Five Takeaways from Stanford's Road Loss to Florida State

This week's homestand is now of huge importance

Jan 31, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Jeremy Dent-Smith (25) drives the ball to the net past Florida State Seminoles forward Chauncey Wiggins (7) during the first half at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

On Saturday, Stanford took on Florida State in a pivotal road matchup. In what absolutely needed to be a win, the Cardinal came up short, losing their fourth in a row. Stanford is now 14-8, and 3-6 in the ACC with nine games remaining on their schedule.

Here are five takeaways from the loss in Tallahassee.

Joining the ACC may have been a mistake

In a panic move a few years ago, Stanford elected that they would join the ACC despite being very much on the West Coast. Many speculated it would be tough to play on the road, especially in sports such as basketball, where there are so many games on the schedule away from Maples.

This has turned out to be exactly right. Stanford has struggled immensely on the East Coast in ACC play. Last season, they went 1-8, with just a single win that happened to come at the buzzer.

This season, they are 1-3 as well, with their only win coming in late fashion as well against Virginia Tech. Getting dominated by a 9-12 team on the road perfectly expresses the issues with traveling across the country every other weekend.

Clemson and Georgia Tech at home turn into absolute must-win games

Stanford has nine games left on their schedule, and essentially needs to win at least seven. With five of their final nine games coming on the road, the Cardinal need to build their home fortunes up, and cannot afford to lose at home for the rest of the season.

With No. 22 Clemson coming to town on Wednesday, it’s going to be tough to stay solid, especially after four straight losses. But it’s nothing Stanford isn’t used to, as they have already won two home games over ranked opponents. Will they be able to pull off another win with their backs against the wall?

Donavin Young could be an interesting piece for the Cardinal

After showing flashes of potential during his freshman season, Young spent the majority of his sophomore campaign on the bench due to a lower extremity injury. When he came back, he didn’t look as improved as some would expect, especially defensively.

However, Young had a big night against Florida State, and is starting to prove that he is a true starting caliber player for the Cardinal. Let’s see if that continues in their two-game home slate.

AJ Rohosy can be consistent enough to be a Chisom Okpara replacement

Rohosy has done a phenomenal job at being consistent throughout the season. With that being said, his play did take a dip early in conference play, with freshman Oskar Giltay getting some of his minutes.

However, it’s now back-to-back games where Rohosy has flourished on the road, and is proving that he can continue to be a big piece for the Cardinal this season.

Benny Gealer shines once again

Gealer has performed phenomenally over the last two games, similar to Rohosy. After Jeremy Dent-Smith got a starting spot, Gealer has flourished off the bench, and it looks like his role as a sixth man could be perfect for him.

This home stretch will be massive for the guard to see how he performs under pressure against Clemson.