The Florida State Seminoles are in the middle of their worst season in decades, and their head coach, Mike Norvell, has become the face of one of the program’s darkest chapters. With a humiliating 52-3 blowout against No. 10 Notre Dame, the Seminoles have now accumulated nine losses in a season for the first time since 1974. As if that wasn’t painful enough, they’re in a seemingly unbreakable bind: a massive $63 million buyout is what stands between Norvell and the door.
On the field, Florida State was a shadow of its former powerhouse self. Notre Dame made quick work of the Seminoles, turning the game into a 49-point nightmare. The Seminoles’ offense was in shambles, with quarterbacks Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek sacked a combined eight times. Over the past two games, the Seminoles have allowed a staggering 15 sacks, marking the worst protection breakdown in school history.
Critics like Blake Ruffino on The Ruffino & Joe Show didn’t hold back. He laid the blame squarely on Norvell’s shoulders, saying, “This is going gonna go Norvell… You are the one who made your program go in this direction.” Ruffino suggested that Norvell’s reliance on the transfer portal has been a double-edged sword, bringing in players who lack loyalty to the program’s culture. “You know these portal kids are not gonna play for you; they’re not kids that have a culture here, and it’s killing you,” he claimed.
With the buyout figure looming large, Florida State is essentially trapped. Ruffino didn’t mince words, arguing, “At a place like Florida State, Mike Norvell should be fired. The only reason he is not is because there is a massive buyout, and now Florida State is stuck.” That buyout is now the only thing tethering Norvell to his role, leaving FSU in a dire financial situation if they choose to cut him loose.
In a move that some see as a desperate deflection, Norvell recently fired three coaches, trying to refocus the spotlight. But it’s becoming clear that the Seminoles’ issues run much deeper than staffing tweaks. For Seminole fans and alumni, the fear is that with a sky-high buyout and no immediate solutions, FSU is fated to suffer one of the bleakest periods in its storied history.
