FSU FOOTBALL
Florida State football was defeated by the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday by a score of 20-13. This was a disappointing result from a program that I thought would play inspired after suffering three straight losses. However, I was wrong, and I am not afraid to admit it.
Whenever the loss happened, there was a real possibility that head football coach Mike Norvell could be fired. That is the standard here at Florida State. With that said, having a 36-31 record through six seasons in Tallahassee isn't something that the Seminoles are used to.
The shocking news came across the timeline, as Florida State announced that they are fully committed to helping Coach Norvell and the 2025 Seminoles strongly rebound in the coming weeks.
WHAT CAN NORVELL DO TO SAVE HIS JOB?
This is an honest assessment, but I thought that the big-time boosters would have chimed in to fire Coach Norvell after the disaster of losses. However, it doesn't seem to be the case, as either the administration feels confident in him or they don't have the resources to fire him at this time.
Both can be true, but I want to talk about what Norvell can do to save his job. Let's be transparent with ourselves, college football is all about winning. Results on the football field matter. The Seminoles have a 9.2% chance of winning out, according to ESPN Football Power Index. This is easier said than done after Florida State is on a four-game winning streak.
The Seminoles don't have a murderous row with their schedule, as they take on Wake Forest, Clemson, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, and Florida. However, they have not won a conference game since September 21, 2024 (which is crazy to think about). This seems like a completely different individual that was frustrated in the post-game press conference after the Alabama game because they didn't beat them by more than two possessions.
Norvell has to hold his team and coaching staff accountable for the errors that happen. There cannot be any more moments like Saturday night, where defensive back Edwin Joseph jumped offsides on a 4th and 4 field goal attempt to give the Cardinal an eventual touchdown. Then, defensive coordinator Tony White highlighted in a presser that his defense is not in the right spots.
There are many examples that you can point to with the Seminoles' team in 2025. With that said, I want Mike Norvell to be successful at Florida State. It will be a long trek ahead to build back the confidence in the fan base, but I will still be supporting the Garnet and Gold until the end of time!