[3][4] The Seminoles finished 11–2 in 1998, extending their NCAA record to 13 straight seasons with at least 10 victories and ranked among the nation's top four teams.

[citation needed] This marked the 13th consecutive season that the Seminoles will have finished in the Top 5 rankings of both the AP and coaches poll.

[2] Seminoles came into pre-season camp with a healthy Chris Weinke who had to miss the 1999 Fiesta Bowl BCS National championship game due to a season-ending cervical herniated disc sustained during a sack against Virginia.

[14][15][16][6] Warrick would enter the 1999 season as a Heisman front runner alongside Drew Brees, Ron Dayne, and Joe Hamilton.

[15] The Weinke led offense that scored 31 points a game in 1998 would find himself with a senior talented corp of wide receivers with Warrick, Laveranues Coles, and Ron Dugans.

[17][18] Despite only signing 13 players, this stellar recruiting class was highlighted by four highly touted recruits that made USA Today's All-USA high school football team: Nick Maddox (RB), Kendyll Pope (LB), Darnell Dockett (DL), and the top prospect in the country, Anquan Boldin (QB) who selected FSU over Florida and Miami.

"[20] The recruiting class of 13[17][18][21] On November 12, 1998, Chris Weinke underwent surgery at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital to repair damage to his C6 vertebrae.

[22] The surgery repaired ligament damage, corrected a ruptured disc and removed a bone chip which was lodged against a nerve in his neck.