After losing out on a chance to compete in the College Football playoff, a frustrated Florida State program now sets its sights on qualifying for the expanded CFP in 2024-25.
The Seminoles did lose pieces to the NFL Draft, but Mike Norvell still has an elite roster down in Tallahassee, certainly good enough to compete for and win the ACC for a second straight season. In fact, On3’s Andy Staples spoke with Roddy Jones to break down the ceiling and floor of every ACC team, starting with Florida State, who they had sky-high expectations for.
You can read below what they had to say in regards to the best and worst outcomes for the Seminoles this season.
Ceiling: National Title
Staples came right out of the gate setting the bar about as high as possible: “This is the only ACC team I have with a ceiling of ‘National Title,'” he declared to Jones, who was in concurrence.
“I agree. I think this is the only one you can imagine playing in that last game even. This Florida State team’s ceiling is 12-0 in the regular season, winning the ACC championship, getting to the College Football Playoff, likely with a bye since they’ll be one of the highest-four seeded conference champions. They’d get a bye, play a couple games, then be in the national championship game.”
Jones and Staples made no bones about their expectations for the Seminoles this season. In order to reach that lofty ceiling, though, Roddy Jones says the relationship between new QB1 DJ Uiagalelei and head coach Mike Norvell will be key.
“Really, I think it’s going to depend on Mike Norvell and his ability to shape the offense in a way that accentuates DJ Uiagalelei’s strengths — because he has them: the arm strength, he throws a really nice deep ball, his ability to run in short yardage. Oregon State did a really good job of it, we’ll see if Florida State is able to do the same thing, but I think this is absolutely a team that could contend for a national championship.”
Staples pointed out that he really loves what FSU has on the defensive line: “I actually think the Marvin Jones Jr.-Patrick Payton tandem might be one of the best edge-rushing tandems in the country,” he asserted. Again, Jones agreed.
“It should be. When you talk about measurables and length and ability to affect the quarterback, Patrick Payton was really good opposite Jared Verse last year. So who do you pay more attention to? If you switch all that attention to Payton, now Marvin Jones Jr. has a field day. I really like that defensive front.”
Jones continued, running through some other aspects of the Florida State roster he admires.
“I really like their secondary. Azareye’h Thomas has the ability to be the next big defensive back for Mike Norvell and Florida State. He’s built like Jalen Ramsey, he’s not Jalen Ramsey yet, but he’s build like Jalen Ramsey. The Malik Benson piece, too, that is a dynamic they didn’t have consistently last year: big speed plays from the receiving corps.
“That offensive line, I think most importantly, when you’re talking about Florida State, that offensive line returns the bulk of the guys who played last year. A lot of those guys were transfers, but they were transfers with two, three and four years left. The development piece, they have been phenomenal.”
With another loaded roster and a schedule that isn’t terribly punishing, Staples believes another year like 2023 could be in order.
“This is a very manageable schedule to go 11-1 or 12-0 and then be in the ACC Championship game.”
Floor: 9-3
When it comes to the worst-case scenario, Roddy Jones still just can’t imagine too many losses for Florida State.
“With some of the names on there, like a Clemson, a Miami, a Notre Dame, there’s certainly the opposite side of it, where you could be in a situation where you’re 9-3. I think that’s as bad as they could be,” he said.
Maybe FSU loses all three but even that is tough to believe for Jones.
“Like, I think that’s as bad as it could get for Florida State, and I certainly don’t think they lose all three of those games, realistically. But all three of those teams could be very good.
“Clemson, I mean, look at the way that game played out last year, and Clemson should be better than they were a year ago. Miami should be better as well, and that was a close game down the stretch, and they should be significantly improved. So the schedule breaks up well, but those two opponents will determine whether we’re talking about a 12-0 team or maybe a 10-2 team down the stretch.”
Andy Staples also believes those three games mentioned by Jones are the real tests for Florida State, who should be much more talented than most of their other foes.
“The three you mentioned, those are the ones. It’s Clemson, it’s Miami and it’s Notre Dame, where Florida State will be playing a team that has something close to equal talent. Maybe Florida, but I think Florida State’s more talented that Florida. Most of these other games, they should out-talent them.
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