PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 06: Quarterback Jameis Winston #5 of the Florida State Seminoles holds the Coaches' Trophy after defeating the Auburn Tigers 34-31 in the 2014 Vizio BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl on January 6, 2014 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Willie Taggart is in a great position to be successful quicker than Jimbo Fisher was in 2010.

The expectations for FSU head coach Willie Taggart are extremely high going into 2018 whether fans are being realistic or not is another question.

We know the 2018 schedule is as daunting on paper as the Noles face conference foes that went a combined 67-37 last year.

They also have to face a Notre Dame team that won 10 games last season on the road.

However, despite the tough schedule Willie Taggart seems to be in a better position to be successful quicker than Jimbo Fisher for a number of reasons.

Overall More Talented Roster

Although the 2010 team eventually produced several NFL Draft picks, almost all of them were true freshmen that season. Willie Taggart will have the luxury of inheriting several years of recruiting classes that have been among the best in the nation. That wasn’t the case when Jimbo Fisher took over for Bobby Bowden.

Better Equipped Defensively

When Mark Stoops took over as new defensive coordinator in 2010 he was basically starting from scratch. The Noles as the time had very limited knowledge of zone concepts and were just coming off one of the worst defensive seasons in FSU history. New defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett inherits a defense that’s limited in some areas, but have a more thorough understanding of the concepts he’ll be teaching.

Experience at Quarterback and Running Back

The 2010 season saw Christian Ponder stay injured and sophomore quarterback EJ Manuel filling in as need be. Though Manuel got valuable experience as a freshman, particularly leading the Noles to a win in the 2009 Gator Bowl, he still didn’t have a full year of starting experience under his belt. Both Deondre Francois and James Blackman have that experience while also fielding a much more talented unit of running backs compared to what was on the 2010 squad. Since Willie Taggart’s offense is built around the run, we’d have to say Taggart has an advantage here as well.

Final Thoughts

Though the Noles face a tough schedule in 2018, let’s not forget the 2010 team was nine games in the regular season and finished with 10 wins. They faced a total of four teams ranked in the top 25 at the time they played.

It’s true the Wake Forest’s, Boston College’s and obviously Clemson are better now than they were back then.

However, it should surprise no one if Willie Taggart is able to win nine or possibly 10 regular season games. Despite last season’s woes and the ACC conference being better overall, the Noles are still arguably the most talented overall team in the conference.

That success should position the Noles to make a true run at a National Championship in 2019.