We're all still working through the grieving process after the CFP Committee's unprecedented and polarizing decision to leave the undefeated Florida State Seminoles out of the College Football Playoff. The past week has been an emotional rollercoaster, one that consisted of anger, disgust, heartbreak, disbelief, and confusion all bundled up into one. It sucks, and it's going to suck and sting for a while, but the reality is what's done is done and the outcome won't be changing. That means there's really only two things that can be done: reflect and move forward.
So that will be the aim of this article. To focus on the positive takeaways from a roller-coaster of a (but ultimately successful) season, and then to look at what's ahead for FSU as they prepare for the Orange Bowl, recruit high schoolers. search for talent in the transfer portal, and build for 2024 and beyond.
Part I: Silver Linings
1. The Right Man Is In Charge
If there was any doubt left about if FSU hired the right coach in Mike Norvell, it was put to rest in the final weeks of the season. Norvell and FSU proved that even with backup quarterbacks it was going to be like walking on broken glass to defeat this team. He was able to keep the team bought in and focused on their goals after the devastating injury to Travis and he was able to rally them to finish for him. He prepared not one, but two quarterbacks in just a week's time, one against an arch-rival in a hostile environment and the other in a conference championship game against a top-15 opponent, and developed game plans that allowed the team to still be successful and win games.
Look at FSU's four seasons since Norvell took over:
2020: 3-6
2021: 5-7
2021: 5-7
2022: 10-3
2023: 13-0
There's a track record of distinct improvement season to season and over the course of 4 years Norvell took the program from a laughing stock to a National Title contender.
Furthermore, Norvell defended the players and fanbase and put the selection committee on blast following the controversial decision. He did not remain silent nor did he attempt to be politically correct or overly careful in his wording. He was willing to go to war for his players/staff/administration/fan base with no concern of how it would be perceived or potential backlash or repercussions.
It's equally worth mentioning how good Norvell has been for FSU off the field. This is a guy that genuinely cares about the players. This isn't a Jimbo Fisher situation where the players were robots that the coach used to achieve his own individual success, only to leave them in the dust once a higher-paying opportunity arose. Relative to Fisher's tenure, under Norvell the team is performing better academically, has higher graduation rates, and while under Fisher the players were consistently finding themselves in off the field trouble that was swept under the rug, the behavioral issues have seemingly vanished under Norvell's watch. The guy not only wants to be a great coach, but a molder of men. He gets the standard and values Bobby Bowden imprinted in the program, on and off the field, and I think Bowden is very proud of what he sees watching Norvell lead the program from Heaven.
The players love playing for him, the coaching staff loves working with him, the administration speaks glowingly of him, and the fan base loves him 100% as well. Heck I freaking love the guy. He's the kind of coach that makes you PROUD to be an alumni. This isn't just a job to him, he believes this is a special place and feels blessed to be here. Great coaches are hard to find. FSU has one, and I feel he's here for the long-haul.
2. The Quarterbacks of the future gained invaluable experience
After the Orange Bowl, Rodemaker will have started in two big games: one against an arch-rival in a hostile environment with playoff hopes on the line, and the other against the reigning back to back national champs. While the second game still needs to be played, the first should be a huge confidence boost. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, Rodemaker was able to march into The Swamp and shake off a slow start, and showed the ability to spread the ball around and lead the offense and helped the team beat their arch rival and complete an undefeated regular season. Georgia will be a massive step up in competition from Florida, but the Orange Bowl will serve as a good measuring stick for how well Rodemaker can perform against elite competition. Regardless of the outcome, this will provide more big game experience for Tate and will help in his preparation for 2024 if he is indeed the teams starter.
On the contrary, Brock Glenn struggled mightily in his game, but let's put this into context. Rodemaker has been in Norvell's system since 2020 and was well-versed in the playbook, Glenn, an 18-year old, was in his first season, still learning the system and early in his development, and was thrust into a situation before he was truly ready and was forced to grow up early. Rodemaker's game came against a 5-7 opponent, Glenn's came against a top-15 team. Rodemaker knew he would be the starter the entire week leading up to the UF game, Glenn didn't find out until the day of the game. I'm not saying it was pretty by any means, but Glenn still avoided making critical mistakes and did just enough to give the team a chance. Louisville knew the situation and wanted to take advantage of it and sent constant pressure and blitzes at Glenn all evening, and to Glenn's credit he hung tough in the pocket and took hit after hit and continually got up on his feet and kept going. Say what you want about the performance, but for most 18 year old's the moment and situation would have been too big to handle. Glenn kept his composure and didn't let the moment get too big for him, and that's a massive step forward in his development.
With Travis graduating and AJ Duffy transferring, Rodemaker and Glenn enter the offseason as the only two scholarship QB's on the roster. FSU also a verbal commitment from one of the highest-rated high school QB's in the country, Luke Kromenhoek, who will officially sign later this month. I also believe FSU will search for another experienced QB in the transfer portal. I think the vision would be for Rodemaker and a transfer to serve as the experienced QBs and compete for the starting job in 2024, while Glenn and Kromenhoek are the developmental projects who could potentially compete for the job in 2025. Regardless of how the offseason goes, FSU fans should feel good about the fact that they have two quarterbacks on the roster with big game experience entering 2024.
3. No program has a bigger chip on it's shoulder
One final big positive worth mentioning is the motivation that will stem from being screwed. Imagine, for a moment, what would have happened if the situation played out differently. FSU makes the playoff but likely doesn't win the national championship, so the outcome remains the same. Sure, they can say they made the playoff, but given the situation there probably would have been a sense of complacency about making it but not winning. But I believe being snubbed has a lit a fire within the team and staff, and there's a newfound motivation to right the ship. The staff can now convince both current and future players that the world is out to get them, and I think the staff can sell players on the excitement of playing for a program with this "Us against the world" culture and mentality. It's an opportunity to motivate the team so salt the earth and lay waste to whatever opponent lines up against them 2024 and beyond, so as to leave no doubt in any committee member's mind that this is one of the best teams in America. I believe the fire's been lit. The team will play harder, coach harder, recruit tirelessly, practice harder, train and condition harder, and leave no stone unturned in it's ultimate quest to become champions. From life's toughest situations can come positive and profound growth, and it's FSU's time.
Part 2: What Now?
Even though FSU's quest for a national title in 2023 is over, December is still going to be a busy month for FSU between the Orange Bowl, the transfer portal, and the completion if it's 2024 recruiting class.
1. The Transfer Portal
Beginning Monday December 5, college football players who wish to transfer schools are allowed to enter their names into the transfer portal. No one has utilized the portal better over the past few seasons than Norvell and his staff. This was an essential part of Norvell rebuilding the program in a timely fashion, as many of these transfer players are able to make an instant impact as opposed to high schoolers who need a season or two of growth and development. In 2021 Norvell convinced Jermaine Johnson, an edge rusher from Georgia, to transfer to FSU and helped him ultimately become a first-round NFL draft pick. It's expected that both Keon Coleman and Jared Verse, who are also both transfers, will be selected in the first round of this year's NFL draft as well. To this point, most transfers FSU has acquired have had a very positive experience of calling FSU their new home and could advocate to current transfer players considering a change of scenery. FSU provides transfers with a great environment where you will be developed, play in big games in a national spotlight, and have a chance to reach the NFL.
FSU will be losing a lot of production, both in terms of graduating seniors and players heading to the NFL, which means there are holes that need to be filled. But FSU also wants to prove that it's going to be a perennial national title contender, and that it's not going to take a step back in 2024 despite the roster attrition. A number of talented players have entered the portal since Monday, and Norvell and his staff will continue to do their due diligence and be involved with several of them. As aforementioned I do think quarterback will be one area of need where they'll explore their options.
2. The High School Recruiting Class
Signing day for incoming high schoolers is December 20. FSU currently has the #3 ranked recruiting class according to 247 Sports, behind only Georgia and Ohio State. The class currently has 23 verbal commits including 2 5-star players (a top 32 player in the country) and 15 4-star players (a top 350 ranked player in the country). Typically signing day consists of 3 different goals:
1. Keep as many of your verbal commits as possible (ideally all of them)
2. Target a couple players who aren't currently verbally committed anywhere
3. Convince a player or two verbally committed elsewhere to flip to FSU
Even if nothing changes, this will be the most talented high school recruiting class Norvell has brought in. FSU has not brought in a recruiting class ranked higher than 18th since 2018, and hasn't had one inside the top 10 since 2017. FSU has also been involved with Jeremiah Smith, the nation's top player (a wide receiver) who is currently committed to Ohio State. If FSU pulls off that flip, there's a chance their class finishes 1st or 2nd. But it's important for FSU to finish the job between now and the 20th and put the final stamp on the 2024 class.
3. The Orange Bowl
Amidst all this playoff aftermath and recruiting, there is still one more game to be played before we put a bow on the 2023 season. While a playoff game would have been preferred, FSU was rewarded with a match up against the next best opponent: reigning back to back national champion Georgia.
FSU is currently listed as a 14 point underdog so this is going to be a tall task for the Seminoles, an opponent far better than any they have faced so far this season. Both teams will probably have some players that skip the game to avoid risk of injury before the NFL draft.
Still, this an opportunity for FSU to complete an undefeated season and prove the committee wrong in their belief that they don't stand a chance against good teams. This team prides itself on how they respond to adversity, and I have no doubt Norvell will have them motivated to finish and silence the doubters. Even without a national title, an undefeated season capped by a victory over the back-to-back champs would be worth celebrating and would end a roller-coaster of a season on a very high note.
In Conclusion
I know it wasn't the ultimate outcome we were hoping for, but this season was a heck of a ride. I think we're all very proud of the resiliency and "find a way" spirit this group showed in the face of adversity, and what they have accomplished will serve as a huge building block for the future. They should hold their heads high, and fans should be extremely excited about the direction in which the program is headed. It's going to be a busy but exciting month for FSU, as they get back on the horse and continue to find the next wave of young men who will become Seminoles and further develop those returning next season. The program has come a long way over these past 4 years, but in a way their climb is still only just beginning to scratch the surface. I believe in this staff and what they are building. I believe some day they will add a fourth national championship to the University's collection and help FSU reach the mountaintop just like they did in 1993, 1999, and 2013. The book is still being written, and while this chapter had some gut-wrenching moments, it's setting up for one heck of a redemption arc.
