Florida State enters its bye week searching for answers after a disappointing loss to SMU. With Alabama next and pressure mounting on Mike Norvell, the Seminoles have two weeks to fix what went wrong or risk watching the season spiral.
Florida State (1-1, 0-1) enters its bye week looking back at a squandered golden opportunity against SMU (1-0, 1-0), turning the next two weeks into a pressure cooker and what could be Mike Norvell’s last chance to get the Seminoles right before a showdown with Alabama.
Coming out of the bye at 1-1, it feels premature to call the Alabama game a must-win with 75 percent of the season remaining, but given how Florida State looked through its first two games, this game has that feel.
Now, with teams playing across America, Florida State sits idle with one focus: getting better. It’s not about focusing solely on winning the game, but about living up to the standard expected when playing in Tallahassee.
“I know this is going to sound crazy, Florida State doesn't need to worry about winning,” Jimbo Fisher said. “They need to worry about how they play, how physical they are, how violent they are, how they chase the ball on defense, how they establish the line of scrimmage, and coming to prove a point. And quit worrying about the scoreboard.”
The staff is tasked with diagnosing what went wrong in the first two games and how to fix it. Offensively, the team had no rhythm, and the passing game posed little threat to opposing defenses. Defensively, the biggest issues have been an inability to get off the field and a tendency to allow explosive plays.
On a positive note, the defense forced SMU into three turnovers, with a fourth coming on special teams. The negative: Florida State failed to capitalize, becoming only the second team in 42 games to lose despite winning the turnover battle 4-0.
Now sitting at 1-1 with Alabama coming out of its own bye, the urgency to fix what has ailed Florida State has never been higher. With fans growing increasingly frustrated, some have even started a “Save Florida State” donation site in an effort to raise half of the $50 million buyout needed to relieve Norvell of his duties.
The Tide looked good in its opening game, putting up 487 total yards while allowing East Carolina just two rushing yards and 162 total yards. Keelon Russell looks to be a problem at quarterback, with his ability to make plays with both his arm and his legs. With a bigger test coming in Week 2 as Alabama opens SEC play against Kentucky, Florida State will get a better picture of just how good the Tide are.
While there are no moral victories in a loss, for Florida State, if they can’t pull off the upset, how they lose could be as important as a win.
If Florida State can make this a competitive game and show improvement in all three phases, it could bring optimism heading into a brutal stretch of the schedule. A strong showing could give the Seminoles something positive to build on and temporarily quiet some of the naysayers.
On the other hand, if Florida State looks anything like it did during the first two weeks, the pressure on Mike Norvell will boil over even more than it already is.
“I hate this for Mike Norvell. It's time to move on, man. It's time,” J.D. Pickell said. “It's been time to move on. It's very much time to move on.”
Central Arkansas comes to Doak Campbell Stadium following the Alabama game, and another disappointing performance could turn home-field advantage into an opportunity for fans to vent their growing frustration. This time, instead of waiting until the Seminoles leave the field, the “Fire Norvell” chants could begin before the game even gets underway.
The pressure to come out of the bye and show improvement is not only on Norvell; it’s also on Michael Alford. A year ago, Norvell's buyout played a role in giving him another year to get it right. Now that’s not an option, and with every underwhelming performance, the call to spend 50 million dollars will grow.
“It's uncomfortable with Mike Norvell. A lot of people believe just dead man walking, “ Danny Kanell said. “The only reason he's still got a job is this 45 to $50 million buyout.”
That narrative came before the Alabama game; after it, the narrative has changed to Florida State can no longer afford to continue on a path with Norvell leading it.
“JD, we can't afford that, man (the buyout). Can you afford (0:22) not to fire him?” Pickell said. “Look around the country. Look around your state. You're being passed.”
For Norvell, the bye week is perhaps his last opportunity to change the narrative surrounding the Florida State program. And for Florida State, the pressure will grow to answer the bigger question: at what point will they make the financial commitment required to move on if the results don’t improve?
