By Heath Bradley.

FSU enters 2012 with high expectations. The Seminoles enter this season very high on the national radar, and for good reason. They enter 2012 with 18 returning starters, eight on offense, nine on defense, and one of the nation’s top kickers, Dustin Hopkins.

Importantly, they return one of the top defenses in the nation. They have what many rate as the nation’s top defensive line, a group that returns all four starters from 2011. The Seminoles return three defensive ends that combined for 20.5 sacks on the season. This defensive line added with the retuning experience at linebacker as well as the big play making ability of the secondary gives Florida State a rare combination of talent and experience on the defensive side of the ball.

Florida State also returns quarterback EJ Manuel, one of the top quarterbacks in the nation by many evaluators. Manuel, a senior has played in many of big games in his career in Tallahassee and hopes to continue this trend in 2012. In 2011, Manuel passed for 2,666 yards and 18 touchdowns while missing time due to injury. Even with all of the hype entering the season, Manuel tries to keep a level head when looking toward 2012.

“When you sign your letter of intent at FSU, which is what you should expect. To always be in the top of the conversation,” said Manuel.

While he understands that there are a lot of people who expect them to do great things in 2012, Manuel knows the focus and key to success is in the small things.

“It is not the big things anymore, we have the talent, and we have everything we need. Everything we need to be successful he has given to us, and now it is our job to put it into effect,” said Manuel.

Florida State is no stranger to preseason hype, just last season the Seminoles were the preseason selection to win the Atlantic Division as well as the overall ACC Championship. The Seminoles had moments of success in 2011, but they also struggled at times and finished the season with a 9-4 record overall, including a 5-3 record in the ACC. While Manuel wants to win championships, as should every player, he understands that it is not the only way you can judge the success of a season.

“I would not call it a disappointing season. I think the things we had with adversity we learned from, the injuries, the losing three games in a row, then stringing some wins together and having the letdown versus UVA. You cannot have that, if you want to be a national contender, that’s what the great teams don’t do, they don’t allow small lapses,” said Manuel.

Manuel knows that the way to keep these lapses from happening is to work hard in practice. If the Seminoles expect to reach any of their goals in 2012, including potentially playing for the National Championship, they must improve the little things from 2011. “You clean it up in practice.  If you can clean it up in practice, it will go a long ways.”

Manuel has focused in the off season to become a more complete and diligent player, studying the playbook in new ways to help himself better remember it, including drawing the plays on his own personal whiteboard while studying the playbook. Manuel knows that the success of the offense in 2012 will play a key role in the success of the Seminoles. If the offense can have a big year, paired with the retuning defensive talent, Florida State has a chance to live up to the hype the national media has bestowed upon them. However, the Seminoles have been down this road before, and it will be interesting to see if it turns out the way it has recently, with FSU falling short of its goals.