The first AP preseason Top 25 is out, and Florida State’s schedule is loaded with ranked opponents right from the jump.
The Seminoles themselves are nowhere in the poll after finishing 5-7 last season and did not pick up a single vote. But the teams around them are stacked, giving FSU plenty of chances to prove itself against nationally ranked competition.
Miami is the highest-ranked opponent on the Seminoles’ slate at No. 7. Florida State heads to Miami Gardens, Fla. on Saturday, October 17th, and the Hurricanes have taken the last two meetings in the series.
A few other ranked teams are waiting on the schedule as well. No.
13 Alabama comes to Tuscaloosa on Saturday, September 19th, after FSU beat the Crimson Tide last season in Tallahassee. No.
19 SMU opens against the Seminoles in Tallahassee on Labor Day at Doak Campbell Stadium; the two teams met for the first time in 2024, with FSU falling in Dallas. No.
24 Louisville will host Florida State on Friday, October 9th, and the Seminoles have won the last two matchups, including the 2023 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, N.C.
Just outside the Top 25, Clemson is the first team in the receiving-votes group and will visit Doak Campbell Stadium on Halloween. The Tigers have won the last two annual meetings and nine of the last 10.
Florida is next among the teams receiving votes, and the Gators will host Florida State on Friday, November 27th. The in-state rivals have split none of the last two meetings - Florida has won both.
Pitt landed seven points, which puts the Panthers at No. 36 overall, and they’ll host FSU on Friday, November 13th. Pitt beat the Seminoles in Tallahassee last season, while Florida State won the previous matchup in 2023 in Pittsburgh.
Virginia picked up one vote for No. 25 and is part of the group with one point. The Cavaliers host Florida State on Saturday, October 3rd, and then come to Tallahassee for the first time since 2014. Virginia has won the last two meetings, both at home.
In Other News...
Peter Warrick Gives Florida State Fans A Powerful Championship Era Reminder
Florida State will use its Oct. 31 game against Clemson to spotlight one of the defining players from its championship run, as Peter Warrick is set to be honored by the school and the National Football Foundation. Warrick, a 2026 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, will receive an NFF Hall of Fame plaque that will remain on display at the university, adding another permanent reminder of the standard he helped establish in Tallahassee.
The recognition is part of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, which brings inductees back to their schools during home games for a formal celebration. For Seminoles fans, it is a chance to revisit an era when Warricks name carried real weight on Saturdays, while also tying that history to a high-profile matchup with Clemson under the lights late in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Bought The ACCs Best Roster But Still Has Everything To Prove
Mario Cristobals Miami program enters the 2026 season carrying the kind of expectation that usually comes with a blue-chip roster and a massive budget, and the Hurricanes have both. They have spent more than $40 million on the roster, the second-highest figure in college football, and the ACCs new revenue distribution setup has only strengthened the financial edge behind that push. From the outside, it looks like a team built to chase a national title right away.
But in the ACC, Miami still has the burden of proof attached to it. The Hurricanes have not won the league since joining in 2004, and even in seasons when the roster was widely viewed as the best in the conference, they never got to the title game. So as the pressure rises and the talent level stays obvious, the question is less about whether Miami looks formidable on paper and more about whether it can finally turn that investment into something the program has never produced in this conference. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Freshmen Are Already Forcing A Bigger Role Conversation
Florida States 2026 recruiting class was the biggest of the Mike Norvell era, and the early chatter out of camp already suggests it may not take long for some of those newcomers to matter. The Seminoles brought in 34 high school and JUCO prospects, and several true freshmen are positioned to help right away, especially at wide receiver and linebacker. Jasen Lopez and Devin Carter have both been part of the early conversation on offense, while the staff is also looking for immediate depth and energy from a young defensive group.
Izayia Williams adds another layer to that mix after working back from an ACL injury, with his return timeline lining up with the season opener against New Mexico State. For a Florida State team trying to build both depth and competition across the roster, those freshman opportunities matter because they can reshape roles before September gets moving. The bigger question now is not whether the class has talent, but how quickly the staff decides to lean on it when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]