FSU FOOTBALL EXPECTATIONS
Florida State football fans were hoping that the Seminoles would deliver on the field after their 2-10 record last year. The expectation from oddsmakers included a 7.5 over/under win total. This gave individuals cause for concern since the program had to play the likes of Alabama, Miami, Clemson, North Carolina State, and Florida.
College football "analysts" were worried about how head football coach Mike Norvell would respond to the failures of last season, given the high expectations of the program. It isn't as easy to live up to the lofty standards of the 2023 campaign that included a 13-1 record.
FSU VS CLEMSON BATTLE
Clemson and Florida State used to be the golden standards of the ACC, where the conference ran through both of those teams. However, the Seminoles have been a roller coaster ride over the past decade, and Coach Norvell will do his best to get the program back in the right direction.
Florida State has a road matchup with the Clemson Tigers on Saturday, November 8th, in Death Valley. The Seminoles have gone 2-8 in their last ten meetings on the road against the Tigers, so it won't be ideal for Florida State to enter into.
Clemson has not been a consistent product this season, as they lost to the LSU Tigers in the season opener by a score of 17-10. They were outscored by the Tigers in the second half, 14-0, at home. Then, Clemson welcomed the Troy Trojans into Death Valley and trailed 16-0 in the first half before the Tigers settled in and won the game 27-16.
Clemson then wet the bed again as they lost to quarterback Haynes King and Georgia Tech on the road Saturday afternoon, as Dabo Swinney and company saw the Yellow Jacket kick a game-winning 55-yard field goal. This Clemson matchup for Florida State might not be so bad after all.
This sets the door up for the Florida State Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes to battle to see who is the best team in the ACC. Obviously, Georgia Tech has something to say about that claim. However, the Seminoles won't have to play the Yellow Jackets unless they make it to the ACC Championship Game.
Quarterback Thomas Castellanos has been red-hot in offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's system. It is impressive to see the signal-caller so comfortable in the offense. Castellanos told On3's Pete Nakos that he handled the ACC by himself over the years. Let's see how he navigates the conference in 2025.