The 2012 season has drawn to a close, and the final judgement of this Florida State team and so many of its core players will be based largely on the expectations thrust upon them way back in August.
On the one hand, Florida State won 12 games, an ACC title, a BCS bowl. On the other hand, it was never really close to competing for a national title -- as so many had predicted -- and the losses to NC State and Florida were both aggravating for various reasons.
The same is true for a number of the star performers. To put together our final FSU power rankings for the year, weighing expectations against performance is a must. So, with that in mind, here's how our final rankings for the season shook out. (Previous rankings in parentheses.)
On the one hand, Florida State won 12 games, an ACC title, a BCS bowl. On the other hand, it was never really close to competing for a national title -- as so many had predicted -- and the losses to NC State and Florida were both aggravating for various reasons.
The same is true for a number of the star performers. To put together our final FSU power rankings for the year, weighing expectations against performance is a must. So, with that in mind, here's how our final rankings for the season shook out. (Previous rankings in parentheses.)
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ABOUT NOLE NATION
David Hale
David Hale joined ESPN.com in 2012 after covering the Philadelphia Phillies for The News Journal in Wilmington, Del., and the University of Georgia for The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph. Hale has written about college and professional sports since 2004. He currently lives in Tallahassee, Fla., and can be reached at davidmhale@gmail.com.
Corey Dowlar
Corey Dowlar joined ESPN.com in 2012 after covering Florida State and South Florida athletics for 247Sports.com and Rivals.com. Dowlar has written about Florida State sports and recruiting since 2007. He currently lives in Clearwater, Fla., and can be reached at cdowlar@gmail.com.