The declining gameplay of Florida State this season should serve as a wake-up call for university officials to make some significant changes to the team. With a current record of 1 win and 7 losses, they are experiencing the worst streak imaginable. What’s even more surprising is the lack of action taken in response to the team’s poor performance under head coach Mike Norvell. Despite registering his third losing season in his five-year tenure with the Seminoles, his position remains secure.

Today, on a recent episode of the ESPN College Football show, analysts Paul Finebaum and David Hale joined to discuss Florida State’s bickering condition under Mike Norvell. During their conversation, David highlighted the fact that even after teams’ terrible performances, there is no such action taken by the officials, saying, “It’d be hard for me to see them not making significant changes after this offseason. Obviously, I don’t think that includes Mike Norvell, who has a huge buyout and certainly deserves more time to try to remedy this situation.” Well, it’s because of FSU’s $63 million obligation, which is the reason for Norvell’s survival in the team.

The substantial sum specified in the contract has presented FSU with a challenging predicament involving Norvell. Even if the team chooses to terminate his employment, they are obligated to provide him with a significant sum of $63 million. And that’s not the only issue. This amount accounts for 85% of his remaining salary as supplemental pay for the duration of his contract, which is set to expire in 2031. Now you can grasp the difficulties the team faces in parting ways with Mike Norvell.

David Hale further talked about how FSU suddenly fell under Mike Norvell’s supervision, saying, “It’s just hard for me to think of another example of a team that got this bad this quickly if for no other reason than very few other teams are this bad.” Well, it’s very shocking to see Florida State’s condition knowing the fact that this is the same team that went undefeated under Mike’s last season. But look how the tables have turned around—the team couldn’t even secure a win against their rival team this year.

Mike Norvell’s Florida State’s recent loss

Florida State Seminoles are facing their worst nightmares this season. Talking about their recent blowout, the team lost against their long-time rivals, the Miami Hurricanes, with a high margin score of 36-14. This was the game that no one thought they would lose because last year, the Seminoles won against them with a score of 27-20. Even Mike Norvell was disappointed after the loss as he took a moment to apologize to all FSU’s fans, saying, “That game means so much to this program, to the university, to past players, to all Florida State Seminoles, and I apologize for the outcome of that game.”

Apologies alone cannot rectify a team’s position in the game. Not only did they miss the playoffs, but they also failed to win a single conference game throughout the season. Now, there are growing doubts surrounding Mike Norvell’s suitability as the team’s coach. In some ways, it’s still unimaginable that a team that went undefeated last year is struggling like this, but such is the cruelty of college football. Here, highs and lows come in extreme forms.