TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Few expected Florida State to once again run the table in the Atlantic Coast Conference and sneak into the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. Not after losing quarterback Jordan Travis, running back Trey Benson, receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson and a handful of standout defensive players.
However, no one could have expected this.
The Seminoles are still without a win through three games, thanks to an erratic offense, a sluggish ground game and a defense that can’t seem to stop the run or put consistent pressure on the quarterbacks.
And now FSU, which entered the season ranked No. 10, is without a doubt the most disappointing team in college football. And with all due respect to Clemson, Florida and Kansas, it’s not even close.
“I know it’s frustrating to sit there and watch it, and it’s frustrating for everyone involved, for those guys that are playing there,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “They want more. They want to get better. They work hard at it. But it’s some of those little things that we’ve got to improve on and just the consistency of it.”
The only thing Florida State has done consistently this season is lose — twice as double-digit favorites (Georgia Tech and Boston College) and again as a 6 1/2-point pick against Memphis. The Tigers got a win over their former coach and a $1.3 million payday.
How the ‘Noles got here is as easy to explain as how they got out.
Some are questioning whether last year’s CFP rejection has had a bigger impact on the team than anyone could have imagined. But those inside the building argue it’s more about execution and chemistry than psyche and history.
Florida State lost 10 players to the NFL draft, including five who were selected in the first 64 picks. Norvell turned to the transfer portal for help — a place that was kind to him when he helped build last year’s team that went 13-0 in the regular season — but former Oregon State and Clemson starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has far defied expectations.
Uiagalelei has been so inconsistent — he’s completing 56.6 percent of his passes for one touchdown — that FSU fans began clamoring for backup Brock Glenn.
And those preseason discussions about whether Florida State would make the playoffs have morphed into a question of whether the Seminoles are bowl-eligible. Six wins are hard to come by on the schedule, which continues as California (3-0) travels across the country for its ACC debut.
While Norvell and his assistants focused on details and basics during a week off before the game against Memphis, little change was seen on the field and the Seminoles lost 20-12.
Florida State became the first team in college football history to start the season ranked in the top 10 and lose its first three games to unranked opponents. The drop has led to speculation about Norvell’s future in Tallahassee.
Norvell would be owed about $65 million (85% of the remainder of his contract, which runs through 2031) if FSU decides to fire him. It’s an unlikely path, especially for a program that’s already spending significant resources hoping to escape the ACC and potentially join a league that would offer more long-term financial stability.
So the Seminoles will likely have to struggle through a mediocre season and hope for better times and a restart in 2025.
Florida State ranks 124th in scoring offense at 15.3 points per game. The run game, projected to be a strength in 2024, is downright dysfunctional at 2.2 yards per carry and 52 yards per game.
And the defense allows an average of 24 points per game, which ranks them 83rd in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Linebacker Justin Cryer admitted he felt hurt after the last loss, but he remains hopeful the team can get things back on track.
“I believe in us,” Cryer said. “There’s no doubt about it. I’m the biggest supporter of us that we have. I’m totally committed, I’m totally confident in what we have. … Things aren’t clicking right now. We’re going to figure it out.”
The return of offensive coordinator Alex Atkins should help. Atkins will return to the sideline against Cal after serving a three-game suspension for an NCAA recruiting violation.
While Florida State’s main goals appear to be in tatters, it still has rival games against Clemson and Miami, plus a trip to Notre Dame and a season finale against Florida.
“I can tell you there’s a lot of work that goes into that improvement, but we have to see it on game day, with everyone involved,” Norvell said. “Our team understands the expectation of what it has to look like.”
