FSU Football Drops In ESPN's FPI Rankings Following Upset Loss

Florida State's ranking took a hit following the upset loss to Georgia Tech.

Aug 24, 2024; Dublin, IRL; Florida State University head coach Mike Norvell before the game against Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports / Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports

Traveling to Dublin, Ireland to open up their season in a Week 0 conference battle always had the potential for an upset. The Florida State Seminoles took the 24-21 loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the hands of a game-winning field goal with time expiring.

Evidently, that's the running risk of a conference battle to open the season -- especially as the Yellow Jackets are a dark horse team in the ACC this season.

Still, the Seminoles already took a loss, which Mike Norvell was unfamiliar with in the regular season in 2023. The program's ranking in the AP poll will take a hit in the next update following the loss. Because they played a Week 0 game, though, the AP Top 25 won't be updated until after Week 1, halting that rankings drop for now.

READ MORE: Mike Norvell Reviews DJ Uiagalelei's First Career Start At Florida State

ESPN's FPI rankings did update, however. The Seminoles' ranking in the Football Power Index slid five positions following the loss. Florida State went from No. 11 to No. 16, which could be similar to how the AP poll plays out when it finally updates.

The performance wasn't good whatsoever, but growing pains were expected. The team returned very minimal talent from its elite 2023 campaign which saw the program narrowly miss the four-team College Football Playoffs.

Fortunately for Florida State, the new 12-team College Football Playoff format is much, much more forgiving. They could drop another game this season and still win the ACC title, or even figure things out and win out. With marquee matchups against Notre Dame, Clemson, Florida, and Miami -- the Seminoles are going to have to navigate murky waters, though.

The rankings will be forgiving for now, but Florida State has plenty to figure out before playing the four aforementioned programs this season. DJ Uiagalelei -- for as much flack as he has received for the loss -- has room to improve assuming Norvell will open the playbook up and trust him. The potential is there from the running backs group, and the wide receiver room could certainly benefit from a star emerging.

Defensively, the guys in the trenches struggled to stop the run, and help was needed from the linebackers. There's plenty of growth to be had on both sides of the ball, and there's not much time for the Seminoles to pull things together.

The rankings will see the Seminoles fall, but an expanded playoff field poses a big opportunity for the guys in garnet and gold to turn things around in a big way, and the season is far from over.

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