Mike Norvell excited to face off against storied Oklahoma program in Cheez-It Bowl

When Florida State takes on Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl, it will be a battle of two prestigious programs. With 10 national championships and 10 Heisman Trophy winners between them, the Sooners and Seminoles are likely to attract viewers to the game based on their brand alone.

For that reason, FSU coach Mike Norvell believes it will be an opportunity for his team to show the rest of the country how far they’ve come since he took over in 2020. The Seminoles have already claimed their first winning record of the Norvell era, and can reach the 10-win mark for the first time since 2016 with a victory against Oklahoma.

“It’s a great matchup,” Norvell said. “It’s a great opportunity with two of the storied programs in all of college football history to be able to link up in a great game, great place and great atmosphere. I’m glad that we’re being able to play in our home state. This Oklahoma team that we’re playing has a lot of great players. They’ve recruited well over the years and it’s gonna be a challenge for our guys. They’ve had some close contests throughout the season, but it’s gonna be — it’s what you want toward the end of the year. You work hard to earn a bowl game. Then to be able to have a matchup against a very talented team is something I know that our players are gonna be excited about.”

Florida State (9-3) enters the Cheez-It Bowl on a five-game winning streak. The Sooners (6-6), on the other hand, have lost three of their past four games and are in danger of finishing with a losing record for the first time since 1998.

Norvell also mentioned the location of the game, which will be played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, as something he is excited about. With the Seminoles playing in their home state, he expects plenty of fans to show out in support.

“The destination for our fanbase is great being in Orlando,” he said. “We’ve got so many great Seminoles there throughout the state, but especially there in Orlando for them to be able to come. I know it’s going to be a wonderful atmosphere and then to be able to have these two programs match up, I think it’s going to be one of the most exciting bowl games of this bowl season.”

If Florida State wins, Norvell also mentioned the impact it could have on recruiting going forward. This season has already been a big positive for the Seminoles recruiting efforts, and their 2023 class ranks 15th in the nation and third in the ACC according to On3, the highest marks since Norvell took over.

However, a victory against the Sooners could provide an even bigger boost heading into the offseason, helping the Seminoles take the next step forward toward becoming a top team again.

“This is a team that obviously has a great tradition and has been among the elite in college football over the last decade-plus,” Norvell said. “For us, some of the recruiting battles that we’ll face, we know this is going to be a game that’s gonna be well-viewed. To be able to be in a game in our home state, to play there in Orlando, it’s great in all the ways for us. We’re definitely excited about it and we’ve taken a lot of positive steps as a football team this year.

“Now to be able to go against another very talented football team and a great brand, a great logo, it will be a showcase game and our guys are gonna be excited to go put forth their best effort to put ourselves in a position to go be our best. That is our key focus as we end this season and show those continued steps of where we’re going to make sure we put our stamp on this year and try to go get that 10th win.”

Kickoff for the Cheez-It Bowl between Florida State and Oklahoma is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 29 in Orlando.