The 2023 Florida State defense might just have been the best in the nation, but even they couldn’t put the team into the playoffs in the eyes of the voter (sorry last swipe).
Despite losing five high end contributors to the NFL Draft, this team was still billed to be a worthy successor. They still had star pass rushers including a potential first round pick in Patrick Payton and Georgia’s Marvin Jones entering his opposite. They had a dynamic duo on the inside that’s been honored conference-wide. They had a veteran secondary that should only improve. Against Georgia Tech however, they showed there’s still a way to go to match last season’s output.