{"id":131582,"date":"2026-01-25T23:16:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T23:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/131582\/"},"modified":"2026-01-25T23:16:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T23:16:09","slug":"the-athletic-ranks-seminoles-at-no-68-in-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/131582\/","title":{"rendered":"The Athletic ranks Seminoles at No. 68 in country"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jan. 25, 2026, 12:22 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

It is rare for a team to finish a season at 5-7 and still carry legitimate top-25 expectations the following year. Florida State<\/a> managed an even more extreme version of that swing just months ago, collapsing to a 2-10 finish before surging into the top 10 after defeating Alabama, East Texas A&M, and Kent State. Of course, the way that story ended is still fresh in everyone’s mind, with a total collapse after the Virginia game.<\/p>\n

Thanks to their potential, Florida State has managed to be in the top half of the country in The Athletic’s post-national championship ranking<\/a>, with the Seminoles landing at No. 68 out of 136.<\/p>\n

Surrounding them are the No. 67 Florida Gators, who finished 4-8 this year, and the No. 69 South Carolina Gamecocks, who finished 4-8 as well. Some other notable finishers are Miami, who unsurprisingly finished at No. 2 after being defeated in the national championship by Indiana. Clemson finishes at No. 43, and Virginia at No. 15.<\/p>\n

The Seminoles open their 2026 season against the New Mexico State Aggies in Tallahassee on Aug. 29.<\/p>\n

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