FSU football will be facing another tough opener when they host Virginia Tech – and they can’t afford dropping their first game of the season.

In front of what will be a raucous crowd inside Doak Campbell Stadium on the night of September 3rd, the FSU football team will kick off the 2018 season and the Willie Taggart era against the Virginia Tech Hokies – a team who might not be competing for a national title, but is again a heck of a challenge to start off the season.

Much as been made of the schedule for the Seminoles this season – one loaded with names like Florida, Miami, Clemson, Notre Dame, the Hokies and more – and how things aren’t going to be easy of the Noles want to even sniff getting back to the ACC Championship Game or the College Football Playoff.

The truth of the matter is that, while Virginia Tech won’t be the best team FSU football will face this season, the game might end up being the most important because of what it sets up for the rest of the 2018 campaign.

Since Bobby Bowden took over the Florida State program prior to the 1976 season, the Seminoles have lost seven of the last 42 season opening games. While that record is pretty impressive with all things considered (and some of the teams played in openers), the outcome in most of those seasons hasn’t been that impressive.

Yes, six of those seasons have ended with winning records (with the only losing campaign being that inaugural 1976 season for Bowden) but of late it has been a sign of things to come.

2017 (Loss to Alabama): 7-6 record 2009 (Loss to Miami): 7-6 2007 (Loss to Clemson): 7-6 2004 (Loss to Miami): 9-3 1989 (Loss to Southern Miss): 10-2 1988 (Loss to Miami): 11-1 1976 (Loss to Memphis State): 5-6

Three of the four worst records since the last losing season in 1976 have been since the Seminoles dropped the first game of the season (with the other being a 7-6 record in 2006 that started with a three point win over the Hurricanes – a team the Noles have gone 4-4 against to open the season in the 62 game series history).

Teams never like playing from behind in a season and starting off a year with a number higher than zero in the loss column is not what FSU football wants to do. No one is really picking the Seminoles to even sniff more than 10 wins this season – but with a stretch of eight straight games against bowl teams starting September 22nd, the early wins count even more.