Nov 4, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Florida State Seminoles helmet on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

FSU football predicted to play in one of the top-50 games of 2025 season

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Jackson Bakich | Last updated May 21, 2025 9:30 AM ET

With the spring season wrapped up, the Florida State Seminoles now turn their attention to their 2025 campaign, which begins with an early test against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tallahassee.

However, according to College Football Network, there's one game that maintains the most stakes on a national scale, and it isn't an out-of-conference matchup.

It's against the Miami Hurricanes.

Per Owain Jones, the 'Noles-'Canes matchup includes implications for both FSU's Mike Norvell and UM's Mario Cristobal, who are both coming off completely different 2024 seasons.

The Seminoles didn't have much to hang their hat on with a 2-10 record last year, while the Hurricanes started the season 10-0 and in the thick of the 12-team playoff race, but lost their final three games and missed both the ACC Championship and the CFP.

Jones lays this out in his article:

"The Florida State Seminoles had a disastrous season in 2024, which has put Mike Norvell on the hot seat. Meanwhile, the Miami Hurricanes are a program that appears to be on the ascendancy, but a demanding schedule could put Mario Cristobal in hot water, especially if he can’t defeat one of their state rivals."Owani Jones, College Football Network

The Florida State-Miami rivalry includes nearly 70 installations (69 to be exact) dating back to 1961. The series lead has changed hands multiple times over the last few decades as the two schools have gone through the natural cycle of ups and downs seen often in college athletics.

Both programs have gone through their fair share of rough patches. Each has only won one national championship in this century (Miami in 2001, FSU in 2013), and neither has won one in the last decade.