2022 season: 10-3, 5-3 in the ACC (2nd in Atlantic Division)
Head coach: Mike Norvell (4th season)
It is time for Florida State to take the next step. The Seminoles finished a disappointing 3-6 in Mike Norvell’s inaugural season but have seen multiple-win improvements in each of the two seasons since. Now, after an impressive 10-3 campaign capped off with a Cheez-It Bowl victory over Oklahoma, anything short of an ACC title will be regarded as a failure.
Although No. 9 Clemson is the odds-on favorite and was selected to finish first in the media ACC Preseason Poll, Florida State is a very close second on both fronts. The Tigers and the Seminoles match up in Clemson Sept. 23, a game that many believe will determine who finishes the season atop the conference.
However, bringing the program’s 16th ACC title back to Tallahassee is not Florida State’s ultimate goal. Norvell and his team have the most returning production in college football and are eyeing a trip to the College Football Playoff. September will be pivotal in the pursuit of a playoff appearance, as the Seminoles open their season against No. 5 LSU in Orlando, Fla., in addition to the trip to Clemson. Florida State does not play any other teams ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll.
Redshirt senior quarterback Jordan Travis is the driving force behind the Seminoles’ lofty expectations. The veteran signal caller threw for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2022, while also adding seven scores on the ground. The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Travis has a serious chance to win the Heisman Trophy if he is able to maintain his stellar play and lead Florida State to a successful season.
It’s not just Travis, though. Flanking the talented quarterback is junior running back Trey Benson, an explosive player who finished just short of 1,000 rushing yards last season and found the end zone 10 times, including one kick-return score. With the transfer exit of running back Treshaun Ward — who amassed 95 carries for the Seminoles last year — nearly all of the rushing load will fall on Benson in 2023. The Greenville, Miss., native has the ability to find holes and burst through them in a hurry, a skill he hopes helps propel Florida State back to national prominence.
Leading receiver Johnny Wilson will line up opposite Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman, and the Seminoles brought reinforcements in the trenches via the transfer portal as well. An offense that scored 36.1 points per game last season is only set to improve. The defense is loaded with talent and experience of its own, led by first-team All-ACC defensive end Jared Verse.
Florida State has all the makings of a national championship contender. Seminole fans are hopeful that this team will be selected to the College Football Playoff for the first time since the inaugural four-team format in 2014. However, their title dreams could also be all but over by Week 5 in the case of losses to LSU and Clemson. Even if Florida State is able to navigate its opening month, a long ACC gauntlet and a rivalry clash with Florida await in front of them in their quest for glory.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.