On The Bench: An FSU football podcast network

Instant Reaction: Hockman gets his revenge on FSU, 38-22

15 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State continued further down the downward spiral of their 2020 season on Saturday evening, losing 38-22 to NC State at Carter-Finley Stadiu...

Yup, change came

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We told you on the last episode of On The Bench that change could be coming, and change did indeed come as the Seminoles took two players off the rost...

More change coming?

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State’s latest loss -- a 41-17 defeat to Pittsburgh -- could spark some change along the roster as the Seminoles enter the final month of th...

Instant Reaction: FSU gets flattened by Pitt coming off bye week

08 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State started hot against Pitt, jumping out to a 14-3 after an 88-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jordan Travis less than 10 minutes into th...

Pitt Preview, Dozens of Offers, Scoop Tea, and Tension

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State comes off a bye week looking to get back on track against Pittsburgh and stingy defense. The gang at On The Bench breaks down the upcomi...

Second-half expectations, injury updates and OL growth ft. ESPN’s Cole Cubelic

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State enters the second half of the 2020 campaign hoping to finish the year on a high note. It’s an easier stretch of schedule for the Semin...

300 Episodes: Bloopers, Outtakes, and...3,2,1

01 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The podcast as you know it now was originally called the Noles247 Podcast, and it started in March of 2017. Friend and colleague Bob Ferrante was with...

On The Bench Bye Week Mailbag

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State is midway through the first year of the Mike Norvell Era. The results have been mixed, with the most recent outing -- a 48-16 loss at...

The Noah's Ark, flipping the roster and mid-way thoughts

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State is midway through the first year of the Mike Norvell Era. The results have been mixed, with the most recent outing -- a 48-16 loss at Lo...

Instant Reaction: Florida State gets bullied by Louisville on the road

24 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Florida State Seminoles did not have the results fans expected coming off an upset win over No. 5 North Carolina. Instead they went on the road to...

Louisville preview, and Mike Norvell’s culture ft. Kedarian Jones

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State looks to build upon its impressive win over North Carolina in a road trip up to Louisville. The Seminoles are underdogs heading into the...

What a difference a year makes, growth and legitimate pride

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What a difference a year makes. Exactly one year ago, Florida State fell to Wake Forest in a rain-soaked game that was the straw before the straw that...

OTB Instant Reaction: Jordan Travis wills FSU to victory over UNC!!

18 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The 'Noles took down No.5 North Carolina in a thrilling primetime victory 31-28 inside Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla. FSU stormed out to ...

UNC Preview, Portal Updates and The Rise of J-Trav

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State is a double-digit underdog for this weekend’s contest against No. 5 North Carolina. Do the Seminoles have a shot against former QB com...

Reason for optimism, fixing the defense and a huge loss

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Florida State’s loss of linebacker recruit Branden Jennings stings. The Seminoles are in desperate need of upgradi...

Instant Reaction: Offense looks better, defense does not

11 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State traveled to Notre Dame this weekend in an effort to upset the Fighting Irish. It didn't workout that way. The 'Noles battled all game bu...

Notre Dame preview, culture, and commitment on the way?

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State is wrapping up preparations for a road contest at No. 5 Notre Dame. The Seminoles found success on offense this past week against Jackso...

Do we feel a little better? JTrav at QB1, an identity and more

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State’s 41-24 win over Jacksonville State wasn’t a thing of beauty, but it did give us a glimmer of hope. The Seminoles were sparked by Jo...

Instant Reaction: FSU gets first win of season, Mike Norvell Era

04 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State earned their first win of the season, and first of the Mike Norvell Era, on Saturday when they defeated Jacksonville State, 41-24. The c...

Listener Mailbag: The future and present at QB

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Think of this episode of On The Bench as a therapy session. You've got questions about the Florida State football program, and hopefully we have ...

The fallout, what needs to change and the pros/cons of a youth movement

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

FSU fans are vocally calling for a youth movement. Will Mike Norvell do just that? The gang is back together as we sift through the wreckage of an emb...

Instant Reaction: Miami embarrasses Florida State in primetime

27 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State traveled to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Saturday to face No. 12/14 Miami, hoping to earn their first win of the season...

Instant Reaction: 'Noles Land Blue Chip OT From Alabama

25 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Friday afternoon the Florida State Seminoles landed a major commitment from offensive tackle Rod Orr. The four-star big man from Gadsden County, Al...

FSU vs. Miami Preview: Is The U Back? ft. David Lake

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State heads to Miami Gardens on Saturday to take on No. 12 Miami. The Hurricanes enter the contest as double-digit favorites, and the Seminole...

No Norvell at Miami, commits on the horizon?

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Norvell tested positive for COVID-19, adding another wrinkle to an already rigorous first year for Florida State's head coach. On The Bench share...

UM hate week, the most annoying fan base, and patience ft. Bryant McFadden

18 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bryant McFadden was an all-conference performer while at Florida State, a second-round draft pick, an eventual Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh...

Moving on from GT, what to do at QB and more

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What will Florida State do at quarterback moving forward? The Seminoles’ 16-13 loss to Georgia Tech revealed some of the flaws from James Blackman t...

Instant Reaction: FSU’s loss vs. GT - What just happened?

13 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State opened its 2020 season with a 16-13 loss to lowly Georgia Tech. The Seminoles squandered a 10-0 lead and fell apart on offense en ro...

2020 Season Preview: Superlatives, predictions and more

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State football is days away. It’s surreal, but football is back. With that in mind, On The Bench can finally and confidently lean into a sea...

Depth-chart reaction, season-position preview and more

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State released its depth chart today, so it feels like the perfect time to run down each position to preview the 2020 season. It’s game week...

Mailbag: Turning on-field wins into recruiting wins, season predictions and more

03 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. On The Bench takes dozens of listener questions asked on our message board and goes over each of them ahe...

Emergency OTB: James Blackman named QB1

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State coach Mike Norvell announced James Blackman as the starting quarterback to open the 2020 season. He also added some insight into how Bla...

2020 FSU Draft - The Box Checkers vs. The Landing Stickers

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What would happen if you took Florida State’s roster and divided it into two teams to go through the 2020 season? That’s the hypothetical at play ...

The numbers, they always work themselves out

26 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On The Bench celebrates the hard work of two walk-ons turned scholarship players, provides the latest intel coming out of Florida State’s camp and t...

Scrimmage recap, scholarships and more

23 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State held its second scrimmage of preseason camp on Saturday, and by all accounts, it was a banner day for the defense. Which means that wasn...

Injuries, DT/OL recruiting, and all’s well that ends well

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The start of the week proved to be newsy, as expected. Florida State coach Mike Norvell addressed injuries to QB Chubba Purdy and TE Jordan Wilson, an...

Scrimmage recap/scoop, a new commitment and more

16 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Norvell and his coordinators met with media to recap Florida State’s scrimmage on Saturday evening. We breakdown what they shared with us, and ...

Norvell's response to player concerns over safety

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

FSU coach Mike Norvell discussed several topics relating to the concerns voiced on social media by a player and parent regrading safety protocol and t...

Protocol questioned by player, camp scoop and more

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A roundtable discussion between governor Ron DeSantis and Florida State representatives was held the other day to discuss pushing forward with footbal...

Two Shows, the Birthday Boy and camp lessons so far

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We’re not sure how many more practices there will be given the state of college football, but we’ll share with you what we’ve learned about the ...

Instant-ish reaction to FSU’s schedule, recruiting scoop

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State’s 2020 schedule is clear now, with dates and all 11 opponents determined. There was a mixed bag on what to like, and what not to like,...

Camp Memories: SNL, Ring Rings and the Future

02 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

OTB wraps up the Camp Memories series by going over the initial highs of the Willie Taggart Era...and the swift decline. Whether you want to call it a...

Did FSU get hosed with the new 2020 schedule?

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Atlantic Coast Conference released a revised 2020 schedule...and it’s not favorable for Florida State. The Seminoles lose games against Wake For...

The artist currently known as Kimo, Fat scoop and more

27 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State lost a commitment in offensive lineman Jake Slaughter, who flipped to Florida, but added a promising pledge along the line days later. K...

Camp Memories: Post-natty and the final years of the JFC

26 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Jimbo Fisher Camps recruiting camps were the place to be after Florida State won a national title in 2013. From getting the No. 1 recruit in the c...

The BoogieMan commits to FSU, the final countdown

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State picked up a commitment from high-end three-star defender Byron Turner on Thursday. Dubbed the “BoogieMan”, Turner was a pleasant sur...

A Purdy interesting podcast, ft. Brad Cesmat

22 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Chubba Purdy could be the quarterback of the future for Florida State. Depending on how things shake out, he could also be the QB of the present. Purd...

A new-ish option at OT, a lawsuit and more

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The latest episode of On The Bench goes over a variety of topics on the recruiting trail, including Florida State’s pursuit of priority positions li...

The land of the lists, dream schedule, and more

17 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State is in the mix for a couple of elite offensive linemen -- Terrence Ferguson and Amarius Mims -- who are closing in on decisions. Newberg ...

The ins and outs of Adam Fuller's defense, ft. Memphis beat writer Christian Fowler

16 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State defensive coordinator Adam Fuller enjoyed a successful season at Memphis before joining the Seminoles. Fuller helped turn around a Tiger...

Camp Memories: The Parade of QBs

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jimbo Fisher developed a reputation as a “quarterback whisperer” during his heyday at Florida State. Three consecutive starters -- Christian Ponde...

Camp Memories: The Golden Age of the Jimbo Fisher camp

12 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On The Bench continues its Camp Memories series with a look at The Golden Age of Jimbo Fisher Camps. Fisher made evaluation-based camps a priority whe...

A 5-Star on campus, weighing the top half of FSU’s roster

09 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State recently received an unofficial visit from five-star offensive tackle Tristan Leigh. And another five-star visitor -- Amarius Mims -- ...

Camp Memories: Seminole Showtime to Jimbo Camps

07 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The soap opera that is recruiting tends to hit its peak around National Signing Day, but the groundwork for the fireworks is set during the dog days o...

Expanding the DE board, the middle of the roster and more

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State is expanding its recruiting board at defensive end, which is arguably atop the most important positions in the 2021 cycle. The crew at N...

JUCO commit, attrition, Doak, white numbers and more

25 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State picked up a commitment from Junior College tight end Koby Gross this week. On The Bench breaks down how Gross will fit in at FSU in the ...

Meet The Beat, ft. the guys at Noles247

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Our ‘Meet The Beat’ series has afforded us to get to better know the writers, reporters and hosts behind Florida State coverage in the market. OTB...

A look behind 247Sports' rankings updates, Altmyer's bump (and future bump?) and more

17 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

247Sports released its updated rankings for the 2021 recruiting class, and a couple Seminoles saw a sizable bump. Luke Altmyer jumped up in the ranki...

Listener mailbag

12 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You have questions about Florida State, we have answers. Josh Newberg, Chris Nee and Brandon Sonnone of Noles247 answer listener questions about the s...

The commitment hot streak continues!

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State remains productive on the recruiting trail, having landed two commitments in the past three days: CB Omarion Cooper and OL Bryson Estes....

Marv, Mike and the long day

04 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State went through an emotional day in which apologies were issued, feelings were expressed, and -- hopefully -- growth occurred. A Tweet f...

Gotta Lovett (Part Deux), commitment frenzy and a return to football

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State is on a roll on the recruiting trail. The Seminoles, since Friday, have landed commitments from Mississippi State transfer Fabien Love...

Crystal Ball Trends, grrrr Ole Miss, and the OL transfer market

25 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State is trending in the right direction for priority prospects Jackson West and Joshua Burrell. The grad transfer market remains a place of i...

Meet The Beat, ft. Wayne McGahee of the Tallahassee Democrat

22 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Combining a passion for Florida State and in-depth knowledge of the program’s history, Wayne McGahee has established himself as one of the main auth...

Another commit, reason for optimism and portal updates

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State added to its 2021 recruiting cycle with the commitment of three-star cornerback Kevin Knowles. On The Bench provides an analysis on Know...

A couple commits, attrition and no lies

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State received some good news on the recruiting trail today. And over the weekend as well. The Seminoles landed a pledge from four-star Texas ...

Fluidity, good news on the horizon, transfer OTs and more

08 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

FSU could get some good news on the recruiting trail in the next several days. The Seminoles are trending for four-star cornerback Hunter Washington...

Meet the Beat: Safid Deen, The Instigator

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Few beat writers have needled the Florida State fan base quite like Safid Deen. The former beat writer from the Tallahassee Democrat (2014-2016) and t...

Coach KornDawg is keeping players in shape

04 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mikhal Kornegay went from walk-on to captain and Special Teams MVP during his time at Florida State. Now the native of nearby Greenville is working wi...

The State of Recruiting

01 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Florida State recruiting built some positive momentum a couple weeks back, but has since seen a run of top targets commit elsewhere. Chris Nee and Jos...