Mike Norvell Reacts Strongly to Thomas Castellanos' Controversial Nick Saban Comments

It didn't take long for college football fans to witness what could be one of the biggest upsets of the season, as the unranked Florida State Seminoles took down the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide 31-17 on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide came into the game as 13.5-point favorites and looking to silence the doubters from a year ago, but left Tallahassee with some soul-searching to do. To add salt to the wound, Alabama was unable to punish Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos for his comments about former Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban in the offseason.

The Boston College Eagles transfer told On3 back in June that he didn't think Alabama could stop him, because it no longer had Saban on the sidelines.

“I dreamed of playing against Alabama," Castellanos said. "They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me."

At the time it looked like he had just uttered a death wish, but Castellanos cashed that check on Saturday by completing 9 of 14 passes for 152 yards, while rushing for 78 yards and a score.

When appearing on the "Triple Option" podcast, Florida State head coach Mike Norvell was asked about the comments and took a clear stance on them.

"Tommy is a tremendous young competitor," Norvell said. "He's a young man, he definitely respects the people we go against. The Alabama program, it deserves respect. It's been one of the top programs in the country. But ultimately confidence comes through the work and, as I've told him, I've watched the work.

"I support our players," Norvell said. "I support our football team. ... Ultimately, anybody can go out there and say what they wanna say. Better make sure that the actions are what show up."