Where did it all go wrong for Mike Norvell at Florida State? We begin with the disastrous 2023 Orange Bowl

Getting snubbed by the CFP committee and crushed 63-3 broke the program’s foundation, triggering a brutal 10-23 stretch that ended with a $50 million buyout

Getting snubbed by the CFP committee and crushed 63-3 broke the program Expecting to make the College Football Playoff after a perfect 13-0 season, Florida State instead was the first team out. Cameras captured a team watch party that seemed incapable of processing what had just happened. Head coach Mike Norvell dropped his head in disbelief. Less than three years later, Mike Norvell is out of a job. Following a 36-24 home loss to Clemson, FSU finally decided to swallow a nearly $50 million buyout to dump Norvell and try to recapture the magic that has been missing since 2023. How did we get here? From a 19-game winning streak to a midseason firing?

It is a mix of money woes, bad evaluations and an indignity the program could never get over. Mike Norvell's career trajectory and the Florida State football program drastically changed when star quarterback Jordan Travis broke his leg against North Alabama. Travis would never be the same after he fractured and dislocated his left ankle, retiring in 2025 after never playing another down in a game. Florida State was undefeated at the time and well positioned to make the playoff if it kept winning. Yet there was a growing sentiment that the Seminoles didn't look the same without Travis in their regular-season finale and the ACC