Mike Norvell addresses how expanded College Football Playoff impacts FSU's mindset
If the 12-team College Football Playoff would have debuted last football season, there’s no question that Florida State would have made the cut. But unfortunately for the Seminoles, they did not despite an undefeated regular season and an ACC Championship win.
But heading into the 2024 season, FSU is not thinking about their controversial omission from the last iteration of the four-team College Football Playoff. As head coach Mike Norvell was recently asked if the expansion of the CFP has changed the mindset of his team heading into the upcoming season.
“I really don’t,” Norvell said on the Goji and Golic show. “I don’t want to have a team that’s just motivated by your past circumstance. We know the opportunity that’s in front of us, and for us, go control what you can control. And if you take care of business and you become the best team in the conference, you got a direct path to go and compete for a national championship.”
The Seminoles lost star quarterback Jordan Travis last season to a devastating season ending injury. Not looking like as dominant of a force for as they once were, but still managing to secure wins over rival Florida and Louisville in the conference championship game.
Their step back optically took precedence over their flawless 13-0 record in the eyes of the College Football Playoff Committee. Left out of the CFP and a chance to compete for the national championship. But this season and moving forward, the conference champion from each of the Power Four conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC) will have an automatic spot and first round by in the College Football Playoff.
“Ultimately, everything else that’s on the outside, we don’t control much of that. But there is a path, there is an opportunity, and if we will handle the things that we can handle, then we hopefully put ourselves in the best position to achieve all those things there in front of us,” Norvell explained.
“But yeah, we’re not trying to motivate a team by looking back. For us, it’s all about what’s ahead.”
The Seminoles will have to look ahead faster than a majority of teams in the nation, kicking off the season in Week 0 for a high stakes conference game across the pond. As they take on Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland this Saturday at noon ET in a matchup airing on ESPN.