Florida State football is entering a pivotal 2025 season under head football coach Mike Norvell. Some of the fan base believes that Coach Norvell is on the "hot seat", but I wholeheartedly think that they are critical of the 2024 campaign that ended with a 2-10 record.
I realize that 2-10 isn't the standard at Florida State, which is why Norvell resulted in hiring new assistant coaches of staff as well as giving up the keys to the offensive play calling duties.
Overall, the Alabama Crimson Tide are welcomed into Tallahassee during the season opener on August 30th. All of the eyes will be focused on the way that Florida State performs, where some suggest that 7-5 or 8-4 will be the magical number for Norvell to be considered "safe".
I believe that Coach Norvell will get his "I told you so" win, where he proves the doubters wrong, and this squad pieces everything together. Rivalry games typically stand out amongst the fan base when it comes to must-win games. Let's face it, no one wants to see any of the teams in orange be successful.
Trust me, I understand that it is difficult to secure a victory at Clemson or Florida, even though former quarterback Jameis Winston had his "We ain't leaving without a victory" speech in 2013, which resulted in a 51-14 win over Clemson and the Seminoles beat the Gators on the road with backup signal-caller Tate Rodemaker in 2023.
However, there is a vulnerable opponent that could be in the midst of a rebuild in 2025 in the Miami Hurricanes. Florida State will be returning home to play the Hurricanes on Saturday, October 4th, after a Friday night road matchup against Virginia.
I know that I will have Miami football fans up in arms, talking about how this is their year to win the ACC and make the College Football Playoff, but I believe that Florida State has more than a favorable shot.
While I know that playing Alabama in the opener will be tough, the Seminoles have a chance to be at least 3-1 to enter the Miami game with wins over East Texas A&M, Kent State, and Virginia to get them confidence against their rival.
Not to mention that the Hurricanes are having to replace the number one overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft (quarterback Cam Ward). They are trotting out former Georgia signal-caller Carson Beck, who will be recovering from a UCL elbow injury that he suffered in the 2024 SEC Championship Game versus Texas.
While I know that we still have three months before the season starts, it is concerning that Beck is still recovering from the injury. Let's not forget that Miami will be replacing a 1,000-yard rusher in Damien Martinez, a 1,000-yard receiver, Xavier Restrepo, and a 700-yard receiver, Jacolby George, to the NFL.
Let's not forget that even though Miami has a bye week before they play Florida State, they still have to play Notre Dame in the opener and Florida, which will not be easy. We could see the Hurricanes go in "quit mode" if things aren't going to plan, especially if Florida State wins and they fall to 2-3 on the year.
Overall, Norvell possesses a 2-1 record versus Cristobal and looks to make a statement on the recruiting trail. The newly renovated Doak Campbell Stadium will look to be rocking early in the season.