From playoff dreams to a five-win season, Florida State faces immense pressure to rebound. Coach Norvell's job hangs in the balance as the Noles enter 2026 in desperation mode.
Florida State carried this momentum into its final two non-conference games, routing East Texas A&M 77-3 before stomping Kent State 66-10.
Starting quarterback Thomas Castellanos and the Seminoles offense were rolling, and Castellanos was gaining traction as a possible Heisman candidate.
But, that momentum came to a screeching halt. Florida State, ranked No. 8 in the country, traveled to Scott Stadium for a matchup with the Virginia Cavaliers. Florida State's offense produced 38 points, but it wasn't enough, as Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris scored the eventual game-winning rushing touchdown in overtime to propel the Cavaliers to a 46-38 victory.
From this point on, the Noles' season took a sharp turn, losing their next three in a row and essentially ending their College Football Playoff hopes. After an impressive 3-0 start, Florida State lost seven of its next nine, finishing the year 5-7 and missing out on bowl game eligibility.
Many questions began swirling about Coach Norvell's job security and whether or not the Noles would move on from him in the offseason. It seems Norvell will be getting one more chance, but he will need to produce results.
Earlier this week, ESPN writer Adam Rittenberg released his "Way-too-early college football coaching hot seat tiers," where Norvell sat atop the list for a second consecutive season.
"The lucrative contract Norvell received after Alabama pursued him in early 2024 continued to work in his favor, as did Florida State's precarious financial situation. But Norvell clearly must deliver better results, likely eight or more wins, to secure his position for 2027 and beyond," Rittenberg wrote. "FSU has a challenging first half of its schedule that includes SMU (home), Alabama (road), Virginia (home), Miami (road) and Louisville (road). A poor start could lead to a midseason change."
College football reporter CFBudge seconded these thoughts, ranking Florida State as the No. 1 team in "desperation mode" going into this upcoming season.
Luckily for the Noles, it seems that many returning players are bought in to turning the program back to its early success under Norvell. Following the Noles' second consecutive defeat against Florida at the end of last season, sophomore wide receiver Lawayne McCoy expressed an inspiring message.
"Treat adversity like success. Like when you're going through hard times and stuff like that, don't let it take a toll on you. Just keep pushing because God gives us every day to wake up, and it's a blessing for me to wake up every day and play the game that I love."
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