FSU Mood Tracker: Josh Pate on Florida State Football's 2026 Outlook

FSU Fanbase Mood

• 🌡️ The current mood amongst Florida State fans is described as delaying the inevitable for the upcoming 2026 season, unlike the optimism seen at teams like Ohio State, Michigan, or Georgia.
• 💸 This sentiment stems from the belief that FSU's administration retained head coach Mike Norvell primarily due to buyout costs, rather than a strong belief in his continued leadership.
• 🎯 There's a perception that the administration even targeted Lane Kiffin, indicating a willingness to move on from Norvell if financially feasible.

Coaching and Recruiting Challenges

• 📉 The dynamic of retaining Norvell due to buyout concerns makes recruiting and hiring difficult, exacerbating existing challenges in FSU's recruiting efforts.
• 💰 An article by Andy Staples is cited, arguing that it's pennywise and pound foolish to avoid firing a coach solely to save money, as it can lead to decreased ticket sales and apathy, ultimately costing more.
• 🚫 FSU has recruited outside the top 10 for four consecutive years, averaging a class rank around 17, and has been burned by portal reliance.

2023 Season Recap and Outlook

• 📉 The 2023 season is characterized as a total mirage, with the team going all-in again after a strong start but ultimately faltering.
• 📊 While teams like Bama and USC also have similar recruiting rankings, the key difference is that FSU's caliber of player leaving is rated higher than the caliber of player coming in, indicating no significant roster upgrades.
• 📉 The team has had back-to-back losing seasons, and the significant win against Alabama in the previous year is seen as having been completely wasted.
• ❓ It's unclear what kind of record FSU would need this year to avoid a