The College Football Playoff National Championship is on tonight as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Ohio State Buckeyes at 7:30 PM EST on ESPN.
This got my brain going with the following question: Will head football coach Mike Norvell ever win a national championship at Florida State?
Norvell has had an up-and-down tenure with the Seminoles, accumulating a 3-6 record in 2020 and a 5-7 record in 2021. Some did not think the head football coach had what it took to be in the position. However, he proved the doubters wrong as he followed up with a 10-3 record in 2022 and a 13-1 record in 2023.
The real head-scratcher was the 2-10 year in 2024. Norvell admitted that it was not the standard at Florida State. Whether you want to blame the coaches or the players, it was a joint failure and everyone should be disappointed.
Looking into the 2025 season, the Seminoles have hired six new coaches on its staff and acquired several talented pieces on the roster via the recruiting ranks and transfer portal.
While I am not suggesting that this squad has a legitimate chance to win a national championship (I would never call it a zero percent chance), they should be remarkably better than the previous season.
When we look at national championship-winning coaches in college football, there are only active ones: Dabo Swinney and Kirby Smart (since Mack Brown is no longer at North Carolina). We will see either Marcus Freeman or Ryan Day added to the list after tonight but the point remains.
It is difficult to win national championships. Legendary head football coach Nick Saban made it look easy at Alabama. I am still of the opinion that if Florida State icon Bobby Bowden had a College Football Playoff, he would have won more national championships.
It is a shame that Norvell's 2023 squad was snubbed of the opportunity to compete for a national championship since the College Football Playoff committee wanted to include a one-loss Alabama team that wasn't even that good. That defense could have made some noise in the playoffs.
Nonetheless, I like Mike Norvell and his direction of where he will take Florida State football, even with last year's blunder. I realize that I might have some individuals who think otherwise, but I think that Norvell will eventually get himself a chance at winning a national championship.
Being in the national championship consideration is all we ask for as a fan base. Let's accomplish that feat in the last couple of years!