On Saturday, the Seminoles recorded their fifth loss over the last six games. Head coach Mike Norvell was already facing a hot seat. Now, following a 10-24 upset against Clemson, it appears Mike Norvell is treading on borrowed time.

Florida State started its season with a big bang as it beat powerhouse Alabama 31-17, promising a revitalized offense. However, two games down the slate, that promise appeared lacklustre. Mirroring fans’ sentiments, Coach Norvell stated, “It sucks to lose the games that we’ve lost.” And now, Tallahassee, like the rest of the college football, is mulling over if or when Mike Norvell will be fired.

Josh Pate argues that if it’s a forgone conclusion, then what is Florida State waiting for, stressing that he is not rooting for Norvell to get fired. However, it’s an obvious question FSU fans are racking their brains for. Two possible reasons stand out, as Pate puts it. Either AD Michael Alford needs to come up with the $59 million buyout (per USA Today), though Pate believes FSU has the money, or AD Alford is waiting to keep his gentleman’s word, “he wants to be a man of his word,” waiting for the season to wrap up.

Pate continues, adding to his point, “The way it sounds is we’ve either got the money already and we’re just waiting for the right time, which makes no sense, or we still got to get a few people on board.”

He argues the logic behind waiting for another loss, saying, “I just find it very peculiar that anyone with reasonable enough intelligence to acquire a net worth of that size is ignorant enough to think the outcome of four quarters against NC State could fundamentally change your opinion on whether or not to pay a guy $60 million to not coach for you anymore.”

With upsets against Stanford, Miami, Clemson, and the Virginia Cavaliers, among others, there is bleak optimism regarding FSU’s forward trajectory under Norvell. Although his 2022 and 2023 campaigns went decently, it has been a slippery slope ever since. Last year, after their shocking 2-10 collapse, which was the worst FSU season since 1974, their form has just gone downward. Zooming in on his overall record, you’ll find an upsetting 37-31 record.

Pate continues, “They (FSU) are on borrowed time because every day they wait to do the inevitable is a day that other programs that have pulled the trigger get that much further ahead of them down the road of their coaching searches.” College football has already seen a substantial improvement after programs facing challenges let go of their head coaches. Look at Penn State or the Bruins. Even Auburn nearly tasted victory under interim coach DJ Durkin’s play-calling on Saturday.

FSU’s delay hurting Mike Norvell

If FSU and Norvell are aware of the foregone conclusion, delaying it not only hurts FSU’s progress but also further hurts Mike Norvell’s chances to get another job. “It wastes time that Mike Norvell could be spending on his own search because there’s a duty to mitigate in his contract,” he adds to his point.

“Some of these programs out there that are gonna end up hiring the G5 coaches, which would vacate a G5 spot, they’re not waiting until December. A lot of these deals are being locked up behind the scenes right now.”

If FSU intends to release Norvell eventually, but does not take any immediate action, Norvell could be losing out on potential opportunities as well. Back in October, the university released a statement that FSU is “fully committed” to Mike Norvell, adding that a comprehensive assessment will be taken at the end of the season.

Speculations are ripe regarding FSU’s head coach replacement. Recently, The Athletics reporter Joe Rexrode shared his FSU replacement prediction, saying Oregon’s OC, Will Stein, fits the FSU mold the best.

Will FSU make the move? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.