Florida State’s path back to a bowl game looks a lot more manageable now, and it starts with Clemson coming to Tallahassee on Halloween.
If the Seminoles can win three of their next five, they would return to bowl season for the first time since 2023. Given the way the schedule sets up, FSU is expected to be favored in four of those five games, Clemson included. CBSSports even has the Seminoles landing in Puerto Rico for the first edition of the San Juan Bowl.
That opportunity comes with plenty of pressure still hanging over Mike Norvell’s program. Florida State is fighting through a season where the tension around the head coach has been impossible to ignore. After last week’s disputed loss at Miami ended on a controversial Hail Mary that was ruled an interception, the Seminoles used their open date to clean up defensive problems before the home date with Clemson.
A win over the Tigers would push Florida State to 4-4 overall and leave it needing two more victories to get bowl eligible.
The back half of the schedule was already viewed as softer than the first half, but recent developments have made it look even friendlier than expected in the preseason. Boston College has outperformed projections, though FSU still should be favored on the road. Pitt has lost its quarterback and hasn’t looked the same since, and NC State just did what many Florida State fans want its current leadership to do: it fired the head coach.
USA Today is also reporting that the pressure is reaching higher up in the Florida State athletic structure. As one person with knowledge of the situation in Tallahassee told USA TODAY Sports this week: “The FSU president (Richard McCullough) and board of trustees now are starting to get heat about the football program, and they don’t like that - nor are they used to getting heat in those positions.”
With the athletic director already gone, there’s nobody left to absorb the blowback. The responsibility now sits with Florida State.
Beyond football, basketball is about to get rolling. Exhibitions are done, and both the men’s and women’s teams tip off officially next Monday. The men were picked to finish seventh in the ACC, while the women were projected 14th.
Even so, the expectation around both squads - especially the women’s team - is that they can finish better than those preseason spots suggest. The confidence around Florida State hoops this winter is strong.
In Other News...
Florida State Clemson Week Just Got Bigger Than The Game
Florida States Halloween home date with Clemson is shaping up to be more than just a rivalry game. The school is planning themed events around the matchup, including a drone show and a Trunk or Treat, giving the night a little extra pageantry before the Seminoles even take the field. On top of the holiday atmosphere, the program will also honor Peter Warrick with an NFF College Football Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute during the game, adding a nod to one of the programs most recognizable former stars.
The bigger off-field storyline, though, may be what comes next for the athletic department. Florida State president Richard McCullough said the search for a new athletic director will begin soon, an important step as the school looks to steady its leadership picture while the football program keeps moving through a pivotal stretch. With Clemson coming to town on a night packed with events and recognition, it is the kind of weekend that blends celebration, tradition and a little uncertainty in Tallahassee. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Fans Just Turned On Mike Norvell In Public
Frustration around Florida States football program has spilled beyond social media and into a public campaign aimed directly at Mike Norvell. Ahead of the upcoming game against Clemson, fans have started a GoFundMe to hire an aircraft to fly a banner over campus reading FIRE MIKE NORVELL, a stark sign of how quickly patience has worn thin as the Seminoles have struggled under the current regime.
The move also speaks to a broader sense that university leadership has not done enough to answer the programs slide, even with Norvells contract extension and buyout factors in the background. Whether the banner ever flies or not, the message is clear: a vocal segment of the fan base wants a much faster response to the on-field problems, and they are now making sure everyone inside and outside the stadium knows it. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Line Faces A Brutal Test With Ashton Daniels At Risk
Florida States offensive line has become the obvious pressure point as the Seminoles head into a matchup that will ask a lot more of Ashton Daniels than simply extending plays with his legs. Coach Hand has been clear that the group has to do a better job in pass protection if Daniels is going to work from a cleaner pocket, and the stakes are easy to see. Daniels has been one of Florida States most dangerous threats with 354 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, but the protection issues have also helped contribute to eight interceptions under pressure.
Clemson is hardly the kind of defense that lets an offensive line ease into anything. The Tigers have piled up 20 sacks this season and have recently been smothering opponents on the ground, holding them to low rushing totals and keeping them out of the end zone. For Florida State, the challenge is bigger than just surviving a pass rush, because Daniels best traits and the Seminoles overall rhythm may depend on whether the pocket holds long enough for the offense to function the way it wants to. [Read more 🡒]