Florida State came out of a strange Week 1 opener against No. 19 SMU with more questions than answers, and the biggest ones all seem to circle the same place: the trenches, the secondary, and what the Seminoles can realistically expect from Ashton Daniels right now.
The game itself already had a surreal feel before the ball was even kicked. A power surge caused a major outage that nearly pushed the matchup into a rescheduled date, but the teams agreed to keep going with limited digital tools available to start. Once play finally got underway, SMU handled the odd setup just fine and Florida State was left to regroup after the loss.
Daniels is the first name that jumps off the page. Florida State does not need him to carry the offense every week through the air, but the step back he showed against SMU is hard to ignore.
He was stuck below 100 passing yards deep into the final quarter, and the Mustangs never had to treat the passing game like a real threat. That matters because the Seminoles have experienced targets like Duce Robinson who need opportunities, and the offense cannot live on one track forever.
The issues up front are part of the story, but if Daniels cannot connect downfield more consistently, Norvell may have to think about Malachi Marshall.
The secondary is just as troubling. Communication problems that showed up in Week 0 were still there against SMU, even after Mike Norvell said the staff had pumped in extra crowd noises during practice to help simulate game-day chaos.
The fixes never showed up on the field. Florida State defensive backs were repeatedly out of place or attached to the wrong assignment, and the safeties were caught expecting help that was not there.
SMU took advantage early, and quarterback Kevin Jennings settled in quickly. The soft zones Florida State kept running made the job easier for him, and even with injuries in the secondary, the lack of awareness and support remains a real concern.
There was at least one bright spot back there. Nehemiah Chandler came up with an interception at a key moment and was one of the better defensive performers for Florida State. With so many injuries around him, Chandler was the kind of player who needed to step forward, and he did.
The other major issue is the offensive line, and this one feels like it could define what comes next. Florida State has enough skill talent to be dangerous when the blocking cooperates.
Daniels can do damage as a dual-threat quarterback when the front gives him balance, and Ousmane Kromah continues to bring explosive athleticism out of the backfield. The offense has shown flashes, but the line keeps getting in the way of anything sustainable.
Norvell was still evaluating the offensive line coming out of Week 0, and even after a poor showing and a full week of practice, no changes were made. Florida State still found some success with Kromah on the ground, but the bigger question is how much more dangerous this offense could be if the line gave it a real foundation.
The timing of the bye week may not be ideal for momentum, but it does give Florida State a chance to sort things out before facing the Alabama Crimson Tide. If the offensive line does not improve, that matchup could expose the Seminoles in a hurry.
In Other News...
Auburn Just Lost A Former Blue-Chip Safety Before The 2026 Season
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For Auburn, the loss matters less for what Mathews produced than for what he represented: another body with blue-chip talent in a defensive backfield that has leaned on depth to keep itself steady. Any departure from that group trims the margin for error, especially for a unit that already had a lot of competition built into it. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Cain Is Forcing His Way Into Auburns Plans
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Golesh pointed to Cains recent explosive play and his steady work on special teams as proof that he has earned the right to play. Auburn is now trying to sort out where those chances can come from, and for a player who has clearly put himself on the staffs radar, the next step is finding a way to turn those flashes into a bigger weekly role. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Fans Just Got An Uncomfortable Tennessee Quarterback Reminder
Josh Heupel turned to true freshman Faizon Brandon to open Tennessees 2026 season, and the early returns were eye-opening. Against Furman, Brandon looked calm and efficient, completing 13 of 17 passes for three touchdowns while accounting for five total touchdowns, a debut that immediately gave Tennessee a fresh layer of optimism and plenty for opposing fan bases to monitor.
For Auburn fans, the uncomfortable part is what Brandons performance suggests about the direction Tennessee may be headed at quarterback. The article digs into his playing style and the tougher tests ahead, but it also lands in a familiar place for Auburn followers, who know how quickly a young quarterback can change the feel of a rivalry-season conversation. As Brandons schedule gets harder, the comparison to Auburns own quarterback situation only adds to the intrigue. [Read more 🡒]