In front of a group of supporters Wednesday night in a Dadeland hotel, Florida State Seminoles head football coach Mike Norvell arrived in a different place than the past few seasons: as the leader of the team who finished as the highest ranked program in the state of Florida last season.
Coming off a year in which the Seminoles had a10-win season with victories over both Miami and Florida in the same season for the first time since 2016 - along with wins over perineal powers LSU and Oklahoma - Norvell is enjoying the life of being on top of the mountain.
“I knew the ‘buy in’ was there, but it’s about the consistency of that execution,” Norvell said before the event in an exclusive interview with NBC 6. “Starting off 4-0 had a great start to the season, but we had to overcome some adversity and some guys who went down with injuries. Our guys continued to fight, they continued to believe.”
Novell also knows what comes next: the expectation to remain in that top spot. With a likely high ranking to start the upcoming season, the Seminoles will get a challenge right away with an opener September 3 in Orlando against a LSU team who will also likely be ranked in the top 10.
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“A year ago, there weren’t a whole lot of people picking us to finish where we finished or win the number of games we won. The people on the outside didn’t dictate what we were able to accomplish,” he said. “This year, there are probably going to be a lot more people raising the expectations.”
FSU will have plenty of talent returning to the roster this season, including players like quarterback Jordan Travis, running back Trey Benson and linebacker Tatum Bethune - a former Miami Central star - who chose to come back for another year.
“We had six or seven guys who all had opportunities to go to the NFL if they desired, but they love who they get to play for and who they get to play with representing this wonderful program,” Norvell said. “It’s exciting to see some of our best players who are returning are pushing the hardest.”
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The opener against the Tigers will be the first of what should be several games this season where FSU will face another ranked foe. After losing against the three ranked opponents they played in 2022, the Seminoles have just two wins over a ranked team since the start of the 2017 season.
For Norvell and the Seminoles, the goal is pretty simple: continue the climb toward the being a champion once again.
“We’re really excited about the foundation that’s been laid and we’re really looking forward to what’s ahead for this year,” he said.
