Is this the HARDEST Game on FSU's Schedule? (NOT WHAT YOU THINK)

Richie we've done this the last couple of years but Florida State takes the field in less than two weeks and we have a couple years in a row ranked the games that we think are going to be the toughest now the toughest doesn't necessarily mean you're going to win and the easiest it does this year doesn't necessarily mean uh let me back that up let me do that again I said it backwards 3 two one Richie we've done this the last couple of years where we've taken the 12 games on Florida State schedule and we've ranked them from easiest to toughest now the toughest game doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to lose and the easiest game doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to win so we're not predicting games here we're just kind of trying to say outside looking in from the middle of August where we are right now which games appear to be easier which games appear to be tougher how would we rank them in that order we are going to go easiest to toughest you know what makes for great shows is when we don't agree on everything but I do think we'll agree on the easiest game this year but before we get started guys do me a favor and comment what do you think the toughest game on the schedule is Richie and I will get to ours in a minute but which game is it the game at SMU is it when Clemson comes to town is it at NRE Dame is it at Miami which game do you think is it one of those that I'm not thinking of which game do you think is the toughest on the schedule let's talk about that down in the comments but Richie I think we're probably in agreement that Charleston Southern is the easiest game on the schedule this year I have Charleston Southern as my number 12 toughest opponent we are in agreement right there not always the case sometimes we don't agree um this time very much agree Charleston Southern I don't think they stand a chance but all right let's go to the next one which we might be in agreement again on but and we'll spend maybe a little bit more time and give some reasoning as to why that's the case on other ones we weren't doing that on Charleston Southern number two what's your second easiest game I'll make you go first on this one so I have Duke I think losing rley Leonard to Notre Dame is a big blow to them um I I just think that's a that's a auto W for Florida State and in college football can you ever say Auto W you probably should not but I I just don't think Duke is going to give Florida State much of a challenge this year so I have Duke a little higher here um mostly because it's a Friday night in the ACC and even in 2014 we only Beat Boston College by 14 on the road in the ACC and so that kind of so I've got him a little bit higher not a ton I have BC here and I know that maybe that's a little bit weird because it is coming back off the trip but man I just think BC with a new system a team that you are going to have some motivation because of the way the last year went um to beat them and again Labor Day night in Tallahassee no matter what happens against Georgia Tech I think this is a situation where Florida State comes out and just lays the hammer on BC um maybe the worst team in the conference them are Stanford uh which is dumb that they're even in the conference but I got BC here so yeah we we don't agree on number two what do you got for number three so the 10th toughest team and I'm going BC you know kind of what you said yeah so so it's close I I just I do think that quarterback that gave us fits last year I I just don't think last year's game was a representation of what the two teams actually were um given the circumstances so I I I will say BC I I feel very confident in that game yeah so we're really close there I'm glad you have BC up at like six or something uh who you got next so your um no no it's my turn I'm on my 10th uh I got Cal here Cal at home I know they've got a really good running back they're not ready to make this East Coast trip trip um this is uh you know the whole month of September is essentially at home until he gets that last weekend against SMU and so Florida State having been at home for quite a bit this is their fourth straight game there um I feel really good about that cow game I think Florida State's going to be built to stop the run and I just don't think they'll have enough to really compete with with FSU so yeah my what third easiest game my ninth toughest game or my 12th or 10th toughest game is Cal so that's funny my ninth toughest game is Cal um all right so BC and then Cal we're on the same you just have Duke a little higher a lot of the uh points you mentioned I think you know we mentioned this in previous shows when a West Coast team in the NFL has to fly to play East Coast team um on short notice if they have a game the we if they have a buy the week before they'll typically fly out early I don't believe Cal has a buy um I I just think it and it's it goes well beyond just the fact that they have to fly 5 hours to Tallahassee um probably to Atlanta then Tallahassee if we're being honest I I I just don't see Cal being a problem so so I have them as my ninth uh number nine game on the schedule yeah they play San Diego State at 10:30 well it's 10:30 Eastern but uh a night game and so um you know late Saturday night so it's not like you know it it you know it would have been nice to have a bye for them before playing Florida State but a tough uh it's also their second East Coast trip they play Auburn um two weeks before that and so at yeah just did not do Cal any favors welcome to the ACC uh but Cal goes to Auburn and then back home to San Diego State um and then back out to Florida State just two weeks later I think that catches up with them and I think Florida state is all the better for it who you got next I will get right back to chatting with Richie but if you have a WordPress website you should be hosting with my friends over at rapid SEO host we told you about them several months ago but their Lightning Fast web hosting will help you stand out from the competition and help you climb like coach Norvelt likes to say in the Google rankings do you need website updates or online marketing they do that too if you have a marketing agency or you develop websites yourself you can sign up as an affiliate program you can get paid to host your clients's websites with them with over 20 years of experience in WordPress development marketing and hosting they have the ability to help maximize your online footprint and get you a Max Roi you can sign up right now and get one month for free the link is in the description again if you have a WordPress website if you have a business if you need a website make sure to reach out to my friends over at rapid SEO host they're NES just like you and me and they will certainly get you taken care of um next I have North Carolina and this might be where we start to differentiate a little bit um I just don't really see a North Carolina Mack Brown is a phenomenal coach or he was in his Heyday I see him more now and I don't mean this in a bad way kind of like Bobby Bowden towards the tail end of his career where you know you've accomplished so much you you've done a ton for the sport but it's past your time and you need to move on and I just think North Carolina and once we get to at this point in the schedule you know it gets to a point where we're you know really picking and choosing I I just have North Carolina right here at at the eth spot yeah it's I uh I I definitely get what you're saying there on on Mac I've got uh North Carolina a couple spots higher which we'll talk about here in just a moment but uh I have Duke here um I know you had Duke a little bit lower and really I mean so we're two different right I have um Duke two spots ahead of where you had them I have BC and C is a little bit easier just because they're at home I think going on the road Diaz being a defensive coach like maybe things get weird on a Friday night because it messes up travel this that and the other um I'm you know you're you're picking and choosing because you should certainly beat all of these teams um but I do think that Duke Friday night uh where it falls on the schedule is also somewhat interesting it's right before the Miami game it's also um right after the Clemson game you do get it after a buy so that's helpful but um yeah Duke on the road that's what I've got next again the difference between the eighth toughest game and the 12th or 10th toughest game probably not too much different but I have Duke there and then I'll keep it I've got um I'll actually do two just because you just talked about them too but I have Memphis next I have Memphis is slightly easier than UNC um just because of just the the depth of of group of four players versus uh or group of five players versus Power four I have UNCC is a little bit bit tougher they got a pretty good transfer quarterback in that that I think will will do some stuff so I I have Memphis next and then UNC so my six easier ones if you break the schedule in half Charleston Southern's the easiest then BC Cal at Duke Memphis and UNC sixth so run me through your uh next two so that we can get to your top six yeah so uh again going from the bottom of the schedule to the top in my opinion from easiest to toughest I have Charles Charleston Southern Duke Cal BC UNCC and then I have Memphis uh at number seven um I I think Memphis is definitely a form formidable opponent um we'll see what happens uh I think that's a game that Mike norell is going to really really want to win one of his very good friends who considers him a mentor uh Ryan saterfield is the head coach at Memphis uh Mike norell is going to be ready for that game so I have Memphis at number seven toughest and then did you say you're number seven already yeah yeah so that takes us through our like basically our six easiest um our six toughest here in just a moment but yeah I don't think we're too different there we have UNCC and in Memphis flipped we have Ken BC in order you know I'm I'm a little higher on Duke than you are but yeah I think we're pretty similar there yeah um all right top six all right I have you want to go I'll I'll yeah I'll start here and I cannot wait because we will be there in less than two weeks all right I'm the same uh I have Georgia Tech in Ireland i i in it you say the sixth toughest toughest game on the schedule it's still G to be a tough game in my opinion you got a ton of New pieces brenty is a phenomenal coach in my opinion I think he you know he may not get it done at Georgia Tech but he will get more opportunities in the future uh but yeah I have Georgia Tech uh next yeah we talked about this when we ranked a ACC teams and um I I told you that I thought that you know the ACC was Florida State and Clemson and then like Miami and then you know NC State Virginia Tech Louisville like that was kind of your you know first three tiers or so um after that I think Georgia Tech's kind of like your you know SMU maybe up there sorry not to leave them out um and then Georgia Tech's kind of like your best of the rest right and so I don't think Georgia Tech's on the level of of Notre Dame or CL I'm sorry Miami or Clemson or Florida State or NC State or Virginia Tech even Louisville but I do think Georgia Tech's like better than everyone else and so that's why I have them here right they're better than everyone else in the ACC that's not going to compete for the ACC and so yeah I agree you know playing internationally how do you you obviously Georgia Tech has to do that better but like does one team handle that better does one team handle the the week zero the um the quick start the the the travel everything that comes along with that does one team handle it better than the other I mean that's certainly a factor in the game I don't necessarily think it's going to be the deciding factor um you know what does a first year quarterback in Mike norvell's team look like versus a a kid that's returning in Haynes King so um yeah I'm I'm really excited for this game but I do think it's the sixth toughest still the game I think Florida State should absolutely go out and win um but yeah the sixth toughest game for sure so all right I'll do number five fifth toughest game on the schedule uh and it's a rivalry and and as bad as we think they'll be this year as bad as we maybe they have a coach maybe they don't they still play you pretty tough a lot of the time ironically not as close as as um Miami plays you I saw a stat this week that Miami Florida State games uh have been one score games 70% of the time I think Florida Florida state was like under 50 which you think about it makes sense like we've gone through our runs they've gone through their runs like obviously we didn't keep it one score much with TBO they didn't keep it one score much after that you know when we've gone back and forth there haven't been a lot of like great great battles but I still think that this is a tough game they've got a lot of Talent on their team even you know gr merch surprised everybody last year in being better than you thought he would be um if Napier is not there I think that makes it even tougher because guys will be playing for that interim coach so honestly I hope he's not fired by the time we play him actually hope he's not fired ever because I love him at UF but uh Florida's my fifth toughest game I you know it's a rivalry it it's could be a lot on the line at that point for both teams one keeping their staff one maybe trying to qualify for the playoffs so yeah I think Florida is my fifth toughest game on the schedule I agree I I have Florida number five right here um I don't have a whole lot to add I I think Graham Merz you know I laughed when the Florida took him as a transfer and he definitely surprised me W with his play um you know obviously losing etn is a big blow to Georgia but I I do think they're they're still a talented roster I'm not impressed with Bill and Pi but again rivalry game a lot of these guys know each other not too worried um about any of that stuff but I do think it's going to be a tough game even being in do this year and then for my number fourth toughest game at Southern Methodist I I I think that is going to be I picked that as a loss in our wins and losses uh podcast I'm not so sure now but I'm gonna stick by it but man I think lashley's just a phenomenal coach a phenomenal offensive mind um I don't think they have the horses no pun intended to to like up against Florida state but I I do have SMU as my fourth toughest game I agree and and not much else to add there um it's a game that Florida State you know you know right before you play Clemson um right after being you know we talked about how it's a benefit to be at home for 4 weeks well then you got to go on the road and and is that a little bit of a wakeup call you know you should be rested because you haven't had to travel much here and there and everywhere um but it it's definitely breaking routine it's definitely a very passionate fan base it's not necessarily your normal setting it's a big city of Dallas as opposed to a small college town so how do you handle all that um SMU number four for me and then um man this one will will tell us a lot about the team but number three for me is Clemson at home um you know I'm not I think hopefully we disagree on one and two if your smirk means that you think the same way but uh yeah I got Clemson here I think this is a game that uh is going to be extremely tough um but I do think playing at home is a benefit I think Clemson kind of feeling like they're on a little bit of a downturn right now is a benefit to you as well whereas teams like you know maybe our one and two teams feel like as much as we clown one of them they feel like they're probably on a little bit more of an upturn than Clemson and so yeah I I've got Clemson here I think you match up pretty well I think their defense is still going to be really good but I think you know you you can certainly hold their offense down which you did last year um and so I I think Florida State Clemson that's my third toughest game if you agree go ahead and tell me why in number two I also I also have Clemson at number three um I think mafa is one of the best running backs in the league I think Florida State's front is well set to handle that and shut that down I I'm not a believer in k kumnick i I just you know I know what he was at of high school I know what his ranking was but he's not been developed he's not impressed me at all in college but Clemson is still probably the most talented team you're going to play against all year um and for that reason I have them at number three and number two another rivalry game at Miami I have that as my number two toughest game they probably have the more talented roster than Florida State some Florida State fans might get mad at me hearing that but they have loaded up on talent I think what Florida state has going on is the better game day coach and it's not even close like we saw Mario Chris Ball lose the game to Georgia Tech last year that he had no business losing whatsoever but rivalry game you know it's going to be a 30 crowd probably down at Hard Rock um but I I do think Miami if if um you know their transfer quarterback can live up to the expectations Florida State probably loses that game if he fumbles the ball four or five times like we he's showing he's capable of that's possible too I I I do think you know that's a coin flip game but I think that is our second toughest game obviously we know what number one is we probably have the same one actually I'm going to go backwards on you here I actually put Miami at one and I have Notre Dame at two and I'll so I'll I'll talk through both of them at the same time like I mentioned earlier that Miami game has been a oncore game 70% of the time which is wild to think about when you look at that rivalry it is almost always close remember when we were terrible under Willie tagger it took them cheating us um for that to not be a Florida State win like we still kept that close last year there's really no reason that Miami should have been close with Florida State like Florida state was significantly better and should have blown them out and some somehow Miami kept it close even Jam's year Florida State obviously poured it on late but it was a 21 to4 game at the half um in in 2013 and and they found a way to keep it close there uh 2014 had to be the big big comeback 2016 was the block at the Rock like this game is just always close it's in South Florida and as much as you know it's a question like this could certainly go either way but Miami I think having the better quarterback of the two I I'm not sold on Riley Leonard I you know to me it came down to weather versus quarterback play and cam Ward can certainly go out there and just stink it up and and and have three turnovers and and and not take care of the ball but if he doesn't do that right I'm als I'm also not expecting a blizzard when we go to another day and so I think it'll be cold but I you know I'm not necessarily planning for the worst and so I think Miami is a little bit tougher I think Notre Dame's a little bit overhyped I'll tell you I think Miami's a little bit overhyped but uh yeah I've got Miami as the tougher game because the rivalries added into it as well um and because that game's always super close now I expect the notame to be super close and and I you know you could certainly convince me one way or the other but I not to give Miami credit I still think we win that game but I think that's the tougher game of the two again for all the reasons listed yeah maybe I'm still scarred by that uh time I went up there in what 2017 2018 when Florida State played at Notre Dame and it was like 20° at half or at KCK kick off um I drank probably I don't know 10 hot chocolates while sitting in the stands left at halftime because the game was clearly out of hand um no I I I do think I'm a big fan of Marcus Freeman I I think he's a phenomenal coach um I trust him a lot more than I would trust Mario chrisal and I think that's probably what played a role into my rankings here um I just think it you know a lot of South Florida guys going up to what's probably going to be the between 20 to 40° weather you know hopefully closer to 40 please Lord yes hopefully that's not something they're used to playing in um yeah I I just I truly think at Notre Dame it and it's funny we did our wins and losses TJ and I picked Florida State to beat Notre Dame and I'm listing them as their toughest game on the schedule but we'll see what happens I I do think they I do think that is the toughest game you're you're flying 3 hours three to four hours depending on what airline you're on they're going to fly in one of the new private jets that Florida state has so probably closer to three hours so shout shout out to Florida state for buying those private jets um but yeah I I just think Notre Dame is gonna be the toughest game I I am a fan of Riley Leonard I I do think if he's healthy he's one of the better quarterbacks in the country um so I had them slightly above Miami which I do think will be a very tough game as well I no way am I saying Miami is not a tough game I just think Notre Dame up there in November is slightly tougher yeah we uh we did this last year and I had LSU ranked and football's weird right so that you know we say all this we could blow one of those two teams out we could you know we could lose to one of those two teams right and we I had LSU as our toughest game last year um and you saw how that went down so um you know just because we have it rank is the toughest I you know I still have this you know I have Miami as the tougher game I have us winning that one I have Notre Dame as the slightly easier game I have us losing that one as of today in the middle of August you know picking games in October and November um which is always fun to do uh but yeah so what are your thoughts again I asked you to comment at the very beginning who is the toughest game on this schedule let's talk about it down below Richie we are so close to kickoff I can almost taste it so remember Jean used to say uh boots about to hit leather so we're almost there but thanks for hanging out for a minute again let us know down in the comments who the toughest game is we appreciate you guys talk to you soon go NOS