Florida State walks into Monday night with a chance to reset the conversation, but the assignment is anything but soft. No.
19 SMU arrives in Tallahassee with the kind of résumé that still turns heads: a 14-2 ACC record and a playoff trip in its first two seasons in the league. That kind of start has pushed the Mustangs to the front of the conference chase behind Miami, and now they get a road test that should tell us plenty.
The Seminoles, meanwhile, are trying to clean up a shaky first impression. Their 34-17 win over New Mexico State in Week 0 never quite looked comfortable, and it took a late touchdown run from Ousmane Kromah to finally shake loose. Even in a game that felt uneven, Florida State did get one encouraging sign: three different receivers went for at least 50 yards.
Kromah’s role is one of the biggest things to watch here. The sophomore, a late flip for Mike Norvell’s staff and the No. 3 running back in the Class of 2025, looked like a true feature back against New Mexico State.
He finished with 14 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown, including the late score that put the game away. He has only gone over 10 carries twice in 2025, and Florida State needs that number climbing.
SMU’s offense runs through Kevin Jennings, and the fifth-year senior quarterback is at the center of a major Heisman push. The Dallas native entered the season with more than 7,700 passing yards and 55 touchdowns, and he’s on pace to keep climbing the SMU record books. He also dealt with an early lower-body injury last season that limited his rushing, and the Mustangs should lean on his mobility more in Tallahassee.
There’s also a timing edge for Florida State, which opened a week earlier than SMU. That matters in early September, especially when the stakes are already high.
After this game, the Seminoles still have No. 13 Alabama, ACC runner-up Virginia, No.
24 Louisville and No. 7 Miami waiting on the schedule, with only Central Arkansas in between those heavy hitters.
SMU has an FCS game against UC Davis on the ledger, but the Mustangs also have No. 24 Louisville coming up, so a rough night here could snowball fast.
These two teams already crossed paths in 2024, when SMU rolled Florida State 42-16 and Jennings threw three touchdown passes in a breakout performance. The Mustangs will try to back that up again, and the matchup points toward another tough night for a Seminoles secondary that had trouble getting off the field against NMSU. SMU should also do a better job of bottling up Kromah.
Pick: SMU -3
In Other News...
Florida State Faces A Bigger Test Than Fans Wanted This Early
Florida State got the opening-night result it wanted, but the schedule is already tightening around the Seminoles. After a season-opening win over New Mexico State, they now turn quickly to a Labor Day night matchup with SMU, a nationally televised test that arrives before anyone around Tallahassee can really settle into September. It is the kind of early-game measuring stick that can shape the tone of a season, especially for a team trying to build on a solid first step.
The concern is not just the opponent, but how much cleaner Florida State still needs to be. New Mexico State found enough success to keep the Seminoles honest, and now SMU brings a different level of urgency and execution to the table. For Florida State, this is the sort of game that can tell you a lot about where the team really stands, even if the full answer will not come until after the lights come on. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Already Won But Its First Real Test Is Still Coming
Florida State opened the 2026 season the right way, putting away New Mexico State with a 34-17 win and leaning on the run game to get there. The Seminoles spread the rushing production around and showed enough balance to leave opener questions behind, which is exactly what you want before the schedule starts tightening up.
Now comes the part that really matters for the Seminoles, because their ACC opener arrives Monday night against No. 20 SMU on ESPN. With two bye weeks on the slate and more ranked opponents still ahead, Florida State has already banked a win, but the next stretch will say far more about how real this team is. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State's Early Bye Puts Norvell Under Pressure Fast
Florida State is getting an unusual early breather, with a Week 2 bye tucked between its season opener and a looming matchup with Alabama. In a schedule like this, the timing matters almost as much as the rest itself. If the Seminoles look sharp against SMU, the pause can serve as a reset and a chance to sharpen details before the level of difficulty rises quickly.
If the opener goes sideways, though, the break could feel less like a gift and more like a source of lost rhythm for Mike Norvells team. Florida State still has a demanding path ahead, with several ranked opponents on the schedule, so the Seminoles do not have much room to treat this stretch casually. The first two weeks may say a lot about whether the early pause helps them build or leaves them scrambling to regain momentum. [Read more 🡒]