On The Bench: An FSU football podcast network

Florida State is 1-0 for the first time since 2016 after the Seminoles beat FCS opponent Duquesne in convincing fashion. On The Bench recaps what stood out about this win, and what areas are still unknown or concerning as we turn the page to an important early-season matchup against LSU. Also, a second helping of chicken sandwiches, a steak bet, and more.

Kevin and Coach AB jump on OTB to give their thoughts immediately after Florida State's first game. They break down the standouts, the scheme insights, and explain the statistics that formed FSU's performance.

Florida State's 2022 season gets underway on Saturday with a Week 0 contest against Duquesne. What do you need to know about the Dukes? Trey Rowland runs point and dishes to dapper Dane Draper in the debut episode of 'Nole Thy Enemy. This will be a weekly segment on the OTB network under our Beyond The Bench title of episodes that will serve as the fun and sometimes random portion of the feed. Dan...

Florida State's season begins on Saturday. To celebrate, we're bringing back the mailbag (MAILBAG) to take listener questions from the Noles247 message board. Plus Nee, Blostein and Sonnone react to the FSU release of its depth chart for Week 0, and go over some noteworthy recruiting developments from the week.

It's game week for Florida State as the Seminoles open the 2022 season with a Week 0 contest against Duquesne. And to preview the season, the entire staff at Noles247 gets to together to go over projections, predictions and the expected win total for the Seminoles. We all collectively expect FSU to finally get back to a bowl game this season, but can the 'Noles get to 7, 8, or even 9 wins this yea...

What is Florida State getting in four-star safety Kenton Kirkland and how did the Seminoles fend off a late charge from Kentucky? On The Bench has the details and analysis on the Seminoles’ latest commitment. Plus we go over the most recent scrimmage and reflect on perceived strengths (and weaknesses) as camp is close to wrapping up.

Who can create the best starting lineup of Florida State players in this team draft? It's Team Landing Stickers (Brendan Sonnone) vs. Team Box Checkers (Chris Nee) with Commissioner Trey Rowland leading the draft, and Coach AB and Kev weighing in with round-by-round analysis. Did Nee's strategy of hoarding the offensive line pay off? Does J-Trav have enough help? And who is Mr. Irrelevant in this...

On The Bench went live on Thursday evening, capping off a hectic stretch for the staff at Noles247 . Nee and Zach are in Jacksonville covering Florida State’s off-campus practices as well as some area recruits while Sonnone is shaking off an RHCP concert. They get into the huge day from Jordan Travis this week and the unfortunate news of a season-ending injury to center Kayden Lyles, plus the comm...

What's the best strategy for FSU's offense this season given its personnel? A heavy dose of Jordan Travis, of course, but then what? Trey Rowland, Kevin Little, and Coach AB go over the offense and what they think the Seminoles should try to do schematically around Travis this season.

What is FSU getting in four-star running back commitment Sam Singleton? The fellas at X's and Noles break down his film with help from Zach Blostein, and get some interesting feedback from a family member watching the breakdown. Then Brendan Sonnone joins the show to go over scrimmage scoop, including the play of backup quarterbacks Tate Rodemaker and AJ Duffy.

Florida State general manager Darrick Yray joined the program in a new role in February, and is charged with organizing a department that is the lifeblood of a football program: recruiting. Yray, in a 1-on-1 interview with On The Bench’s Trey Rowland, provides insight into his role with FSU, scouting methodology, putting on a large-scale recruiting event, and more. You can subscribe to On The Benc...

Florida State's first six days of preseason practice have us cautiously optimistic about the direction of the program. Nee and Sonnone get into our observations and takeaways from each position group now that we've seen some padded practices. Plus we catch you up on the past week in recruiting.

Florida State is five days into preseason camp, giving us a sample size to explore some trends. What’s standing out about camp? What are perceived strengths and weaknesses?  The fellas at X’s and Noles (Kevin Little and Coach Adam Brown) merge with OTB’s Chris Nee and Brendan Sonnone to go over camp observations while exploring what some of these developments could mean for the long-term direction...

The fellas at X's and Noles share their observations from watching clips from FSU's first preseason practice...and they like what they see, including some beef being added up front.

Preseason camp is already underway in Tallahassee as Florida State started its 2022 campaign on Wednesday evening. Chris Nee and Brendan Sonnone go over what we took away from Day 1 of preseason camp in a quick episode of OTB.

Florida State’s close to this past cycle’s Early Signing Period was a wake-up call to those on the periphery of the program. Getting organized and adaptable to an ever-changing landscape in the NIL Era was going to be key. One of the FSU fans who emerged to help the program get back on track is Matthew, the CEO of Rising Spear (the NIL collective that helps create opportunities for FSU athletes)....

Football season is nearly among us. Florida State is looking to make a splash with a major recruiting event this week as it also starts preseason camp. But first, Chris Nee breaks down the unwinnable position of Jim Phillips at the ACC Kickoff – including a “bloodbath” at the Q&A session. Then Zach Blostein leads us with recruiting coverage as the Seminoles hope to bring blue-chippers like Hyk...

The first episode of the X's and Noles Podcast features the fellas at the Triple Option critiquing Brendan's 40 Most Important Players list. Then they get into the significance of a few weight gains from FSU's roster update. You can subscribe to On The Bench, X’s and Noles, and Beyond The Bench on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts and Spotify . As always, five-star reviews and comments on Apple Pod...

Noles247’s On The Bench podcast continues its 1-on-1 interview series with Trey Rowland as the interviewer extraordinaire sits down with ESPN’s David Hale to add a dose of reality and context to realignment talk. Just how likely is it that the Seminoles land in the SEC or the Big Ten? And, if that happens, when is a reasonable timeline? You can subscribe to On The Bench, X’s and Noles, and Beyond...

Chris Parson, FSU's long-time quarterback pledge, decommitted from the Seminoles. The four-star's decision felt like an inevitability since FSU expanded its quarterback board in late May. On The Bench weighs why Parson ultimately decommitted, why this was expected, and what it means with for FSU and Brock Glenn. You can subscribe to On The Bench, X’s and Noles, and Beyond The Bench on Apple Podcas...

Josh Pate, the host of 247Sports’ The Late Kick, is as informed and thoughtful of national host as you’ll find covering college football. He’s also a huge wrestling fan.  Combining the two, Trey Rowland sits down with Pate to start our O n The Bench’s 1-on-1 Series . Pate details his thoughts on FSU within the college football landscape, why he’s still optimistic about a turnaround under Mike Norv...

Florida State fended off Florida, USC, and Tennessee to land four-star offensive tackle prospect Lucas Simmons. The Top 150 recruit nationally is still a work in progress, but he's a rarity: A true tackle prospect with prototypical length, size and athleticism. On The Bench breaks down the recruiting process for Simmons, analyzes his game, and goes over how the Seminoles managed to beat out some t...

Desmond Ricks, one of the country's top recruits in 2024, says he no longer has contact with Florida State’s coaching staff.  It’s a damning statement, one Ricks hasn’t backed down from. Meanwhile, FSU sources indicate that communication wasn’t totally cut off. This development is just part of the story. Other recruits have weighed in on Ricks’ comments to imply they also similarly lost communicat...

We take a serious, no-nonsense approach of putting the Keldric Faulk commitment into context. How did the Seminoles land the four-star defensive end and what are the best aspects of his game? And with Faulk wrapped up, we turn our attention to Lucas Simmons. Can the Seminoles beat out Florida, USC, and Tennessee for the blue-chip, prototypical left tackle?

Is Jordan Travis a Top 25 QB nationally? The fellas at X's and Noles debate this topic, with the honorable Judge Trey presiding over the case. Kev takes the point of Travis being a talented and underrated QB without much help around him, while Coach AB voices concerns about availability and Travis taking too much time to deliver the ball. Who makes the better case? Judge Trey decides in Noles247 C...