Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we often might win by fearing to attempt. - from Measure to Measure
North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb spit on Florida State's midfield logo after his team embarrassed the Seminoles 27-21 in FSU's home opener.
The crude gesture is a foreshadow and symbolic to the 'Noles season: It's over.
Two games into the fresh college football year, FSU has nothing to play for. Its once National Championship aspirations faded when quarterback Deondre Francois went out with a season-ending knee injury.
And now the mighty Seminoles are on the outside looking in in the Atlantic Coast Conference. With both a turnstile offensive line and porous defense, who exactly are the 'Noles going to beat on its schedule? Delaware State?
Jimbo Fisher didn't do his true freshman quarterback any favors Saturday afternoon. He completely left James Blackman out to dry by throwing the football to begin the game rather than lining up and playing smash-mouth football to wear out a stout Wolfpack defense.
Blackman did look good at times, but Jimbo can't expect the young signal caller to shoulder such a burden and responsibility.
Is it offensive line coach Rick Trickett? Is his time up at FSU?
Is it the recruits? Surely a relentless recruiter like Fisher couldn't miss on an entire line, could he?
Speaking of recruits, how is it quarterback JJ Cosentino hasn't grasped the offense? As a redshirt junior, one would assume he'd be a lock to start ahead of a freshman, right?
What about the talented defense led by a Heisman trophy candidate; one who got completely faked out of his mind for a long Wolfpack touchdown catch and run?
It all points back to one person: Jimbo Fisher.
Has anyone done less with more?
The 2013 National Title, with a generational quarterback, and a ticket to the inaugural College Football Playoffs, with a generational quarterback, seems like decades ago. Hope and pleasant surprises are done at FSU. Expectations are always going to be high.
National Championship or bust.
And Jimbo doesn't know how to satisfy such expectations.
From here on out, every ACC bottom-dweller will give FSU its best shot because they are down and nearly out. If Fisher loses to Wake Forest this weekend where the offensive line continues to fail, the defense continues to underachieve, and the play-calling continues to be reckless, is it time to see FSU's head coach the door?
Absolutely.
A quarterback should have been better prepared, an offensive line should have known assignments, a defense should have been motivated and ready, and a veteran play-caller should not have been outdone by a coach with lesser talent.
But that's Jimbo.
FSU went 0-2 to start its 1989 season. That squad won ten straight. The 2017 team doesn't have the same pride.
Let's see how good a coach Jimbo really is because chances are there will be plenty more field spitting in 2017.
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