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Florida State junior quarterback E.J. Manuel came into the season with high expectations, so high that he was being called a Heisman Trophy candidate and his team figured to be a contender for the national championship, so it might seem disappointing that the 6-5, 235-pounder didn't even make honorable mention in the ACC and the Seminoles did no better than the Champs Sports Bowl.

QB E.J. Manuel NoleDigest.com

Injuries on the offensive side of the football were nothing short of devastating for FSU this year, including a left shoulder injury to Manuel on Sept. 17 vs. Oklahoma that has sent lesser players straight to the operating room, which is why coach Jimbo Fisher is still proud of what the 'Noles accomplished considering all the hurdles they had to jump along the way.

Never did Manuel and Co. have an opportunity to develop any real continuity, especially along what has been a constantly injured and genuinely ineffective offensive line for the majority of the campaign.

"For about four games right in the middle of the season we had the same starting offensive line, and after that we've never had the same linuep on offense one time the whole year," Fisher said Tuesday after practice on the campus of UCF. "And [Manuel has] adjusted to making calls in the huddle. What you don't see is how many times he's telling a guy in the huddle, 'You've gotta slide over here. You've got to block this. You've got to run this. You've gotta do this.'"

Not only has Manuel been forced to deal with an ever-changing quintet of blockers in front of him, but his most experienced pass catchers had trouble staying on the field and his primary ball carrier didn't have a chance to truly get going.

"We keep talking about Rashad Greene, but he was a freshman that came in the Clemson game and had to play," said Fisher. "Christian Green had never played a down. Bert Reed was out five games. [Willie] Haulstead, his No. 1 guy going into the season's been out [every] game. His No. 1 tailback, Chris Thompson, he couldn't turn around and hand it [to him]. The only guy in FSU history to have three runs of 70 yards or more, gone for the year."

Not to mention the fact that this was Manuel's first season as the full-time starter, having only subbed here and there the last two years for eventual first-round draft pick Christian Ponder, but the Virginia Beach native never complained, ignored the criticism and simply went about his business.

"The burden he carried on his back was tremendous," Fisher said.

Despite all that, Manuel completed 65.4 percent of his passes and put together a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 16-to-8, even though he was sacked 28 times, his leading rusher (Devonta Freeman) topped out at 531 yards and his top receiver (Greene) only caught 33 passes. Four true freshmen are going to start Thursday in Orlando against Notre Dame: Josue Matias at left guard, Austin Barron at center, Tre' Jackson at right guard and Bobby Hart -- he's the only one with any legit playing time to this point -- at right tackle. Throw in tailback James Wilder Jr. and tight end Nick O'Leary, and Fisher says he could have as many as eight freshmen doing battle with the Fighting Irish on any given snap.

No, Florida State may not have been "back" in 2011, but 2012 sure looks bright if the injury bug finally decides to pick up and leave Tallahassee.

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John Crist is the editor-in-chief of NoleDigest.com, a Heisman Trophy voter and a member of the Football Writers Association of America. For unbiased, unrivaled and unconquered coverage of Florida State athletics, visit NoleDigest.com and become a subscriber.