ESPN Provides Four 'Ifs' That Need To Happen For FSU Football To Win The CFP In 2024

ESPN BET has Florida State at +3000 odds to win the whole thing.

Apr 20, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell races some of his players to the other end of the field during the Spring Showcase at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports / Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Florida State finds itself in a precarious position: Its long-term future concerning what conference it’s going to play in is up in the air, and it appears they’re likely giving the keys to the kingdom to a quarterback (granted, a veteran) who only has a spring season under his belt in Tallahassee. After losing 10 players to the NFL Draft as well as other major contributors, FSU is relying on the transfer portal once again to maintain its production.

READ MORE: FSU Football Fall Camp Observations: DJ Uiagalelei Showcases Arm Talent On Day Two

With this in mind, ESPN’s Bill Connelly provided a list of national title contenders (based on betting odds) and what they need to happen in order to win the now-12-team College Football Playoff (CFP). The Seminoles – with +3000 odds (ESPN BET) to win the whole thing – were given four “ifs” that need to occur for that to happen.

According to Connelly, the first if is “If … the anger has subsided” regarding the bitter-tasting end to last season when the ’Noles were snubbed for a chance to compete for a national championship by the Playoff Committee. Acceptance is a pivotal step in almost any recovery process.

Second, “If … DJ Uiagalelei’s return to the ACC is a happy one.” The ESPN reporter expands upon this sentiment with the inclusion of some optimistic stats for the newcomer.

“Quarterback Jordan Travis set a high bar for Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei to clear. Of course, Uiagalelei ranked 12th in Total QBR, two spots higher than Travis, in 2023. He's not nearly the scrambler, but he takes fewer sacks and gets the ball downfield more. And now he's got a shot at ACC redemption after leaving Clemson following a frustrating 2022 season,” said Connelly.

Furthermore, the third if is “If … Uiagalelei has receivers.” With the loss of Keon Coleman (Buffalo Bills) and Johnny Wilson (Philadelphia Eagles), Connelly taps former running back Ja’Khi Douglas and Alabama Transfer Malik Benson to lead the wide receiver room during the 2024 campaign.

Connelly’s final if is “If … the portal provided good defensive tackles.” He’s right, Florida State did lose a lot of talent on the defensive side of the trenches, but it retained quite a fair amount as well. Connelly’s analysis points out that transfers such as Grady Kelly (Colorado State) and Tomiwa Durojaiye (West Virginia) will have to step up and plug the interior, but he failed to mention the Miami transfer who has yet to make his regular-season debut, defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. He’s technically not a newcomer, but coming in at 6’5” and 240 pounds, look out for him to be a force this upcoming season.

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