Florida State’s early-season slide in ESPN’s Football Power Index continued after the Seminoles came up short against the SMU Mustangs.
FSU dropped to No. 37 nationally in ESPN’s latest FPI rankings following Monday night’s 27-24 loss to the Mustangs at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminoles have now fallen nine spots from their preseason No. 28 position after starting the year 1-1 overall and 0-1 in ACC play.
The drop represents another shift in how ESPN’s model views Florida State after initially being relatively optimistic about the Seminoles entering Mike Norvell’s seventh season.
Florida State entered the season with a 9.3 FPI rating and the No. 28 national ranking, which placed the Seminoles fifth among ACC programs at the time.
Two games have
given the model more information to work with. FSU opened with a 34-17 victory over New Mexico State but failed to dominate an opponent it was heavily favored to beat. The Seminoles then had multiple opportunities to upset SMU, forcing four turnovers before ultimately falling by three points.
The loss was particularly difficult from an efficiency standpoint. SMU outgained Florida State 585-324, including a 430-125 advantage through the air, while the Seminoles converted only 2 of 15 third-down opportunities. FSU stayed within striking distance because of its four takeaways, but scored only seven points off those extra possessions.
Florida State is now outside the FPI top 30 after beginning the season just a few spots away from the top 25.
The timing of the decline also comes before the most difficult game on FSU’s nonconference schedule. The Seminoles have a bye this week before traveling to face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sept. 19, giving Norvell and his staff additional time to address the issues exposed against SMU.
At 1-1, there is still plenty of season remaining for Florida State to change the model’s outlook. However, falling from No. 28 to No. 32 to No. 37 through two games is another indication that ESPN’s preseason optimism surrounding the Seminoles has already begun to fade.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Where does FSU land in the latest ESPN FPI following its Week 1 loss?
