes to the two deep since it went to press, which may not be accounted for. This chart will give you an idea of the most experienced and least experienced teams in the NCAA this year."
Obviously, this should be taken with a bit of a grain o' salt because schools without players leaving early for the draft are more experienced, and this says little about talent level. It also relies on June depth charts being accurate, a sketchy proposition.
But there are some takeaways, the most notable of which is that extreme inexperience usually leads to sloppy, bad football. That is what many informed observers expect from a team like Florida State this year, with Jimbo Fisher peppering the booster tour circuit with anecdotes about a young team with lots of talent needing to learn how to play together (code for "developmental year").
But the other takeaway here is equally important: 5 of FSU's 11 FBS opponents are in the bottom quarter of experience.
So FSU football games this year might be sloppy, and unappealing to the eye, but that might be the case for FSU and its opponents. And if that is the case, it could allow for FSU's talent advantage to shine through.