New prediction sends bold message about FSU football’s 2025 season

CBS Sports predicts that the Florida State Seminoles will make a bowl game during the 2025 season.

Logan Robinson | Jun 19, 2025

Aug 24, 2024; Dublin, IRL; Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key and Florida State University head coach Mike Norvell before the game at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Maher/INPHO via Imagn Images / Tom Maher/INPHO via Imagn Images

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Florida State Seminoles

To Seminole fans, Florida State's recovery from last season will be as welcome as air conditioning in a Tallahassee summer. The ’Noles are looking to bounce back from a 2–10 campaign in 2024 with a retooled staff and roster as head coach Mike Norvell enters his sixth season at the helm.

2025 could shape up to be a pivotal year for Norvell and Co., and the road to redemption starts off with a Florida State vs. Alabama matchup on August 30 that pits two powerhouses on the mend with an aim to regain conference supremacy.

While Vegas currently has the 'Noles as heavy underdogs, their predicted win total for the year varies anywhere from six to nine wins, but one thing is for sure: it's bowl game or bust for the boys in garnet and gold.

CBS Sports' David Cobb has the Seminoles "trending up" in his teams with a chance to make a bowl game this year. With teams like Clemson, Miami, Florida, Alabama, and the ever-thorn in the side NC State in the way, in Cobb's eyes, there is still enough of a likely path that FSU finishes above .500 this season.

"Even after a 2-10 campaign, bowl eligibility looks probable for Florida State. The Seminoles' schedule features some big tests, but it also has enough patsies to ensure a high floor," Cobb wrote. "With new coordinators on both sides of the ball and a new quarterback in Boston College transfer Thomas Castellanos, the ceiling may not be as high as FSU fans would like. But it's hard to fathom the 'Noles finishing below .500 for a fourth time in six seasons under Mike Norvell."

There are a few sleeper games on the schedule that could derail yet another year for Norvell. The 'Noles face one of the toughest ACC schedules, but host both Kent State and East Texas A&M in weeks two and three.

Apr 20, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Roydell Williams (24) runs the ball during the Spring Showcase at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

If Florida State can handle business in those early matchups and pull off a surprise or two along the way in games they should win, a return to the postseason feels well within reach. For a program that once set the standard, regaining relevance may not be easy.

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