Mike Norvell has his hands on a high-performance vehicle in FSU football. Can he get it tuned up to win a national title in the next decade?
FSU football coach Mike Norvell has been hard at work his first five months on the job. He’s dealt with an early signing period over a 10 days and the cancellation of spring activities after only three practices.
However, there are lots of positives signs to point towards things trending in a positive direction.
The only problem is it’s hard to see that progression in totality without any actual games being played.
The expectations in Tallahassee are nothing short of winning championships. College football writer Barrett Sallee posed an interesting question about Mike Norvell on social media Wednesday night.
The fan reaction was even more interesting:
Buy or sell: Mike Norvell will lead Florida State to a national title in the next decade ... https://t.co/JFlZJO83jH
— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) May 7, 2020
Fan Reaction
Over the next 10 years of course I’ll buy.
— Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Lawyer (@LegalSeminole) May 7, 2020
Buy
— Daniel Gorby (@DanGorby) May 7, 2020
I’d buy. Latter part of the decade
— CMVNoles 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@vorbs68) May 7, 2020
Win the #ACC sure.
— Memphis Spence 🏈🏀⚾ (@MemphisSpence) May 7, 2020
National Championship? Sell pic.twitter.com/5LV6C4ja5p
Sell...The infrastructure at FSU is a mess and not sure the school will fork over the funds to challenge the Clemson, Bama, LSU or Ohio States of the world
— Kenny Johnson (@KennyJo36110417) May 7, 2020
Buy. Clemson is the only threat in the ACC. FSU has historically owned Clemson when they have an above average coach. Mike Norvell is at a minimum an above average coach
— Teh Snoman (@Tudd_Gurley) May 7, 2020
— Adam Blake Keith (@bozie85) May 7, 2020
Selllllllllllll...
— Steve Chisenall (@SteveChisenall) May 7, 2020
Selling
— Let's play golf ⛳ (@Johnc0562Kenny) May 7, 2020
Sell. He'll get them back competitive, but that's about it.
— Dogtown Darren (@DogtownDarren) May 7, 2020
Sell, but it’s not laughable. Norvell is a helluva coach, and Florida State is a blue blood program.
— Coach Rick (@rickscagle) May 7, 2020
Thoughts
Of course, FSU football fans are going to say they’re buying this notion. After all, they’d only need to be correct once out of 10 times right? I’m probably in the ballpark of the last tweet featured.
It’s going to take probably two years for the Noles to get competitive on a national level again. So that leaves another eight years to get the job done.
I’ve written numerous times how difficult it is to win a national title, and FSU has routinely played tougher schedules than most.
Teams need great injury luck, a lucky bounce, or referee call here and there and then have to have the players and coaching staff to make it all gel together.
We saw Jimbo Fisher turn FSU around fairly quickly, granted he was already on staff for years, and already had access to the changes that needed to be made.
He also didn’t have to contend with an elite Clemson program, and Miami and Florida were on their way down too. Well, Miami was never up, but you get the point.
Mike Norvell doesn’t have those luxuries. However, if I had to pick one team that’s on the outside looking in right now or not in any real contention to win a national title in the next three years, but could win one in the following seven?
I’d pick FSU. I’d pick them to win one before the likes of Tennessee, North Carolina, Miami, Oregon, and so on and so on.