Florida State's schedule made easier thanks to four QB battles on the way

Florida State football has been horrendous over the past two seasons, where they have only been able to put together seven total victories. That should never be the expectation of this program that is used to competing for championships.

The administration made the bold decision to retain head football coach Mike Norvell for the 2026 season. Personally, I thought that it would be difficult for Coach Norvell to be kept after he lost the road matchup to Stanford.

However, the financial hardship of Florida State is being felt by many individuals. The good news is that the year in a home matchup against New Mexico State, which could be a way to allow the offense to accumulate.

Florida State's 2026 football schedule has quarterback battles all over the place

Florida State made a huge impression on the college football masses after beating Alabama in the opener last year. This created a false sense of hope, as the Seminoles lost seven of their final nine games to close the season.

It doesn't get much easier in 2026, as they open ACC play in Doak Campbell Stadium on Labor Day Night against the SMU Mustangs. Quarterback Kevin Jennings is a dynamic signal-caller that the Seminoles' defense will have to monitor.

However, there are many teams on the schedule (other than SMU) that don't have a bona fide starter yet. On3's Pete Nakos listed notable quarterback battles to keep tabs on.

Nakos placed teams such as Alabama, Florida, Clemson, and Virginia on the graphic. There is a vital stretch on the Seminoles' 2026 schedule where they play Louisville (road), Miami (road), and Clemson (home) back-to-back-to-back.

Florida State leads the all-time series against Clemson by a margin of 21-17 (according to winsipedia.com), but has only beaten the Tigers once since the famous 2014 meeting (2023). There is a three-way battle for Clemson this year, and the Seminoles' defense needs to be able to stop them.

Florida State should have been more competitive and even beat a struggling Clemson team on the road last year, but the Seminoles fell by a score of 24-10. The program has to take advantage of playing the Tigers at home this year and having one of the only realistic spots to host talented high school prospects for a game this year.