Is FSU football back? 5 things to watch in 2023

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State football is back in the national spotlight, with a chance to be a serious contender to win the ACC in 2023.

The Seminoles finished the 2022 season with a 10-3 record, capping it off with a 35-32 victory over Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando. FSU also finished No. 13 in the final 2022 CFP rankings and No. 11 in the final AP poll, its highest AP ranking since 2016.

Here are five things to look forward to in the 2023 season for Florida State:

1. ACC VS. SEC IN PRIMETIME TO START SEASON

Florida State will open the 2023 season with a primetime matchup against LSU on Sunday, Sept. 3, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

LSU finished last season with a 63-7 win over Purdue in the Citrus Bowl. The SEC powerhouse finished last year ranked No. 19 in the final AP poll and No. 17 in the final CFP rankings. Last year, FSU and LSU met in Week 2 in New Orleans. FSU came out with a win after a blocked extra-point attempt.

This game may very well be a top-10 matchup in Week 1. With both teams expected to be contenders in their respective conferences, this game could be a major catapult for a successful 2023 season.

2. HOW WILL FSU HANDLE EXPECTATIONS

Thanks to a strong finish in 2022 and many starters returning this year, FSU is getting a lot of attention. Its name is being thrown around as a team to compete for the ACC title this year, a feat the FSU has not achieved since 2014. This is also the first year the ACC will have no divisions, so the two teams with the best ACC records will meet in the conference championship.

FSU has a big showdown in its second conference game at Clemson on Sept. 23. The last time FSU beat Clemson in an away game was in 2013 in OT. FSU also plays Boston College, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh on the road.

FSU will face in-state rival Miami at home on Nov. 11 to round out conference play. FSU easily handled business last year with a 45-3 win. Other conference games at home include Virginia Tech, Syracuse and Duke.

And speaking of rivals, the annual Florida-Florida State game will be in The Swamp this year. FSU won a thriller last year over the Gators 45-38 on Black Friday.

3. JORDAN TRAVIS A HEISMAN TROPHY CANDIDATE

Quarterback Jordan Travis enters his final year at FSU as an early Heisman Trophy candidate, an award for the best college football player.

Travis is one of seven starters returning on offense for FSU. His leadership and ability to create plays makes it difficult to contain him. And his numbers from last season reflect that.

The redshirt senior finished 2022 leading the ACC in yards per play (8.35), yards per pass attempt (9.10), yards per completion (14.22) and pass efficiency (160.1). He finished third in passing touchdowns (24) and average passing yards per game (247.2).

“There’s a lot of expectations, but it’s one thing when you get on the field, all those expectations disappear when that ball is kicked off,” Travis said at ACC Media Day. “We just got to keep the main thing the main thing and give everything we have every single day.”

4. JARED VERSE RETURNING ON DEFENSE

Defensive end Jared Verse decided not to declare for the NFL Draft and play one more year at FSU.

The first team All-American recorded 48 tackles and nine sacks last season and led the ACC in average sacks per game (0.75).

As one of eight starters coming back on defense, Verse is a veteran voice to his teammates. Not only is he known for his speed, but his strength makes him stand out.

“One of the biggest factors in coming back was probably seeing all of these other guys coming back,” Verse said at ACC Media Day. “They just kept telling me and were like, ‘Bro, what are you going to do?’ And I had a feeling I was going to come back. I was like, ‘I’m not done yet.’ I accomplished what I wanted to; I put myself in conversations where I was able to go high up in the [NFL] Draft. But we still had a lot more as a team to do.”

5. MIKE NORVELL’S 4th YEAR AT HELM

Head Coach Mike Norvell comes into his fourth year on the sideline for FSU. He is one of 21 coaches named to the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year preseason watch list, an award for coaches with success on and off the field.

Every year, FSU has improved in the win column and earned its 25th 10-win season in school history last year. The Seminoles also were the only team to lead its conference in both total offense and total defense. And Norvell’s team was in good company, being one of three teams in the nation to finish top-15 for yards per play in offense and defense. The other two teams? Alabama and Georgia.

With the new format in conference play, FSU controls its own destiny. If Norvell and his veteran players can guide his team to win the marquee games and keep themselves in contention for the conference title, watch out for the Seminoles.