Seminoles returning to glory?

CLEMSON -- Is a window of opportunity closing for Clemson and the rest of the ACC's Atlantic Division?

Prior to its slump, Florida State was a hegemonic power in the ACC, winning at least a share of the conference title 12 times in 14 years after joining the league in 1992. But since 2004, Florida State has been in decline. The Seminoles have not been ranked in the top 10, and twice outside the top 25. The football recession forced out legendary coach Bobby Bowden last month.

But with Jimbo Fisher now in charge, might the Seminoles return to the elite sooner rather than later? It's a grim prospect for the Tigers and the rest of the ACC.

"The question is has that window passed?" Sports Illustrated college football writer Stewart Mandel said. "You gotta think now that Jimbo Fisher is in place, now that he is able to hire his own coaches, that there is less uncertainty in recruiting that they are going to be really good again, really soon."

Mandel believes the prospects for Clemson are promising next season. And a Clemson win in the Music City Bowl could provide a springboard. But Mandel expects Florida State to be a factor in the Atlantic by 2011.

"(Florida State) may have a transition kind of year this coming season, but I don't think they'll be down much longer than that," Mandel said.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he's not concerned with any such window.

"I don't sit around and think about any other school," Swinney said. "I just worry about Clemson and the kind of people we recruit."

Who Florida State recruits hasn't been a problem, picking up a five-star recruit last week in Lamarcus Joyner, and ranking in Rivals.com's top 10 recruiting classes five of the last six years.

Player development, however, has been an issue.

Longtime former Dallas Cowboys player of personnel director Gil Brandt told The New York Times in October there is a distinct trend of Florida State players who enter college highly touted and underachieve only to become productive players in the NFL.

The question is how soon can the Fisher-led Seminoles begin reaching their potential? And can they became as dominant as they were in the late 1990s and early 2000s?

Under Bowden, the Seminoles finished in the top five of the final Associated Press poll an NCAA record 14 consecutive years. Mandel thinks a similar stretch of dominance is unlikely, especially with Urban Meyer in Gainesville. But Mandel believes Florida State's prestige ranking remains high, "just outside" the top 10.

Clemson hasn't finished in the top 20 of the Associated Press or coaches' poll since 2000, and only twice since 1991.

During the ACC power vacuum created by the declines of Florida State and Miami, Mandel notes only Virginia Tech has made national waves.

"The assumption when (the ACC) expanded was that it would be Miami and Florida State competing for the title every year," Mandel said. "I think other teams will stay in the mix ... the ACC is deeper ... but once Florida State gets its act together because of its name recognition, because of recruiting advantages, there's absolutely no reason that program shouldn't be a top-20 program every year."

Reach Travis Sawchik at tsawchik@postandcourier.com.

and check out his Clemson blog at www.postandcourier.om/blogs/tiger_tracks.