Whacky season is over at last

By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook Staff Writer

What a quirky football season this has been in Tallahassee, a city where fans could be touchy about their teams.

 
First, FSU opened the season with a loss to Alabama. Worst, it was a costly one that took out starting quarterback Deondre Francois.
The season simply spiraled out of control and the Seminoles barely won six games to make it to the bowl season.

 
Across town, FAMU simply couldn’t get going and ended up with a 3-8 record. And, this was supposed to be the year that Alex Wood made some kind of turn upward with the program.

 
That didn’t happen and Wood retired. FAMU is now in a rush trying to find a head coach.

 
So is FSU and that’s the topper to this surreal season.

 
The past few weeks were especially whacky at FSU. Yes, more so that is usually the case at FAMU.

 
Not putting the Rattlers down in the least. Just saying.

 
It just seemed everybody at FSU was in denial. Jimbo Fisher said he wasn’t discussing rumors that he was headed to Texas A&M.

 
President John Thrasher tried to keep some sanity by saying Fisher was a keeper for life.
He was so wrong. Fisher was introduced as the Aggies’ new head coach Monday in College Station.

 
He’s promising to be there for life, too, although he made a decision that he called “a no-brainer.”

 
Folks in Tallahassee are baffled. They are angry too.

 
Folks have to be angrier when they heard him say he had no plan to leave FSU.

 
Cause to wonder if he was saying Texas A&M’s is a better situation than FSU.

 
Something to think about now he’s gone.

 
Just what happens when a coach who is a proven winner leaves and his recruits seem to be recommitting by the minute.

 
Wonder how many of them will show up in College Station.

 
After all, Fisher said all of the right things. He already looked like an Aggie too in the burgundy jacket he traded for the dark-colored one that he wore into the building.

 
“I want to stay for awhile,” Fisher told reporters. “This is a destination place.”

 
Maybe for the money ($75 million over 10 years). Might have been that Fisher was feeling a little stagnated and just wanted  a change of scenery.

 
Despite all the credit he gave FSU, Fisher sure sounded as if he just had to go.

 
“You can have the greatest coaches in the world but if your administration doesn’t see things in the way you see things and allow you to do things that way nothing can be achieved,” he said.

 
Huh.

 
Think what you want, the move was all about Fisher and the opportunity to make his mark in college football.

 
And, Texas A&M, too.

 
“He is the coach at the right time for Texas A&M,” said Aggies athletic director Scott Woodard. “I’m confident that the opportunity for greatness is right around the corner.”