Reality or Fiction: Florida State’s loss will affect its recruiting ceiling
Rivals nationwide recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. is joined by nationwide recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman, Marcus Benjamin of CanesCounty.com and Jason Higdon of 1stAndTenFlorida.com to sort out three subjects and decide whether or not they imagine every assertion is FACT or FICTION.
1. Florida State’s loss to Georgia Tech will affect its recruiting ceiling for the 2025 class.
Spiegelman: FICTION. Yearly we see a top-25 crew fall within the opener, solely to right the course afterward in the course of the season. That’s definitely the case this yr with Mike Norvell and the Seminoles, who’ve a ton of items with which to work. The employees already has a stellar class readily available and we all know that recruits don’t make selections primarily based off one recreation – irrespective of how a lot anticipation and pleasure there was main into it. If the opening week is an indicator for the remainder of the yr, then my stance could change. Proper now I nonetheless assume Norvell and Florida State are in line to maintain recruiting on the excessive clip we’re used to.
Garcia: FACT. Notion has been one among Florida State’s greatest weapons on the recruiting path, particularly relative to in-state rivals Florida and Miami. On the sphere, at the very least, the Seminoles had been a notch or two above the others inside state strains coming off of a banner 2023 season. Now this Georgia Tech loss pairs with the bowl embarrassment to construct into the material of that key work – notion – that carries on the recruiting path.
The way in which by which the Seminoles fell may turn into its personal concern. They scored seven factors within the second half, blew a lead and trotted out an offense that would not muster 300 yards towards what most would think about an inferior opponent from a expertise perspective.
With eyeballs all around the model between rivals because the season will get going, it might shock if it did not play an element in how seniors view Florida State’s product.
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2. The Miami-Florida recreation is extra necessary for the Hurricanes than the Gators.
Benjamin: FACT. Any season opener is important for any crew. Beginning the season off on the suitable foot can decide the result for a complete season, and no recreation maybe looms bigger as Miami vs. Florida to open the 2024 season. The groups desperately want a win, as each ended the season with thuds: Miami misplaced to Rutgers within the Pinstripe Bowl, and Florida misplaced to its rival, Florida State.
For Florida, the sport is large as a result of a loss would finish a 33-0 home-opener win streak and set Billy Napier‘s sizzling seat ablaze. Nevertheless, the unranked Gators are anticipated to make little noise in a crowded SEC. However for Miami, it means a bit extra. The hype practice for Miami is as massive as two locomotives, and in keeping with most sportsbooks, the expectation is that the Hurricanes will win 9 video games. We have seen this program wither after an enormous loss, and plenty of followers would possibly even name the season a failure if the Canes win eight video games, making this primary recreation crucial to this system’s trajectory.
Miami has the expertise to win each recreation on its schedule, but when it loses recreation one to the rival Gators, many will really feel like Miami is similar because the Hurricanes of current years, and is way from again.
Garcia: FACT. I might level to Florida’s tilt with UCF, just a few weeks down the highway, as extra of a must-win recreation for Billy Napier and firm than the opener towards a Miami crew that unexpectedly appears to be like poised to make a run within the ACC.
For The U, the notion is that there was expertise however not essentially the whole image, so the chance to go on the highway within the SEC towards a rival presents as a notion changer multi function shot. In fact there shall be scores of prime recruits in attendance and with the way in which fellow in-state rivals Florida State opened the season, the door for claiming the highest spot inside the Sunshine State has been kicked large open.
This recreation looks like it is going to be the table-setter for all issues Miami this fall, the place a win units this system towards its greatest look underneath Mario Cristobal and a loss makes many marvel if elite recruiting does not matter if the on-field outcomes keep the identical.
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3. The Miami-Florida recreation is extra crucial for the Gators than the Hurricanes.
Higdon: FICTION. If you happen to ask both the fan base, employees or gamers, everyone knows the reply to this query. All sides will let you know the sport is extra vital for his or her crew. Miami is on the highway and a 2.5- to 3-point favourite, relying on the place you look. The projected over/underneath win complete for the Hurricanes is 9.5 video games.
Florida is at residence taking part in within the Swamp and a 2.5- to 3-point underdog, relying on the place you look. The Gators’ projected over/underneath win complete is from 4.5 to five.5 video games.
The consultants imagine Miami is a reasonably good soccer crew, however wants extra religion within the Gators in 2024. The Hurricanes are anticipated to win by Las Vegas. Miami can also be pre-season No. 19, whereas the Gators are outdoors the highest 25 heading into the weekend.
If one crew is anticipated to win, the sport is extra vital for that aspect, so I’m going with fiction. Relying in your aspect, this recreation means extra; there isn’t a denying that straightforward reality.
Garcia: FICTION. I suppose we type of gave it away earlier, however Florida has some flexibility within the win-loss column so far as the Napier sizzling seat goes. That schedule is arguably the hardest within the nation, so an early journey will not sound the alarms in Gainesville, although a stumble towards UCF just a few weeks later completely will. Florida goes to depend on younger expertise and often is the inferior crew on paper, too, which once more would create some empathy relative to program notion or mentioned sizzling seat. It may additionally permit for extra threat to be taken by Napier and firm in play-calling, scheming and extra. Both method, the affect of this recreation shall be felt all through the Sunshine State and past.
