GREENSBORO, N.C. — Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher spoke with reporters on Day 2 of the ACC Kickoff. Here are a few nuggets we learned about the Seminoles.
•Fisher has stressed to his team that it can’t dwell on last year’s national title. He’s not as worried about complacency, per se, but he just wants the Seminoles to move on from 2013 and realize that they still need to accomplish the same goals this season. “People always ask me if this year’s team could beat last year’s team, and I say I don’t know and I don’t care because last year’s team isn’t on our schedule,” Fisher said. “We’re not defending anything. We want to get another.”
•Rather than practicing how to avoid complacency, Fisher said he’s more interested in studying how to maintain an “attitude of domination.” To do this, the Seminoles have studied past greats such as Joe Montana and Michael Jordan to figure out how they were able to win multiple championships instead of settling for one.
•When asked to name the leaders that have emerged throughout spring and summer, Fisher mentioned defensive back Jalen Ramsey, cornerback P.J. Williams, safety Tyler Hunter, defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, quarterback Jameis Winston, tackle Cam Erving, guard Josue Matias, wide receiver Rashad Greene, running back Karlos Williams and tight end Nick O’Leary. For a team that returns so many proven players and starters, it’s not surprising that Fisher couldn’t tab just two or three players who have taken on more responsibility.
•Fisher said he won’t lobby for Jameis Winston to win another Heisman. “If he plays good, and we play good, he’ll get the Heisman,” he said.
•There were some concerns that Jameis Winston would show up for spring and summer conditioning slightly out of shape after playing baseball all spring. Fisher said that certainly wasn’t the case. “The first day of spring workouts, he was No. 1 in the running drills. He was out there leading every drill, right at the front of the line,” he said. “He’s remarkable like that.”
•Fisher said he’s against expanding the College Football Playoff beyond four teams, noting that the conference championships serve as a de facto extra round already. Part of his concern about the playoff is the effect it’s having on bowls, which he believes are critical to college football. “I hope we don’t keep taking away from the bowl experience of college football,” he said. “I think it’s one of the unique things about this sport, that you don’t have to end on a loss. It’s the way programs are built for the future.” He added that without winning an ACC championship and an Orange Bowl in 2012, the Seminoles never would have progressed toward winning a national title.
•There hasn’t been an immediate boost to the Seminoles’ recruiting efforts since winning the national title, and that’s not surprising to Fisher. He said Florida State has always been a national brand name with deep roots in Florida and Georgia, so there wasn’t much improvement to be made anyways.