Sep 21, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell before a game against the California Golden Bears at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images Melina Myers-Imagn Images

FSU football named major turnaround candidate for 2025 season

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated May 6, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Could the Florida State Seminoles be primed to rebound in a big way during the 2025 season?

Following a lost campaign last fall, head coach Mike Norvell was forced to undergo a complete makeover of the program, bringing in plenty of new faces on the coaching staff and across the roster. In fact, the Seminoles have nearly 50 players entering their first season with the team.

Florida State also dealt with plenty of bad luck a season ago. According to ESPN's Bill Connelly, the Seminoles ranked 129th in turnover luck (-8.1 difference) and tied for 110th in lineup consistency (0.75 ratio). The ugly numbers make sense when you consider that the defense couldn't force a turnover to save its life in 2024 while the offensive line went through nine different starting lineups, the most in the FBS.

That has Connelly operating under the idea that the tide will turn back in FSU's favor next season. He listed the Seminoles among his five 'major turnaround' candidates with Florida, Auburn, Utah, and Florida Atlantic.

"There was evidently plenty of poor fortune to go around in the Sunshine State last season, and while Mike Norvell's Seminoles suffered an epic hangover on the field, they also didn't get a single bounce: They were 129th in turnovers luck, 99th in second-order win difference and 110th in injury ratio," Connelly wrote. "Norvell has brought in new coordinators and plenty of new players, and the Noles are almost guaranteed to jump up from 2-10. With a little luck, that jump could be a pretty big one."

It all starts with a highly-anticipated non-conference matchup against Alabama in Doak Campbell Stadium on August 30.