Florida State’s record says 1-2, but the Seminoles have been anything but easy to dismiss. Even so, CBS Sports wasn’t moved enough by the fight to keep them in the same spot.
After Week 3, Florida State slid two places to No. 51 in CBS Sports’ College Football Power Rankings, falling outside the top 50 despite giving Alabama a real scare. The Seminoles were a three-touchdown underdog and still built a 21-6 first-half lead before the game unraveled late in the second quarter. In about 2:14 of game time, Alabama ripped off three touchdowns and flipped the entire feel of the night.
From there, the Crimson Tide kept rolling. Alabama scored on nine straight possessions spanning the first quarter through the fourth, while Florida State was held to 15 second-half points.
The result was the Seminoles’ second straight week taking a hit in the rankings, even though their two losses have come against ranked opponents by a combined 17 points. That includes the 3-point loss to SMU.
Mike Norvell didn’t sugarcoat it on Monday, but he did make clear he liked the effort his team showed.
"Thought we put ourselves in position, but did not get the job done. I am proud of the fight of our players.
I mean, there in the locker room, we all feel the disappointment, but also feel the urgency to get better," Norvell said on Monday. "As we sit there and we go through this process, we lost to two good football teams early in the season with ample opportunities to go and win it."
"We didn't make enough plays in either of those games to finish the job. And that's what we have to do," Norvell added.
"That's what we got to continue to work on to make sure that our consistency is where it needs to be, and we need to see the improvement, which I've seen; we've seen some flashes. We've seen capability against quality people.
But we've got to go and be better."
CBS Sports still has Florida State as the highest-ranked 1-2 team in its metric. The Seminoles are listed ahead of 3-0 Vanderbilt at No.
52, 3-1 Memphis at No. 54, 4-0 North Dakota State at No. 55, and 3-0 James Madison at No.
There are also nine ACC teams ranked ahead of Florida State, including Virginia, Louisville, Miami, and Pittsburgh, all of whom remain on the schedule.
The Seminoles return home to face Central Arkansas on Saturday, September 26, with kickoff set for 3:00 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.
In Other News...
Florida States Passing Struggles Put One Norvell Staff Decision Under Fire
Florida States passing game has become one of the more frustrating parts of an uneven season, and the discussion around it has started to focus as much on coaching structure as on quarterback play. The Seminoles entered the year with Austin Tucker handling the quarterbacks room, a notable setup for a former wide receiver who had not previously coached the position, and the production has not taken a step forward.
With the offense ranking 65th in the FBS and Ashton Daniels sitting at four touchdown passes and four interceptions, the scrutiny around that decision has only grown. Inside the staff, there are other options with more direct quarterback experience, including Tom Herman and Brady White, which makes the current arrangement look even more unusual as Florida State searches for answers through the air. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Could Finally Get Answer On Its Backup QB Battle
Florida State has spent the first three games of the 2026 season looking competitive, but the more intriguing development may be happening behind the starter. Ashton Daniels has handled every snap in the most recent game, while the Seminoles have kept the backup quarterback picture open between Malachi Marshall and Kevin Sperry. Marshall has been taking second-team reps in pregame, a sign that the staff is at least sorting out the depth chart while the games still matter.
Central Arkansas arrives on the schedule Sept. 26, and that matchup could finally give the Seminoles a chance to see what they have behind Daniels. If Florida State does turn to its backups, it would offer a real evaluation point in a battle that has been mostly fought in practice and pregame work so far. For a team that has stayed competitive early, the next question is less about the starter and more about who is ready if the Seminoles need the next man up. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Has A New Reason To Watch Ta'Shawn Poole Closely
Ta'Shawn Poole turned in one of the more eye-catching nights on a Georgia high school field this fall, and it came at a good time for a player Florida State will want to keep tabs on. In Howards 49-43 regional win over Baldwin, Poole set a Georgia state record with six touchdown catches while piling up 245 receiving yards, a performance that put his name squarely on the radar.
The outburst also came with some grit behind it, because Howard was coming off losses to Valdosta and Perry before finally breaking through. Poole also chipped in seven tackles and a tackle for loss, underscoring how much he affects the game on both sides of the ball, and he and his teammates made clear afterward that the lesson was about learning to keep fighting until the end. [Read more 🡒]