The oldest adage in sports is that a football season is not played on paper.
That’s true. But paper can get a fan through the off-season.
Take, for instance, the latest issue of Athlon Magazine, which predicts, among other things, that the state will still belong to Florida State this year.
Athlon says the Seminoles will win their fourth consecutive ACC title. It has FSU finishing ninth in the country, at 10-2. It has them playing in the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss. Not quite the season the Seminoles have had the last two years, but not bad.
The publication has Florida finishing 26th in the country at 8-4 in the first season under Jim McElwain. It has the Gators playing N.C. State in the Belk Bowl.
Miami will finish 43rd in the country at 7-5, says the magazine. It will play against Indiana in the Austin Bowl.
South Florida will barely crack the top 100, predicts the magazine. It has the Bulls at 4-8 and ranked 99th in the country without going to a bowl.
The magazine also says that FSU running back Dalvin Cook will be the top Heisman contender in the ACC and No. 9 overall.
