Florida State’s bye week did little to ease the pressure on Mike Norvell. Four of the Seminoles next five opponents dominated in Week 2, making an already brutal stretch look even tougher.
Florida State sat idle in Week 2, watching four of its next power four opponents take the field and it made an already difficult schedule look even more daunting coming out of the bye.
Mike Norvell entered 2026 firmly on the hot seat, and after two underwhelming performances, that seat has quickly become an inferno. The last thing Norvell needed was a schedule already considered one of the toughest in college football to look even more daunting. But that is exactly what happened after four of his next five left the field in Week 2.
For Norvell and his supporters, the hope was to see at least one of those opponents struggle in Week 2. Instead, they looked dominant in their victories.
“The next five are basically impossible,” Aaron Torres said. “ I don't think Mike Norvell gets to the back half of the schedule”
Clay Travis expressed a similar sentiment, but went one step further, pinpointing the Miami game as the moment Florida State could move on from Norvell.
“Florida State, it gets tough,” Travis said. “You go to Alabama. Then you get a Central Arkansas win. Then you get Virginia at Louisville at Miami. Just put a pin in that at Miami game.”
The first test is a trip to Tuscaloosa. Alabama (2-0) started slowly in Week 2, finding itself in a fight to open SEC play as Kentucky took a 17-13 lead into halftime and gave Florida State fans reason to believe an upset might be possible.
The second half quickly changed that. Alabama put up 32 unanswered points to pull away for a 45-17 victory.
The turnaround came after Alabama stopped turning the ball over, and its defense took over. After giving the ball away three times in the first half, the Tide committed zero turnovers after halftime. Defensively, Alabama shut down the Wildcats, allowing just 62 total yards in the second half after giving up 147 before halftime.
Depending on how the Alabama game goes, the return home to face Central Arkansas could be more of a venting session than a homecoming for Florida State fans. If the game against the Tide looks anything like the first two games, “Fire Norvell” chants could be waiting when the Seminoles return to Doak Campbell Stadium.
No. 25 Virginia(2-0) comes next, and after a 59-3 Friday night win over Norfolk State, the Cavaliers appear for real. Virginia never gave Norfolk State a chance to think they were in the game, taking a 28-3 lead into halftime and effectively putting the game away.
Unlike Ashton Daniels, who has struggled in his first two games since transferring to Florida State, Missouri transfer Beau Pribula has been very good. Pribula has completed 84 percent of his passes (21 of 25) for 317 yards, five touchdowns and one interception while adding 102 yards on 17 carries.
Florida State will hit the road the following week for a matchup with No. 24 Louisville (1-1). After falling to Ole Miss in a back-and-forth Week 1 battle, the Cardinals bounced back, dominating the game from start to finish in a 59-13 win over Villanova.
Louisville piled up 635 total yards while holding Villanova to 253. Unlike Florida State, which has struggled to get off the field and allowed too many explosive plays, the Cardinals held Villanova to just 4 of 14 on third down while allowing only two pass plays of 15 or more yards and one run of 10 or more yards.
Like Florida State and Virginia, the Cardinals are led by a transfer quarterback. Former Ohio State Buckeye Lincoln Kienholz has been everything Louisville hoped for, completing 68 percent of his passes (34 of 50) for 639 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Finally, Florida State heads to Hard Rock Stadium for a showdown with No. 7 Miami (2-0). The Hurricanes have outscored their opponents 122-to-13 through two games, including a 77-7 win over Florida A&M on Thursday, piling up 856 total yards.
Unlike Florida State, which has struggled to find elite quarterback play in the transfer portal since Jordan Travis left after the 2023 season, Miami appears to have gone back-to-back with Carson Beck in 2025 and now Darian Mensah.
Mensah arrived as the No. 22 overall player and No. 4 quarterback in the 247Sports rankings. Since arriving in Miami, he has been as advertised through the first two games, completing 91.1 percent of his passes (41-of-45) for 683 yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions.
For Florida State, the path forward is brutal and leaves little room for error. This could be the defining stretch of Norvell’s tenure, and if the Seminoles continue to struggle, it may be one he simply cannot survive. By the time Florida State reaches Miami, it would be no surprise if Norvell is no longer on the sideline.
