Sep 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell during the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Florida State Seminoles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Best and worst-case scenarios for FSU football in 2025 show massive contrast

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Jackson Bakich | Last updated Jun 29, 2025 6:03 PM ET

Florida State football has been on one of the wildest rollercoaster rides in the college football landscape in the last five years.

From 3-6 in 2020 to 13-1 in 2023 to 2-10 in 2024, the national media has failed to really pinpoint a consensus on just how good (or bad) the Seminoles will be in 2025.

However, Chip Patterson of CBS Sports has attempted to do so with his "best, worst case scenario" list of every team in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Patterson's bullish prediction for FSU includes a 9-3 season and a 1-3 record against the team's three rivals and Alabama in its season opener. Two of these games will be at home, and two will be on the road.

"The Seminoles bounce back from one of the most embarrassing seasons in program history with a strong showing to steady the ship. With a schedule that includes Clemson, Alabama, Florida and Miami, running the table seems unlikely. But a win in at least one of those games offers encouragement for the future."

Moreover, Patterson believes that in this best-case scenario, Norvell's decision to completely revamp the coaching staff while its portal evaluation dramatically improves could lead to a successful season.

"Mike Norvell's coordinator changes pay off with big improvements on both sides of the ball, and unlike last year, the portal additions are a difference maker in the positive sense -- especially at quarterback."

However, a worst-case scenario sees the 'Noles fail to make a bowl game for the fourth time in six years, finishing with a 5-7 record.

"Portal evaluations fall short of expectations for a second straight year, and while the team looks good against East Texas A&M and Kent State early in the season, some warts are exposed in the ACC schedule," says Patterson. "Failing to make a bowl brings about talk of a coaching change. That pressure would certainly weigh on the team heading into tightly-contested games against Virginia Tech and at NC State."

The Seminoles will kick off their season against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tallahassee on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET.