Jimbo Fisher's plan to move UF-FSU to September only benefits FSU

Jimbo Fisher has done a good job of getting the Seminoles back in the fishwrap with a decent recruiting class, an exciting spring camp and now suggesting the Florida-Florida State game be moved to September. He also suggested the possibility of moving the game to a neutral site, including the audacity of playing the game in Atlanta. (I don't blame Jimbo for being confused as to what state Tallahassee is in. There are a lot of Georgia commercials on the Tallahassee cable system.)

The Gators responded to Fisher, which seemed to me to legitimize Fisher's off-base suggestion. But the UAA correctly said that tradition dictated a November game and that "administratively" they would not be in favor of it. That is code for, "Our schedule has looked the same since 1992 and we're not changing it for some asshole." (UF-FSU has ended the season since 1980. It's also the same weekend as Alabama-Auburn, Notre Dame-USC, Georgia-Georgia Tech, Texas-Texas A&M and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State. You are supposed to play a rival on Thanksgiving weekend.)

Moving Florida-FSU to September means FSU has to move the Miami game to its usual October date. UF would have to play FSU and Tennessee back-to-back, and while both teams are struggling now, eventually they will get better and that schedule would be a killer. Or, Tennessee is moved to November, which throws off their usual finish against Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Before you know it, the entire SEC schedule is thrown off. People are rightfully critical of Florida and other SEC schools not being adventerous in out-of-conference scheduling. But that is based in how the SEC schedule rarely changes, including out-of-conference weekends.

The game would also guarantee FSU an early season sellout, since they play Miami on the road and UF at home in alternating seasons. It has become apparent to FSU that they overexpanded Doak Campbell Stadium and they need big time home matchups. Playing UF in September gets asses in the seats and maybe a good show keeps those fans coming back for Maryland and Georgia Tech games.

As for playing the game in a neutral site, that doesn't benefit anyone except for Chick-fil-A and Dr. Pepper. Neutral and off-site games were created when college towns couldn't sustain 70-80,000 fans for a game. In modern times, there is no need for Alabama to play in Birmingham, Arkansas to play in Little Rock, or the Gators to play in Jacksonville. 

You can blame Fisher for trying anything to get the FSU program back on track. But he should think twice before he tries to screw with tradition.