The Florida State Seminoles are off to a rough start this season, after an undefeated season last year that ended with a playoff snub and a historic Orange Bowl beatdown by Georgia. This year, they have started 0-3, with a disappointing loss to FBS Memphis. Despite paying Memphis $1.3 million to appear on their schedule as a buy game, Florida State was unable to secure a win. After the game, head coach Mike Norvell had to cut his postgame press conference short due to a fire alarm going off at the team facility, sparing him from having to explain more about the catastrophic loss. Norvell stressed the need for improvement and better preparation from his team.
Last season’s disappointment of being left out of the College Football Playoffs seems to be haunting the Seminoles, as they have now lost four straight games dating back to that time. Their season started with a heartbreaking loss to Georgia Tech in Dublin, followed by a defeat against Boston College. Norvell expressed his disappointment in the team’s performance in those games, apologizing to fans and everyone associated with the program. However, those losses were against more justifiable opponents compared to their recent unexpected loss to Memphis, where they were favored to win by 6.5 points.
Moving forward, the Seminoles will face tough challenges in their upcoming games, as they will no longer have the luxury of playing opponents they paid to be on the schedule. Their next three games will be against ACC rivals Cal and SMU, followed by a matchup with Clemson. Clemson, a longtime conference rival, is also looking to overcome a rough start to the season after a blowout loss to Georgia in Week 1. The Seminoles will need to regroup and improve their performance if they hope to turn their season around and secure some much-needed wins.
Despite the disappointing start to the season, Norvell remains hopeful that his team can bounce back and showcase their true potential. He emphasized the need for better execution in all phases of the game and took responsibility for not putting his players in a position to succeed. Norvell expressed his disappointment in the team’s performance but showed resilience and a determination to improve. The Seminoles will need to work hard in practice and make adjustments to their game plan in order to compete against their upcoming ACC rivals and turn their season in a positive direction.
The Seminoles’ struggles this season serve as a stark reminder of the challenges that come with high expectations and the pressure to perform at a high level in college football. Norvell and his players are facing adversity early in the season, but they have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and grow stronger as a team. With upcoming games against tough conference rivals, the Seminoles will need to come together, focus on their preparation, and execute on game day in order to turn their season around and compete at a higher level.
