FSU Head Coach Mike Norvell Not Distracted Ahead of First College Football Playoff Rankings

"I'm not going to get distracted because we have a purpose. We have a mission."

It has been nearly a decade and three coaches later since the No. 4 Florida State Seminoles have been in the College Football Playoffs back when the program lost to Oregon in 2014.

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Tuesday night, the first playoff rankings will be announced at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN, and the entire country will tune in to hear where their favorite teams land in the eyes of the Playoff Committee. 

One person who won't be watching because he probably hasn't left his office at Doak Campbell Stadium for months is Florida State's head coach Mike Norvell. 

Norvell told the media on Tuesday afternoon in a post-practice interview that he will be busy watching film for FSU's upcoming matchup against Pitt. 

"I'm probably not going to watch it just by the timing of what we have gameplan-wise," Norvell said. "I'm not against understanding what's out there."

National hype and a passionate fan base can become a distraction for a team that hasn't lost the last 14 games, but Norvell seems to have a level head when it comes to keeping himself and his team focused on the opponent every week.

"I'm not going to get distracted; I'm not. That's part of it. We have a purpose. We have a mission. We have something," Norvell said. "You know, 8-0 can be distracting if you allow it to be distracting."

That's not to say he doesn't like the attention of having a No. 4 program in the country because he feels they should be recognized for their effort.

"Do I want people nationally to recognize our program and the great players I get to coach? Absolutely. I think it's wonderful people are talking good about Florida State; they should," Norvell said. "We've got a really good team. We've got guys that have played at a high level. Do we play perfect? No. Do we have a lot of areas we need to improve in? Yes."

Shying away from being recognized isn't really an option if you're the head coach of a historically great program and on the rise again after a slump in transition to the Norvell era. The buzz of winning is what puts fans in seats, and representing Florida State has always been a top priority.

"I'm not 'don't tell me anything," I want people talking about Florida State because they're going to. The way we do things, we want to make sure we're representing the program the way it deserves to be represented," Norvell said. "We're competing to get better, and that is something that people want to be a part of."

Having a generation of players who have never seen a world without the internet and social media, it can be challenging to keep them focused on the season with all the outside noise. Norvell said he hasn't discussed ranking or their record because those numbers don't define them.

"I haven't talked about that at all at any point. They know. Just like I said yesterday or whenever that was - Saturday," Norvell said. "Guys will know because every time you watch any sports, you've got a ticker that goes across that says a number next to your name. I really do mean that number doesn't define us. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it's bad. We've got to go and get better."

No. 4 Florida State is set to go on the road to face the Pittsburgh Panthers at 3:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN.

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