FSU football had a disastrous 2024 campaign where it finished with a 2-10 record. The fan base was excited in the offseason after the Seminoles finished with an undefeated regular season and a conference championship.
There was a ton of momentum for the program after Florida State kept head football coach Mike Norvell from joining the Alabama Crimson Tide. It was supposed to be a moment where the Seminoles had a chip on its shoulder after being snubbed in the playoff over a one-loss Crimson Tide squad.
Fans thought that Florida State would be using it as fuel for fire. However, after the season-opening loss to Georgia Tech, the Seminole faithful knew it would likely be a long year.
In a disappointing season, the fan base is mad about the media hyping up a squad that only won two games last year. Some individuals' notion that the media is not allowed to be part of the majority of the practice is justified.
At this point, people don't want to see the unnecessary bolstering of the 2025 squad. I know that some individuals have doubted the coaching abilities of Mike Norvell. It is a fair assessment as he has had three losing seasons in five years at Florida State.
Why should fans feel more confident this upcoming season as opposed to 2024?
Well, for starters, it begins and ends with the quarterback position. The Seminoles thought that adding former Clemson and Oregon veteran signal-caller DJ Uiagalelei would keep the program competitive. Fans (including myself) thought that his arm strength and leadership would be the key to keeping the Seminoles in the thick of the ACC championship race.
However, that thought process was quickly shut down as the Seminoles finished with a 2-10 record. Mike Norvell knew that things needed to change offensively. Florida State's offense was one of the worst in the country last year. As a result, Norvell handed the offensive keys to former UCF head football coach Gus Malzahn.
The coaching staff then added former Boston College quarterback transfer Thomas Castellanos, who gave the Seminoles fits in the last two meetings that Castellanos has played Florida State. The program has expressed the desire to effectively run the football in 2025 after being one of the worst in that category last year.
Malzahn's offensive schemes have always been able to run the football throughout his coaching career. At the very worst, Castellanos has been known to use his dual-threat ability to ensure the running game is at least present.
Even though UCF finished with a 4-8 record, they finished 5th in the FBS in rushing yards per game (248.1). While the Seminoles don't want to have a 4-8 record, it does give reassurance that the running game will be fixed. The pressure is on for Thomas Castellanos in the passing game.
While I am not saying that the former Boston College standout is like former quarterback Jordan Travis, he does possess a dual-threat ability that can ease the pressure off of the offensive line and also open up rushing lanes for the backs.
I know that fans are tired of drinking the "Kool-Aid" just to be disappointed at the end of the season, but this should be a year to remember for Florida State football in terms of getting back to respectability. While I am not suggesting that the Seminoles will win 11 or 12 games (not out of the realm of possibility obviously), it could be that Florida State get 7 or 8 wins in 2025.