Week 6 is officially here in college football, and Florida State will once again enter a game as the underdog. The Seminoles are set to travel to face the Louisville Cardinals this week after securing an important win over Virginia in Week 5. The win brought a smile to the faces of many in Tallahassee, but after one win, unfortunately, nothing major has changed.
Florida State has opened on FanDuel Sportsbook as a +3.5-point underdog for the game against the Cardinals in Kentucky. The Seminoles were previously slight underdogs at home last week against Virginia before winning 38-7 over the Cavaliers in dominant fashion. Sometimes, however, the public needs more than just one convincing win before their opinions are swayed, and the Seminoles still have a lot of work to do.
The fact that the Seminoles are underdogs against a strong home team like Louisville is not the problem, but the fact that Florida State has not been consistent this season has been. Two tough ACC wins in a row would go a long way towards proving this program has the talent to compete with the best in the conference. That is, if the Seminoles can finally take away the positives from a performance and carry them over into the next game.
One win is not enough to convince the public, sportsbooks that Florida State is a strong team
Perhaps the biggest issue holding back Florida State from entering games as the favorite to win is the lack of consistency from the team. The Seminoles had 471 yards and 36 points against a very talented Alabama team, only to follow that performance up with a very similar game against Central Arkansas. There has not necessarily been a true rhyme or reason to the Seminoles' success this season, and that creates doubt quickly.
The Seminoles need to prove that the successful things from each win can be improved upon and present in future games. Week 5 is the first time in the 2026 season when everything seemed to go right for Florida State in all phases, and now playing against Louisville in Week 6 is the real test. Can Florida State build off the Week 5 win, or will the result be far different?
Another issue could be the fact that there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the team and the current coaching staff. Coach Mike Norvell is not necessarily a top contender to lose his job at the moment, with programs like South Carolina struggling mightily, but that does not mean his job is safe moving forward. If Florida State falls flat against a Louisville team that is currently hurting, Norvell will be right back at square one.
The game against Louisville is as much a test of the resilience and consistency of Florida State as it is a test of whether or not Norvell can truly put this program back on track.
This team still has plenty to prove in terms of consistent production, playing a full four quarters, and eliminating the game plans of opposing teams. Florida State deserves credit for an excellent performance in those categories against Virginia, but the struggles against Alabama, SMU, and even Central Arkansas can quickly outweigh the success.
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