How Much Pressure Are Mike Norvell And FSU Football Under In 2024?

The Seminoles are facing some challenges and potential hurdles to remain at the top of the ACC.

As the old maxim goes, 'winning is a habit' — one that is hard to break and even harder to swallow if expectations aren't met with results to help further progression. Florida State has risen to the top of the college football world, met in the middle with the likes of Miami and Virginia in the ACC, sat at the near bottom under the disastrous Willie Taggart years, and has now seen a consistent and strategic climb under head coach Mike Norvell.

The Seminoles had a perfect 13-0 season in 2023. They won the ACC and were historically buffed from the College Football Playoff despite touting one of the most explosive offenses and prolific defenses in the country. And now, the expectations are ever-growing with a new expanded 12-team field to vie for another ACC Title and playoff berth, the latter of which hasn't happened since 2014.

So how much pressure for success is on Norvell and the 'Noles as they enter their Week '0' matchup against Georgia Tech on August 24? Jessie Simonton of On3.com seems to rate the need for production from Norvell and the Seminoles to perform at a 'medium.'

Norvell has made a name for himself in the transfer portal alongside recruiting, and with FSU nearly doubling his salary in the offseason, the expectation in Tallahassee, FL, is at an all-time high for results.

READ MORE: FSU Football's Freshman Quarterback Ranked in Top-10 by College Football Analyst

"Mike Norvell has seen his Q-rating skyrocket in the last 12 months, becoming the king of the transfer portal and returning the Seminoles back into national title contenders," Simonton wrote.

"Of course, FSU didn’t get to actually play for the championship in 2023 after going 13-0, but the ‘Noles are the favorites to win the ACC this fall. Norvell is a Top 10 coach now and has enough clout at FSU where he can rebuff any advances from Alabama."

FSU rivals like Clemson and Miami seem to have the coals pushed a little further under their toes, as both teams failed to meet expectations a season ago. The Tigers broke even in ACC play last year and have fallen behind in the NCAA Transfer Portal Era.

"The Tigers haven’t made the College Football Playoff in four seasons, and are coming off a season where they went .500 in ACC play," Simonton continued. "Still, they have an overall strong roster, so anything short of a league title will be seen as a disappointment in a watered-down ACC."

Mario Cristobal at Miami will be under the most pressure to succeed next season. He landed one of the top transfer quarterbacks in the country in Cam Ward but has had embarrassingly bad results on the field. One look at the blunder against Georgia Tech will show that the hill for the Hurricanes to reach their first ACC Title could still be a few miles (or years) down the road and a tough one to climb.

Although the Seminoles, Tigers, and Hurricanes are expected to be at the top of the ACC in 2024, the fight for top-dog of the Atlantic Coast Conference and playoff rights remains to be seen, it ensures a compelling and exciting season ahead.

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READ MORE: FSU Football Projected To Play In Three Of ACC's Five Best Games In 2024

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