A Heisman Trophy contender, Jordan Travis, at quarterback. A potential top-five NFL draft pick, Jared Verse, on the edge. Loads of talent surrounding both star players.
It sure feels as if Florida State is back, or at least on its way there.
The eighth-ranked Seminoles will begin to reveal, Sunday night in Orlando, Fla., whether they are worthy of all the offseason hype.
If Florida State beats No. 5 LSU, which has its own Heisman contender in quarterback Jayden Daniels and is viewed by some experts as the team to beat in the rugged SEC West, the Seminoles really could dream about a College Football Playoff berth.
Florida State is coming off a 10-3 campaign in coach Mike Norvell’s third season.
The Seminoles finished with six consecutive victories and their three losses were by a combined 18 points.
LSU is the slight favorite, however, and the highest-ranked opponent on the Seminoles’ schedule.
The Tigers are coming off a pretty impressive season as well.
They went 10-4 and won an SEC West crown in coach Brian Kelly’s first season, and there are expectations this team is even better.
Daniels is a year older and playing in Kelly’s system for the second time, which should add a layer of confidence and comfort coming off a standout junior season in which he accounted for 28 touchdowns.
The defense could be elite, led by dynamic linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. and fortified by a number of transfers, including stud inside linebacker Omar Speights (from Oregon State) and talented cornerbacks Zy Alexander (Southeast Louisiana) and Duce Chestnut (Syracuse).
It is a fascinating matchup, nearly a year to the day after Florida State nipped LSU by a point in New Orleans.
Nobody knew at the time both teams were on their way to strong seasons. This game will be different. This will be a playoff-résumé showdown.
Here is a look at the other games of note on the season’s first full weekend:
Saturday
Colorado at No. 17 TCU: Noon, Fox
The Deion Sanders era in Boulder, Colo., will start with a huge test, a visit to the 2022 national championship runner-up.
Colorado, coming off a 1-11 campaign, is a massive 20.5-point underdog, despite TCU losing several key players off its Cinderella team from last year.
The Horned Frogs are still expected to compete near the top of the Big 12, led by a stifling defense that returns seven starters.
Covering the spread would be an accomplishment for Coach Prime and company.
Boise St.at No. 10 Washington: 3:30 p.m., ABC
The Post’s sleeper pick to reach the playoff, Washington won’t have it easy in Week 1.
Coming off a 10-win campaign, Boise State was a preseason pick to win the Mountain West and features a dynamic dual-threat quarterback in sophomore Taylen Green, who produced 24 touchdowns in his first season as a starter.
The Huskies struggled against mobile quarterbacks last year, a major factor in their two losses, to UCLA and Arizona State.
The other side of the ball, however, may be a mismatch, as Heisman Trophy contender Michael Penix Jr. and Washington’s top-rated passing attack faces a secondary short on experience.
No. 21 North Carolina vs. South Carolina (in Charlotte, N.C.): 7:30 p.m., ABC
North Carolina finished last season poorly, losing its final four games to end an otherwise strong campaign on a sour note.
South Carolina pulled off upsets of Tennessee and Clemson to close out the regular season, before a narrow Gator Bowl loss to Notre Dame. The winner in this battle of top quarterbacks — potential No. 1 draft pick Drake Maye against former Oklahoma starter and senior Spencer Rattler — will start 2023 off right.
Monday
No. 9 Clemson at Duke: 8 p.m., ESPN
Dabo Swinney made a needed change during the offseason, replacing Brandon Streeter with TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to fix Clemson’s broken offense behind new Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik.
Duke, which is coming off an encouraging nine-win season (the program’s most victories since 2014) under new coach Mike Elko, is led by a formidable defensive front.
