Mike Norvell is under pressure to turn things around. After going 13-0 and winning the ACC title a couple of years ago, Florida State (FSU) fell hard to a 2-10 record last year. The quarterback position was a struggle, with transfer DJ Uiagalelei not performing well and the offense overall underwhelming. Norvell knows the issues and is taking action. The big question is whether his efforts will pay off.

Norvell cleaned house and sacked his offensive and defensive coordinators from last year. On the offensive side of the ball, he handed the key to Gus Malzahn in a massive $6 million deal. The former UCF and Auburn head coach joins as offensive coordinator. Malzahn’s offenses have shown the promise and agility to be great over the years. A span of eight years with more than 3,000 passing yards, including three with more than 4,000 yards passing, and seven seasons with 3,000 rushing yards carries a bright testament to his strength.

But Josh Pate took that grace with a pinch of salt. “Norvell brought in two new coordinators, Tony White, from Nebraska. That’s a huge get. It’s a huge get, and they feel that way. The Gus Malzahn hire was a little more head-scratching to me,” the elite college football analyst backed up his stance with logic. “Not because Gus hasn’t proven himself, just because it came out of left field more so than anything.”

Norvell swooped in on QB Thomas Castellanos after a downgraded offense failed to bring much to the table. Castellanos’s Year 1 at Tallahassee is going to be his prime under the revamped strategy of new OC Gus Malzahn. It also helps Mike Norvell’s team that this new QB1 and OC have a history. So, even though a Malzahn hire was ‘head-scratching’ for Josh Pate, it makes sense when you combine the OC with his former quarterback, who has already emerged as a leader in the locker room.

Alabama will open its season on the road against FSU on Saturday, August 30, at 2:30 p.m. It will be a tone-setter for the entire season for both teams. A win, and the horrors of 2024 would be long forgotten for the Seminoles. Imagine, a new offense, a new defense, and you get one over the Crimson Tide. On the other hand, Kalen DeBoer’s team will look to start big after missing the playoffs last season.

“I thought that team [Alabama] was dead last year, so there’s a lot of energy that you’d want to feel around the building. But look, a lot of teams are going to miss a bowl game this year that have good energy around their building right now, so that doesn’t guarantee anything. Lack of that energy guarantees something.” Pate taunted the hype around the Florida post-spring practice and their strong redemption propaganda.

A bad Week 1 can mount trouble for Mike Norvell

The only saving grace for Florida is Norvell’s deep success record in the past. He literally came to Florida and turned the program around, acquiring 10 wins in 2022 and 13 wins in 2023. 2024 went in a misfire, but the future can leave a sweet taste in their mouth only if they can get rid of the week 1 bump.

“They play Alabama week one, they’re a double-digit dog at home. They could lose 44 to 10, they could lose 27 to 24, or they could pull the upset and win outright. My point is you’ve got a lot of conclusions that are going to be drawn after week one,” Pate reaffirmed the importance of an early win.

It won’t be another regular win; it will be a good boost to their confidence before the tougher road ahead. Also, it helps people restore their faith in the program after a gusty year. “Now, if you’re coming off a great year, it doesn’t really matter what they’re saying about you after week one. But you have no equity, you have no benefit of the doubt you’ve got no wiggle room, so if you get embarrassed in week one and that doubt starts to creep back in, you’ve got to be a rock-solid guard to prevent it,” Pate dragged the line straight and clear for Norvell to follow. Now, it’s up to the $84.2 million-worth head coach to prove that his decisions were right.