Florida State’s 2025 season started with a bang-but ended with a thud. After opening the year with a statement win over Alabama in Tallahassee, the Seminoles looked poised to make a serious run at the College Football Playoff. Instead, they stumbled to a 5-7 finish and missed the postseason entirely for the fourth time in six years.
That Week 1 win over the Crimson Tide had fans buzzing. Beating a perennial powerhouse like Alabama, even in a transition year, felt like a turning point.
But while Alabama regrouped and punched a ticket to the Playoff, Florida State unraveled. The momentum from that early triumph never translated into consistency, and what once looked like a breakthrough season quickly spiraled into another frustrating campaign.
This program has been through its share of emotional swings in recent years. The 2023 season still looms large in the minds of Seminole fans-especially the injury to quarterback Jordan Travis.
That moment, late in the year against North Alabama, didn’t just derail the team’s Playoff hopes-it changed the trajectory of the program. Florida State, undefeated at the time, was left out of the CFP in favor of a one-loss Alabama team.
It was a gut punch, and the ripple effects are still being felt.
Travis, who became the heart and soul of the team during his time in Tallahassee, remains deeply connected to the program. Now hosting his own podcast, Travis Take Two, he recently sat down with head coach Mike Norvell for a candid conversation about the state of Florida State football.
Norvell didn’t sugarcoat things. “Disappointed but not defeated,” he said, summing up the mood around the program.
It’s a telling phrase-because disappointment has been a familiar feeling in Tallahassee lately. But defeat?
That’s not something Norvell is ready to accept.
And to be fair, this isn’t a situation unique to Florida State. When you lose a quarterback like Jordan Travis-someone who elevated the offense with his leadership, athleticism, and poise-it’s hard to maintain the same level of play.
That’s true for just about any program in the country. But the challenge now is clear: the Seminoles have to find a way to win without him.
The next chapter for Norvell and his team begins in 2026, and make no mistake-this is a pivotal moment in his tenure. After back-to-back seasons that ended in heartbreak and unfulfilled potential, the pressure is on to show that Florida State can bounce back.
The foundation is still there. The Seminoles played with swagger and belief in 2022 and 2023.
That mindset didn’t just appear overnight-it was built through hard work, culture, and leadership. Now, they need to rediscover it.
Adversity has knocked on the door, and how Florida State responds will tell us everything about where this program is headed. Norvell knows it.
Travis knows it. And fans know it too.
The path forward won’t be easy, but the opportunity is there.
This is the kind of season that defines a coach’s legacy. For Mike Norvell, 2026 isn’t just about wins and losses-it’s about proving that the Seminoles are still a force to be reckoned with in college football.