FSU FOOTBALL READY?
Florida State football will take on the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, August 30th, at 3:30 PM EST on ABC in the newly-renovated Doak Campbell Stadium.
This will be an interesting barometer for what head football coach Mike Norvell and his program are after the 2-10 disaster last season. I know that fans are tired of setting the bar high, and then ultimately getting let down. The Seminoles have three losing seasons in five years under Norvell, but here are three reasons why you should be a believer in Florida State in 2025.
1. NORVELL HANDED KEYS TO GUS MALZAHN
I am glad that head football coach Mike Norvell was able to hand over the offensive keys to assistant coach Gus Malzahn, who has a long history of being a college football coach, and his offenses have historically run the football at an effective level. Norvell, being the CEO of the program, can oversee the team and will pay dividends. ,
2. QB THOMAS CASTELLANOS'S DUAL-THREAT ABILITY
College football teams can live and die by quarterback play. The Seminoles did not have a productive 2024 campaign, having transfer DJ Uiagalelei under center. Florida State's success under Norvell has been when they have used former signal-caller Jordan Travis's legs. The Seminoles picked up transfer Thomas Castellanos this offseason. While I know that some fans are concerned with Castellanos's time with Boston College in 2024, he should give Florida State stability.
3. CONFIDENCE IN EASIER FIRST HALF OF SCHEDULE
Trust me, I know that Florida State went 2-10 last season, and I cannot give a squad like that guaranteed wins. However, the front half of the schedule is doable, especially the first four. The Seminoles take on Alabama in the season opener (which will be hard), but then Florida State has to play East Texas A&M, Kent State, and Virginia. Playing the Cavaliers on the road on a Friday night will be challenging, but potentially going 3-1 before taking on Miami could give us a ton of confidence.