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Storming the Field
Storming the Field
Original photo by Peyton Gay
Life > Experiences

Look Out Bulldogs, FSU Football Is on the Rise

Michaela Galligan
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.

For the past several years, college football has been dominated by schools such as the University of Georgia, the University of Michigan, the University of Alabama, and The Ohio State University. It is about time a new contender shakes things up, and it looks like it will be coming from the Sunshine State of Florida. 

The last time Florida State University (FSU) won an ACC Championship was in 2014, having a high winning season going 10-3 in the end. The year before, the Noles had not only won the ACC Championship, but also the National Championship, going completely undefeated all the way to the championship game. The team went 10-3 again in 2015 and 2016, but since then the team has not been having the best season, and for several years in a row, lost more games than they won. Luckily, Florida State football started turning things around this year, and the next may be the best season yet.

In FSU’s past season, the team went 10-3 for the first time since 2016 and finished at No. 11 in the AP Poll Ranking. The Seminoles had massive wins this season under the direction of head coach Mike Norvell over the University of Miami (FL) and Syracuse University, only allowing each team to score three points during the entirety of the games. The team also defeated long-time rival the University of Florida at Doak Campbell Stadium in the most viewed Friday football game on ABC since 2005. The season concluded with a tense but victorious Cheez-It Bowl game against the Oklahoma Sooners in the most-watched bowl game of the 2022 season. 

While it may seem too early to be predicting the final ranking for the 2023 season, one thing is certain: FSU football will be a force to be reckoned with. In their “2023 Way-Too-Early college football Top 25,” ESPN put Florida State at No. 4 on the final ranking for the end of the regular season. This would place FSU in the perfect position for advancement to the second round of the new playoff system in college football being introduced for the 2023 season. This system includes the top twelve teams instead of just the top four, but those top four teams are given an automatic entry into the second round of the playoff. 

This would make the team’s 70th season one to remember. With the best recruiting and transfer class of the year and commitments from key returning players, such as quarterback Jordan Travis and running-back Trey Benson, it is highly possible that this prediction could become a reality.

FSU Football 2023 season schedule:

  • Sept. 3 vs. LSU (Camping World Kickoff, Orlando)
  • Sept. 9 vs. Southern Miss
  • Sept. 16 @ Boston College
  • Oct. 7 vs. Virginia Tech (Family Weekend)
  • Oct. 14 vs. Syracuse
  • Oct. 21 vs. Duke (Homecoming)
  • Oct. 28 @ Wake Forest
  • Nov. 4 @ Pitt
  • Nov. 11 vs. Miami (home)
  • Nov. 18 vs. North Alabama (home)
  • Nov. 2 @ UF

So, is 2023 the Florida State Seminoles’ year for their 16th conference championship and fourth national championship? We will find out when FSU kicks off the season in Orlando against LSU on Sunday, Sept. 3.

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Michaela Galligan is a staff writer with Her Campus at Florida State University. She writes on a variety of topics, and especially enjoys covering sports, politics, and travel. She is also a staff writer for FSView and Florida Flambeau and the Florida State University Political Review, covering breaking news across campus and politics, her work appearing online and in print. She is involved in politics at local, state, and national levels, working on campaigns and in Congressional and Democratic Party offices. Michaela is a third-year student at Florida State University, originally from Tampa, FL. She is pursuing a dual degree in Editing, Writing, & Media Studies and Political Science with a minor in Communications and hopes to one day enter the field of political or sports journalism and reporting. In her free time, Michaela loves reading, watching movies and television shows, attending sporting events, and being with friends, family, and her dog, Macy.