There have been a lot of good vibes hanging around FSU football for the past few days. The hype video might be one of the best things I've seen from FSU athletics social media...ever. Alabama is a little banged up; FSU is not. The weather might be an advantage.
Everything is looking up for FSU fans. And then Tom Fornelli decides to be a black fly in your chardonnay (or IPA, or Busch Light, or whatever) and he has some harsh words regarding this week's game and the FSU program overall.
Florida State looks more like Louisville and SMU to me than it does Miami and Clemson, and that's a serious problem. pic.twitter.com/hC6nPFiJgI
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) August 27, 2025
"This is not trolling, this is empathy. I think Florida State is, if you look at their roster, like they're not on the Miami/Clemson tier as far as talent," Fornelli said. "And the problem is, when I look at the roster, while I still think it's probably still the third-most talented team in the league, it's looking more like SMU/Louisville these days than Clemson/Miami. And I think that's a huge problem."
Fornelli continues with a little more of a damper on your spirit.
"So for this matchup against Alabama, who is one of the best teams in the country as far as talent is concerned, this is a horrible matchup for Florida State," Fornelli continued. "You mentioned the line of scrimmage...I don't think Florida State can hang with Alabama on the line of scrimmage in this game, and they're going to have to find ways to scheme around that."
Trench recruiting remains a big problem
I'll tackle the last point first; Fornelli isn't saying anything outrageous. Most of the analysis of this game is how FSU can scheme its way to a victory. The injury to Tim Keenan certainly helps with that. But even without Keenan, there isn't a prevailing belief that FSU can line up with Alabama and match them hat on hat.
And that goes into Fornelli's initial point, that going into Mike Norvell's sixth year of the program, he still hasn't figured out how to accumulate talent to the level that FSU is accustomed to. He has struggled to recruit players, especially in the trenches, since he arrived. For a couple of years, he used the transfer portal better than anyone, but those days are over.
High school recruiting has always been a step behind where it needs to be. Even in this class, which is rated in the top 15, FSU doesn't have an edge rusher or a true offensive tackle in the class. Those are the positions that win championships. It's gotten so bad that tight end Amaree Williams may also play on defense as a designated pass rusher.
Six seasons in, Norvell and his staff have not figured out how to recruit top-level trench players. That might not be a problem that rears its head on Saturday, but it's a problem that will keep FSU football from being where it needs to be over the long term.