Week 7 is officially over for Florida State after facing off against the Miami Hurricanes, and the result is far from what anyone had originally expected. The Seminoles battled on both sides of the ball and gave the Hurricanes a serious run for their money.
Florida State refused to give up against Miami and showed serious heart with both a rivalry win and a ranked upset on the line. The Seminoles were expected to lose by nearly three touchdowns, and rather the result was a gritty game that needed an additional quarter.
Florida State did a great job of limiting a very explosive Miami offense considering the circumstances surrounding the offense. The injury to running back Ousmane Kromah took some wind out of the Seminoles' sails, and the offense struggled to find a footing without their starter in the game.
1. Did Mike Norvell just save himself against Miami?
The conversations surrounding Florida State coming into Week 7 largely focused on coach Mike Norvell and his job status. A single win or loss is likely not enough to force a serious decision regarding Norvell, but the coach needed to prove he can stand with the best in the conference in order to try to convince the administration to retain his services for the 2027 season.
There have been multiple Florida State teams that have graced the field this season, from a team that stood toe-to-toe with Alabama to the team that was blown out by Louisville. The Seminoles have not been consistent this season, but the team appears to play at a different level at times when the games matter more.
Florida State was never truly considered to be a team that could take down Miami this season, but the result proved that the Seminoles can play at a much higher level. The real question is whether or not Florida State can consistently play at that level, and if so, the administration will likely think twice about paying out roughly $68 million to clean out the current staff.
2. Ashton Daniels is starting to play like the quarterback that Florida State has needed
The Seminoles do not need a flashy quarterback who is going to eclipse 400 yards through the air each game, rather, the team needs someone who gets the job done without mistakes. Daniels is not being asked to stand in the pocket 30 or 40 times a game; instead, he is tasked with taking what the defense is giving him.
Daniels has not been perfect this season, and that can be seen in the games against SMU and Alabama, but he has avoided making costly mistakes lately, and that has been an important change for the Seminoles. Daniels is still not testing the deep part of the field often, but he has been far more intelligent about where he is delivering the football each play.
3. Florida State could be in serious trouble without Ousmane Kromah
Injuries have been hitting the Seminoles left and right this season, but for the most part, the team has been able to adapt each time. The only issue now is that Florida State is without a good portion of its running back depth, and without impactful starter Ousmane Kromah, the offense could be stuck.
Former Texas starter Tre Wisner has been working his way into the rotation after an injury to Samuel Singleton Jr. Wisner has played well so far, but now the running back is going to be responsible for far more carries and production as the primary option coming out of the backfield.
The issue for Florida State is not that Wisner is not capable of taking on the bulk of the touches, but rather that there is limited depth that can immediately help Wisner the way he has helped give Kromah a break from time to time.
Florida State's running back depth has already been tested, between the injury to Singleton and the dismissal of Gemari Sands, which means there is not a ton of support for Wisner moving forward. The other options the Seminoles have at running back are Amari Thomas and Zay Parks, who have 18 career carries.
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