Florida State football is in a precarious spot, with back-to-back losing seasons and rivals Miami likely contenders for a national championship once again.
Athlon Sports published a guide to each ACC team, and they had some rather blunt words for the Seminoles, who are not only looking to win their first game outside of Doak Campbell Stadium for the first time since 2023, but somehow, someway, remain relevant in a suddenly competitive ACC.
Head coach Mike Norvell enters his seventh season at Florida State firmly on the hot seat. The Seminoles have missed the postseason four times in the past six years and are just 7-18 overall since being infamously snubbed from the College Football Playoff after the 2023 regular season. The schedule does Norvell no favors. FSU faces Alabama in Tuscaloosa after hosting SMU on Labor Day. There is also a pair of two-game road trips to grapple with, and it’s been more than two years since the program won outside of Doak Campbell Stadium.
In the end, Florida State’s lack of urgency to invest in a top quarterback transfer will likely come back to bite Norvell, who might be gearing up for his final chance to right the ship.
Not mentioned in Athlon’s analysis is that FSU will have three Friday games and a Monday game. The game against the Florida Gators is one of those Friday ones.
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In some of their previous guides, they haven’t been coy about FSU’s position in the current landscape of the conference, and the state as well. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they aren’t doing well in either category, a far cry from their dominance in 2022 and 2023.
FSU will open its 2026 season hosting the New Mexico State Aggies on Aug. 29 from Doak Campbell Stadium.
Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of FSU news, notes, and opinions. Jacob Smith is a contributor for FSU Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. You can also follow Jacob on X at @jsmith_sports.
This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Another rough year for FSU football? Athlon Sports thinks so
