Never.

Ever.

Not in a million, zillion years.

Would he?

Well … would he?

The reason I ask is because back in 2017, I wrote a column saying that Jimbo Fisher would never leave Florida State for a “lesser” job at Texas A&M. Even though there were media reports in early November of 2017 that Fisher might be one of A&M’s prime targets, I regrettably dismissed the reports and thought it was ludicrous that Fisher would bail on FSU after one bad season to jump into the meat-grinder known as the SEC.

Now six years later, Fisher has been fired by Texas A&M and Norvell’s name has been mentioned as a possible target for the free-spending Aggies. With Florida State three wins away from the College Football Playoff, it’s certainly not a surprise that Norvell, who grew up in Texas, would be a potential candidate for the A&M job — or any other marquee job, for that matter.

“There’s not any real point to talking about it,” Norvell replied when asked about the Texas A&M rumor at his Monday media conference. “It’s funny how sometimes those things get out there and people want to try and use that in recruiting. … But I can’t control those things. Obviously, we’re so excited about what we’re building and where we are going.”

What Norvell should have told reporters is this: “Don’t you guys know the definition of insanity — doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? You think I’m going to make the same mistake that Jimbo made?”

No doubt, Norvell would be insane to leave Florida State but, then again, I thought Jimbo was insane to leave Florida State.

As it turns out, Jimbo wasn’t crazy; he was just greedy. And, in all honesty, it’s hard to second-guess his decision when you consider he is getting paid $77 million NOT to work over the next  eight years as a result of the obscene contract buyout the Aggies gifted him in 2021 when they idiotically gave him a raise to $9 million a year and extended his original 10-year, $75 million contract four years through the 2031 season. That’s right, Jimbo’s $77 million buyout is worth more than the original $75 million contract he signed at Texas A&M.

Now you know why Jimbo bailed on Florida State so quickly back in 2017 when he left his undecorated Christmas tree on the curb as he high-tailed it out of Tallahassee. He and his agent Jimmy Sexton must have known they had a bunch of suckers. After all, who in their right mind would give a 10-year fully guaranteed contract to a coach whose FSU program was taking on water and was 5-6 at the time?

Still — despite all of the money — I believed then and I believe now that Florida State is a much better job than Texas A&M. Yes, the Aggies may have richer boosters and are in a wealthier conference, but it’s not like FSU is some poor downtrodden orphan like Oliver Twist begging for more gruel.

The Seminoles have plenty of money and more than enough resources. Norvell recently got a raise and contract extension that pays him about $8 million annually, and if he wins the ACC and advances into the College Football Playoff, he’ll likely get another raise that will put him in the $9-10 million stratosphere that the top SEC coaches make.

In hindsight, if Jimbo had it to do all over again, I’m betting he would have stayed at FSU and dedicated himself to rebuilding the program. If he had, his one bad season in Tallahassee might have been a blip on the radar and his Seminole legacy would not have been ruined.

Let’s not forget, Fisher was still dominating recruiting in our state at the time of his departure. His final four recruiting classes at FSU were ranked No. 4, No. 3, No. 3 and No. 6. And it’s certainly no secret that it’s much easier to win conference and national titles in the ACC than the SEC, which is going to be even more brutal next year when Texas and Oklahoma become members.

Hopefully, Norvell understands that there’s a reason Texas A&M hasn’t won a national title since 1939 and hasn’t won a conference championship in  a quarter-century (1998) when the Aggies were still in the Big 12. Meanwhile, the Seminoles have won 15 ACC titles and three national championships since joining the ACC in 1992.

Jimbo Fisher left Florida State because he thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence

Mike Novell is undoubtedly smart enough to realize that the only thing greener at Texas A&M is the buyout money once you get fired.

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen

Orlando Sentinel Correspondent

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State didn’t win a rivalry game in the 2018, ’19 and ’20 seasons. Now the Seminoles are a victory away from a sweep of Clemson, Miami and Florida — which the program hasn’t done since 2014.

Jarrian Jones’ fourth-down interception of Tyler Van Dyke halted Miami’s upset bid and gave the Seminoles a 27-20 win on Saturday night, Florida State’s third straight victory in the series.

“It’s just so big for the program, so big for our fan base, the university, everybody involved,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said. “I’m just proud of these players. To be able to win the last three in this series is big.”

Here are 3 things learned about CFP No. 4 FSU (10-0, 8-0 ACC):

FSU shows fight in second half

This storyline has been the case throughout 2023, from the opener with LSU through wins over Boston College, Clemson, Duke and Pittsburgh: FSU starts slow, needs a surge in the second half but makes plays late on offense, defense and special teams.

Going into Saturday’s game, FSU had outscored opponents 173-59 in the second half. While Miami fielded the onside kick to open the second half and got a field goal, the Hurricanes then punted on five straight possessions. FSU’s defense held Miami to 24 offensive yards and the Hurricanes converted for only one first down in that stretch.

Miami got an 85-yard touchdown on a busted coverage, but that was the only Hurricanes TD after halftime.

The Seminoles used some big plays of their own to move down the field and generate points. Ja’Khi Douglas’ 62-yard catch-and-run set up a chip-shot field-goal attempt. Trey Benson then weaved through the Miami defense on a 38-yard touchdown. And Keon Coleman’s 57-yard punt return set up FSU at the Miami 10, and Coleman caught a 6-yard TD pass to put FSU ahead 27-13.

“Obviously being down and coming back again, felt kind of like the LSU game,” FSU quarterback Jordan Travis said. “We just got to keep our foot on the gas.”

Coleman, Wilson make massive difference

Fans and media often ask: “Where would FSU be without …?” The answer against Pitt was the Seminoles showed fight and found solutions but also showed how much they missed Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson.

Against the Hurricanes, Wilson caught five passes for 82 yards while Coleman had the long punt return that set up his ACC-leading 10th touchdown reception. He had four receptions for 24 yards. Coleman is also the first FSU receiver to have 10 or more touchdown receptions since Auden Tate in 2017.

With Coleman and Wilson, the Seminoles confirmed they are a CFP-caliber program.

Defense allows chunk plays but little else

Miami gained 335 yards. But the Hurricanes gashed FSU with eight chunk plays (four rushing plays of 10 or more, four passing plays of 15 or more) that went for a combined 261 yards. Consider what FSU’s defense did:

The other six Miami completions went for 36 yards. That’s just six yards per catch.

Miami’s other 30 rushes went for 38 yards. That’s just more than one yard per run.

The defense also benefitted from junior punter Alex Mastromanno, who had seven kicks that averaged 49 yards. His first punt went 52 yards and pinned Miami at its own 2, prompting a three-and-out. A 51-yard punt went out of bounds at the Miami 5. Mastromanno put Miami in tough positions and facing long fields.

Associated Press

Texas A&M fired coach Jimbo Fisher on Sunday, a move that will cost the school more than $75 million and end a tenure that began six years ago with the Aggies presenting him an engraved national-championship trophy missing only the year.

“After very careful analysis of all the components related to Texas A&M football, I recommended to President [Mark] Welsh and then Chancellor [John] Sharp that a change in the leadership of the program was necessary in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential and they accepted my decision,” Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said in a statement. “We appreciate Coach Fisher’s time here at Texas A&M and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Instead of winning a title, Fisher went 45-25 and 27-21 in the Southeastern Conference, never winning more than nine games in any season. The Aggies are 6-4 with two games left, coming off a 51-10 victory against Mississippi State on Saturday night in College Station, Texas.

Fisher was lured away from Florida State, where he had won a national championship in 2013, by a massive 10-year fully guaranteed contract at the end of the 2017 season.

That contract was extended back up to 10 years after he led the Aggies to a 9-1 record during the 2020 pandemic season, by far A&M’s best year under Fisher.

According to his contract, Fisher is owed the entirety of what remains on his deal — regardless of whether he gets another job in coaching — a staggering buyout that is more than triple the largest known given to a fired head coach.

Auburn paid out about $21 million after the 2020 season when it fired Gus Malzahn, who in a few months became UCF’s coach.

Fisher was asked if the season was frustrating after Saturday night’s victory.

“It’s not frustrating, but it’s disappointing at times,” Fisher said. “Like I’ve said, we’re three or four plays from playing in a playoff spot. But we’ve got to put that past us and grow from it and learn from it for next year.”

Landing Fisher was seen a power move by then-Texas A&M athletic director Scott Woodward. A coach had not left a school where he won a national championship and  jumped directly to another job since Johnny Majors left Pittsburgh for Tennessee in 1977.

Texas A&M has only one national title to its credit in 1939 and last won a conference championship in 1998 as a member of the Big 12.

At Fisher’s introductory news conference, school leaders made their goals clear, having a national championship trophy made up with 20– engraved on it.

Fisher never even won a Southeastern Conference division title, and when the Aggies went 5-7 last season to fail to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2008, the pressure ramped up in 2023.

He was hired to replace Kevin Sumlin, who was fired with one game left in 2017 with a 7-5 record that year and a 51-26 mark in six seasons. But Fisher didn’t even match the success of Sumlin — who went 11-2 in his first season when Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy — much less elevate the team under his command.

Fisher finally gave up play-calling duties and hired former head coach Bobby Petrino to run the offense. There was some improvement on that side of the ball, though injuries — most notably to promising quarterback Conner Weigman — blunted progress.

An early-season loss to Miami made Texas A&M fans quickly begin to wonder if anything had changed. A stretch of three losses in four games to Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi assured the Aggies of another season in the middle of the pack in the SEC.

The Aggies have regular-season games left against Abilene Christian and LSU.

TALLAHASSEE — Keon Coleman and dozens of his Florida State teammates ran across the field as the final seconds ticked off the clock and started leaping into the stands. Coleman stood on a wall as fans jockeyed to get near him and reveled in the Seminoles’ latest triumph.

A 16th consecutive victory. Undefeated in Atlantic Coast Conference play. A three-game winning streak against rival Miami.

This one was special, and everyone knew it.

Trey Benson ran for two touchdowns, Coleman hauled in a score and No. 4 Florida State held off the rival Hurricanes 27-20 on Saturday to maintain its hold on a College Football Playoff berth.

“It’s a feeling that you can’t buy,” said safety Akeem Dent, who grew up in South Florida. “Three straight? Especially for me down south. Three straight? I got stuff to talk about.”

The Seminoles (10-0, 8-0), like they have several times this season, rallied in the second half to win again. This one wrapped up the program’s 10th perfect mark in ACC play.

“When you see the commitment and the belief and the work ethic and the relationships, it’s what makes it special,” coach Mike Norvell said. “We’ve got an incredible group, and they care about each other. That’s one of those components that you can’t fake.”

Miami (6-4, 2-4) controlled both lines of scrimmage and played turnover-free football for most of the game. It still wasn’t enough to overcome FSU, which has won 10 of the last 14 in the series.

Adding to Miami’s woes, freshman quarterback Emory Williams suffered a significant injury to his left arm in the waning minutes while running for a first down. Williams, starting in place of struggling junior Tyler Van Dyke, was taken to a hospital with what appeared to be an air cast on his arm.

Miami linebacker Wesley Bissainthe called the injury “heartbreaking.” It essentially ended any chance the Hurricanes had of shocking the Seminoles, who were 13.5-point favorites.

Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal pointed to the difference between this game and last year’s 45-3 debacle in Miami.

“There’s a lot of development, a lot of improvement,” Cristobal said. “We came here to win. We didn’t come here for a consolation prize.”

Van Dyke came off the bench with the Hurricanes trailing by a touchdown but threw an interception on a fourth-and-10 play with 40 seconds remaining.

Heisman Trophy hopeful Jordan Travis threw for 265 yards and his 20th TD pass of the season, a 6-yard fade to Coleman that gave the Seminoles a little breathing room in the final quarter.

Three plays earlier, Travis delivered a dizzying 7-yard run on which he broke several tackles and prompted a “Jor-dan Tra-vis” chant across a sold-out Doak Campbell Stadium.

Coleman, returning after sitting out last week’s game at Pitt, set up the score with a 57-yard punt return. The big special-teams play — always a part of this rivalry — looked like it might be the turning point.

But Miami answered when Williams found Jacolby George down the sideline for an 85-yard score. George finished with five catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns, beating Fentrell Cypress on both scores.

Williams completed 8 of 23 passes for 175 yards. He got the nod over Van Dyke, who has now thrown 11 interceptions since the start of October. It’s by far the most in major college football. Williams started in place of an injured Van Dyke three weeks ago against Clemson and led the Hurricanes to a 28-20 victory.

He looked like he might do it again when Miami pulled ahead 13-10 in the third quarter behind a steady ground game led by Donald Chaney.

It was the fourth time this season Florida State trailed in the second half. Norvell’s team responded much like it did against LSU, Clemson and Duke.

“We knew it could come down to literally one play,” Norvell said. “In that moment of truth, they continued to respond.”

POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Seminoles, who are fourth in the CFP rankings, are expected to stay at No. 4 in the next AP college football Top 25 poll.

THE TAKEAWAY
Miami: The Hurricanes probably would have stuck with Williams for the rest of the season. The 6-foot-5 freshman from Milton wasn’t great but he showed promise. Now, though, it looks as if they will have to turn back to Van Dyke.
Florida State: The Seminoles already have locked up a spot in the ACC title game but have another in-state rivalry game in two weeks at Florida. They will want to play better on both lines to avoid more late-game restlessness.

UP NEXT
Miami hosts No. 11 Louisville next Saturday.
Florida State hosts lower-division North Alabama next Saturday.

Norvell inherited a rebuild and a young roster — the Seminoles were the youngest in the FBS in 2020. A year later, they had gained some experience and had an infusion of transfers. But the Seminoles were still learning on the fly. Among them was a young quarterback, Jordan Travis, who began the season splitting time with UCF transfer McKenzie Milton.

No. 4 Seminoles ready to host Hurricanes but CFP math eventually could work against them | Analysis

Travis had two touchdown runs in FSU’s 31-28 win over Miami, a game that helped give a competitive quarterback some much-needed confidence.

“Just being a kid that didn’t believe in himself too much and going out there in a game like that and beating Miami in the way we did, obviously boosts your confidence a lot,” Travis said. “It did change my life a lot.”

Trailing 28-20 but with time in the fourth quarter, the Seminoles drove the field in six minutes but settled for Ryan Fitzgerald’s field-goal attempt. After a Miami punt, FSU had the ball with 2:19 to go.

Travis connected with Ja’Khi Douglas, who was lined up in the slot but got some separation and hauled in a perfectly thrown pass that hit him in stride as the receiver ran down to Miami’s 20-yard line on a 59-yard reception. But a 1-yard run, a pre-snap penalty and two incompletions later, the Seminoles faced fourth-and-14.

Miami rushed three and dropped eight, forcing Travis to find a window. He did, connecting with Andrew Parchment over the middle for more than a first down as he ran toward the goal line and was tackled at the 1.

A few plays later, the Seminoles’ offensive line got enough of a push up front and Travis ran behind the left side and into the end zone. Beyond that touchdown run in the final seconds, he was also 7 of 12 for 112 yards in the fourth quarter. For the game, he also had 22 carries for 62 yards.

The young Seminoles grew up that night. While FSU has often been fueled by transfers, the 2021 win over Miami was a critical developmental moment for younger players who made an impact, including the likes of linebacker Kalen DeLoach, defensive tackle Malcolm Ray, linebacker DJ Lundy as well as safeties Akeem Dent and Renardo Green. Receivers Douglas, Kentron Poitier and Darion Williamson also played that night.

Including that 2021 win over Miami, the Seminoles are 21-4 since then as they prepare for another rivalry game with the Hurricanes on Saturday (ABC, 3:30).

FSU has won 15 consecutive games, a streak that has now surpassed more than a calendar year. And its origins date to lessons learned, of difficult losses and mistakes made. But also to a win over Miami two years ago.

“It helped a lot of guys,” Norvell said. “That was one of those emotional days. They got to be in it. They controlled it. They responded.”

Coaches: Mike Norvell, 4th season at FSU, 27-16 (65-31 overall); Mario Cristobal, 2nd season at Miami, 11-10 (73-70 overall).

Quick slant: In the last 15 meetings, FSU leads 10-5. That includes a 45-3 victory at Miami in 2022. … Mike Norvell is 21-5 in November as a head coach, including 5-0 in 2022 and ’23. Cristobal is 1-4 in November since arriving at Miami … Hurricanes DL Rueben Bain Jr. was a coveted 2023 prospect that FSU pursued. Bain leads Miami in sacks (6.5).

About No. 4 FSU (1-0, 0-0 ACC): FSU’s streak of games with 30 or more points was halted as the Seminoles scored 24 at Pitt (they had the ball late near the Panthers’ goal line but allowed time to run out) … The Seminoles held Pitt without a third-down conversion, the first time an FSU defense has done that since Florida in 2016 … FSU has allowed just 12.6 points in the last five games.

About Miami (6-3, 2-3 ACC): The Hurricanes are 11th in the nation in sacks (30) … They also allow just 89.2 rushing yards per game, 8th in the FBS. … Miami freshman RB Mark Fletcher ran for 115 yards, picking up 5 yards per carry, in his first career start last week (a loss at N.C. State) … Hurricanes LB coach Derek Nicholson played at FSU from 2005-08.

3 things to watch

Win the intangibles. There’s always noise around a rivalry game, but this one is driving the pregame decibel meter all the way up. Will Tyler Van Dyke start? Yes, safe bet. Will Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman play? Yes, safe bet. Why haven’t Miami’s win-loss results — in a word: inconsistent — reflected the accumulated talent? Not sure. Will FSU continue on its track as one of the CFP’s top four? There are always juicy storylines for FSU-Miami. Is this the team that beat Texas A&M in September and Clemson in October sans Van Dyke? Or is it the team that lost to Georgia Tech, UNC and N.C. State? The Seminoles must bring the energy, avoid pre-snap penalties (or ones based on emotion) and withstand the momentum twists throughout the game.

Travis’ consistency is a difference maker. This isn’t about 300-yard games or a Heisman discussion. It’s about consistently making the right decisions, connecting with receivers (and tight ends and tailbacks) and commanding the offense. It’s about building drives and putting points on the board. Who does that with consistency, not necessarily every quarter but every game? It’s Travis and the FSU offense, regardless of what personnel is available. While Van Dyke is dangerous on his best day, Travis’ worst days are still pretty good. Travis’ best days, with Wilson and/or Coleman, are fun to watch.

Kick a little. In a rivalry that was often decided on kicks, this hasn’t been much of a storyline in recent years. But in a game that could be closer than expected, especially early, who has the edge? Miami’s Andres Borregales has made 17 of 19 field-goal attempts (both misses from 40 or more yards), while Fitzgerald has made 11 of 12 field-goal attempts (one miss from 29). Give the edge in punting to FSU’s Alex Mastromanno (46.4 average, 15 inside opponents’ 20) over Miami’s Dylan Joyce (42.1 average, 12 inside opponents’ 20). FSU’s special teams have been a strength and again could make a difference.

Where: Doak Campbell Stadium

When: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: ABC; Radio: 660 AM in Orlando; SiriusXM Ch. 119 or 193

Weather: 78 degrees, 10% rain chance

Favorite: FSU 13.5 points

A bunch of us reporters were standing around the practice field at Jacksonville University listening to Bobby reflect back on his 44 years as a college head coach.  Bowden, who was 80 at the time, was asked why his career lasted so long.

“I’ve been around coaches where their job means everything to them,” he answered. “I’ve always thought those coaches better be careful or ulcers or nervous breakdowns are going to get them. You see so many coaches who resign because they get burned out. Well, you can’t burn ol’ Bobby out. I’ve tried to keep coaching in perspective. I’ve never made football my God.”

The University of Michigan and Jim Harbaugh should take Bobby’s quote to heart.

Never, ever let football become your god.

As important and as lucrative as winning college football games has become, it should never be so important that it supersedes everything else you’re supposed to stand for as a coach and as an institution of higher learning.

We used to think of the University of Michigan as a bastion of academic excellence,  as one of the nation’s premier research universities and arguably the most esteemed public university in America. Now when we think of Michigan, we think of just another sewer-dwelling, win-at-all-cost football factory that will do anything and everything in its power to win a national championship.

The Wolverines, in their race to get to the top of the college football rankings, actually have sunk to the bottom of the cesspool known as college athletics. The university is in the middle of a cheating scandal in which football staffer Connor Stalions allegedly orchestrated an elaborate and illicit off-campus scouting and signal-stealing scheme. Michigan has not denied that this happened and, in fact, originally suspended Stalions and then accepted his “resignation” a few days ago

The NCAA is conducting an investigation and other Big Ten coaches have urged conference commissioner Tony Petitti to act immediately and punish the Wolverines. The reaction of Michigan administrators should be one of shame and anger for what has happened within their own program, but instead the university is digging in and reportedly threatening legal action if the Big Ten suspends Harbaugh and/or makes the school ineligible to win the conference title.

Michigan’s administration, its fan base and, of course, pandering state politicians are screaming for “due process” when, in fact, all they really want is for this case to drag out long enough so that the No. 3-ranked Wolverines can potentially win a third straight Big Ten title and a possible national championship.

Isn’t it ironic that the university’s own honor code instructs students not to cheat in their academic endeavors so as to create “an honorable environment … and to ensure that no unfair advantage is gained”?

Regrettably, it seems, honor is only demanded of Michigan’s student body but not its college football program; a program in which the coach (Harbaugh) already has  committed NCAA violations for clandestinely bringing recruits on campus during the COVID pandemic and then misleading NCAA investigators about the transgressions.

The saddest part of all is that this sort of behavior is not only expected but accepted in today’s world of college athletics, where winning-addicted fans have signed off on the old NASCAR philosophy: “If you ain’t cheatin’, then you ain’t tryin’. ”

Even some influential media figures such as ESPN’s Paul Finebaum and Fox Sports radio/TV host Colin Cowherd originally gave Harbaugh and Michigan a free pass on the illicit signal stealing but have slowly changed their stances to match the shifting winds of public opinion. Sigh. The media used to be society’s watchdogs, but too many media influencers have become multimillionaire lapdogs for the big-money sports leagues and marquee programs they cover.

It’s pretty pathetic when we have come to expect less from our college programs than we do our professional sports teams. The New England Patriots and the Houston Astros were universally criticized for their respective spying and sign-stealing scandals, but in college sports cheating is no big deal. We actually blame the NCAA rule-makers more than we blame the NCAA rule-breakers. We just shrug when the Kansas basketball program gets nabbed for buying players and the school responds not by firing national-championship-winning coach Bill Self but by signing Self to a lifetime contract.

As fans of college sports, shouldn’t we all demand a higher standard of conduct?

Shouldn’t university presidents stand up and hold their own coaches and programs accountable?

Why do we accept this moral decay in college sports and essentially give our tacit approval to the erosion of core values such as honor and integrity?

Why do we allow sportsmanship and character to be sacrificed at the altar of illicit winning?

Why has victory become more important than virtue?

And most of all, why have we allowed the septic tank of college football to become our god?

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen

As the College Football Playoff race continues, wins over the Hurricanes and the Gators are essential steps even though both programs are viewed as wildly inconsistent today.

CFP No. 4 FSU (9-0, 7-0 ACC) looks for its first undefeated ACC regular season since 2014 with a home win over Miami (6-3, 2-3) on Saturday (ESPN, 3:30).

Will star receivers Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman play?

Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman traveled to Pittsburgh a week ago and observed from the sideline, cheering on teammates. Neither had a visible brace or limp, encouraging signs that they would be good to play against the Hurricanes.

Wilson and Coleman practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday, which opens up the playbook significantly. Pitt often added a seventh defender in the box against FSU and was able to halt the run for chunks of the game, choosing instead to put defensive backs in one-on-one coverage against Ja’Khi Douglas, Kentron Poitier, Darion Williamson and FSU’s tight ends. Pitt’s strategy worked early and often until Jordan Travis hit Markeston Douglas for a 22-yard touchdown reception and Trey Benson’s 55-yard touchdown run.

“We’re trending in the right way and we’ll see where it is as we get closer to kickoff,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said.

UM’s Tyler Van Dyke is prone to interceptions — can FSU continue the trend?

Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was injured and missed the 28-20 win over Clemson, but he has thrown 10 interceptions in his last four games. That includes losses to Georgia Tech, at North Carolina and at N.C. State. And he’s coming off back-to-back games without a touchdown pass.

When Miami’s coaches chose not to definitively state whether Van Dyke would start against FSU, it touched off speculation that the Hurricanes could roll with freshman Emory Williams (who helped guide the win over Clemson). FSU coaches expect Van Dyke to start but don’t be surprised if the game goes sideways and the Hurricanes make a move.

FSU has 12 takeaways, including two from freshman safety Conrad Hussey (a Fort Lauderdale native) as well as Fentrell Cypress’ strip-fumble recovery near the goal line in the win at Pitt.

The Seminoles are 16th in scoring defense (17 points), and it’s because of how good they defend the pass (192 yards, 25th), make stops in the red zone (16th) and perform on third downs (35th). But it’s also about takeaways.

Can FSU hold off Washington for a CFP spot?

Neither Miami nor Florida is ranked and that could impact FSU’s No. 4 spot in the CFP. No. 5 Washington will face No. 18 Utah (Saturday) and No. 12 Oregon State (Nov. 18), plus a rematch with No. 6 Oregon could be to come in the Pac-12 title game.

The CFP has a few retired coaches on the committee, and they are weighing win-loss records as well as metrics (including strength of schedule). CFP chairman Boo Corrigan said there was a differentiation between unbeatens FSU and Washington but “you can’t get much closer than 4 to 5 in what we’re doing.”

FSU’s resume includes one team ranked by the CFP (No. 19 LSU), although the Seminoles could face No. 11 Louisville in the ACC title game. The committee has acknowledged FSU’s wins over Clemson and Duke, but they too are unranked. Reason for alarm? Not yet. But worth watching.

Orlando Sentinel Correspondent

While not truly a defined step in Florida State’s journey in 2023, the moment wasn’t lost on those Seminoles who had been with the program through the low points: They could now celebrate a spot in the ACC championship game after a 24-7 win at Pittsburgh on Saturday.

“I almost want to cry because we’ve put so much work from my first time getting here to where we are now,” redshirt senior linebacker Kalen DeLoach said. “I appreciate all those guys who came in and bought into the process because it wasn’t pretty all the time.”

Here are three things we learned as CFP No. 4 Florida State (9-0, 7-0 ACC) begins to turn the page to Miami:

Not a thing of beauty, but FSU’s passing game was functional

Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson are clearly FSU’s top two receivers, and both were sidelined due to injury. Take them away, as well as Hykeem Williams and Deuce Spann, and the offense was far from electric.

But Jordan Travis still had a season-best 360 passing yards, and it was arguably the most impressive (considering the available personnel) of his six career 300-yard passing games. Travis connected with eight receivers, often on screens but also hitting tight ends — Kyle Morlock, Jaheim Bell and Markeston Douglas combined for 11 of the completions.

Travis also showed confidence in receiver Ja’Khi Douglas. The 5-foot-9 redshirt junior had 6 catches for 115 yards, his first career 100-yard game.

“I was so proud of Ja’Khi,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said. “Anybody that is around him, they know the type of young man that he is. They know the work and the passion in which he plays. … It was big plays in big moments.”

Receiver injuries are major question mark

For FSU to maintain its spot as one of the top teams in the nation, the injury status of Coleman and Wilson is critical. It’s one thing to find solutions against a struggling Pitt, but it’s another for rivalry games against Miami and Florida.

FSU was as shorthanded at receiver as the program has been for a game in recent years. Going into Saturday, Darion Williamson was statistically the leading receiver (6 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD) who was available.

Wilson has missed two games following a hit he took against Duke. Coleman also missed Saturday’s game, although he and Wilson were on the sideline throughout the afternoon.

“It’s just unfortunate in the last game there’s an injury that kept him out,” Norvell said. “We’re very hopeful that he’ll be back extremely soon.”

Norvell also said Williams “is getting better” and that Spann is on the way back. Kentron Poitier was in on a handful of plays. He was targeted three times but did not have a reception.

FSU’s defense held up 

In a city that loves blue-collar effort, FSU’s tenacity delivered by producing a season-high three takeaways — including Fentrell Cypress’ forced fumble and recovery in the end zone after he was beaten on an 82-yard pass. Freshman Conrad Hussey had an interception and forced a fumble in the fourth quarter. Pitt also punted nine times.

FSU’s defense held up on third down, too. The Seminoles didn’t allow Pitt to convert on a third-down conversion (0 for 11) and gave up just the one fourth-down conversion.

Pitt quarterback Christian Veilleux was largely ineffective, completing just 15 of 35 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown and the Panthers were held to 89 rushing yards on 24 carries.

“Very impactful throughout the contest,” Norvell said. “Unbelievable on third downs.”

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — Ja’Khi Douglas was there during the dark days at Florida State when the losses piled up and the program’s reputation as a national power seemed like a distant memory.

Those days are over. The fourth-ranked Seminoles (9-0, 7-0 ACC) are returning to the ACC title game for the first time in nearly a decade after pulling away from Pittsburgh (2-7, 1-4) for a 24-7 win on Saturday evening.

“Since I’ve been here four years, we’ve been through ups and downs,” said Douglas, a redshirt junior wide receiver who caught a career-high six passes for 115 yards while filling in for injured star Keon Coleman. “It’s great that we get a chance to show the ACC, the whole world that Florida State is back.”

Jordan Travis passed for a season-high 360 yards, throwing for a touchdown and running for another as the Seminoles earned a trip to Charlotte on the first Saturday in December for the first time since 2014.

Nine years without a conference title appearance would be a blip in most places. Florida State is not most places. The program spent the back half of the 2010s in a freefall.

Coach Mike Norvell arrived in 2020 to help turn things around and after a series of fits and starts, the Seminoles appear ready to re-enter the national conversation.

“A lot of work that goes into [reaching the ACC championship game],” Norvell said. “To know we are going to get another game at the end of the regular season is big.”

If the Seminoles keep winning, there could be a couple more after the ACC final. The Seminoles, fourth in the initial College Football Playoff ranking, have won 15 straight games, and they showcased the depth Norvell has cultivated by fending off Pitt.

Travis hit tight end Markeston Douglas for a 22-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter to give Florida State a 10-point lead.

Trey Benson sprinted 55 yards up the middle on the Seminoles’ next possession to put away the Panthers (2-7, 1-4).

It did not come easy on a day the Seminoles played without leading receivers Coleman and Johnny Wilson. Wilson was ruled out well before the game due to injury, while Coleman did not take the field for warm-ups, though Norvell said he’s optimistic Coleman will be available perhaps as early as next Saturday when archrival Miami visits Doak Campbell Stadium.

Travis relied heavily on screens and dump-offs before finally getting going after halftime. The senior completed 22 of 36 passes and also ran for a 1-yard score in the second quarter to go with his touchdown strike to Douglas, giving him multiple touchdowns in a school-record 16 straight games.

Florida State’s defense did the rest. The Seminoles forced three turnovers and didn’t let the Panthers convert any of their 10 third downs.

Christian Veilleux threw for 244 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Pitt, which played well a week after getting shredded by Notre Dame but was undone by penalties and mistakes.

The Panthers were flagged 11 times for 91 yards, including an unsportsmanlike-conduct call against tight end Gavin Bartholomew in the third quarter that pushed Pitt out of field-goal range with the Panthers down just three.

TURNING POINT
The Panthers have struggled to generate much offensively all season, and a frantic sequence early in the second quarter distilled Pitt’s miserable fall to its essence.
Veilleux found a wide-open Konata Mumpfield deep down the middle of the field and Mumpfield raced 81 yards toward the end zone only to have Florida State’s Fentrell Cypress II chase him down and knock the ball free just before Mumpfield crossed the goal line. Cypress pounced on the loose ball for a touchback to end the threat and keep the game scoreless.

THE TAKEAWAY
Florida State: The Seminoles have come a long way in Norvell’s four seasons. Florida State was drilled by the Panthers in Tallahassee in 2020 during his first year. Three years the tables have turned completely.
Pitt: The Panthers played with the kind of effort that seems to indicate coach Pat Narduzzi’s suggestion after the loss to the Irish that Pitt didn’t bring in enough talented players during the offseason — a suggestion he later apologized for — has been forgiven. Still, Pitt will miss a bowl game for just the second time in Narduzzi’s nine-year tenure.

POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Seminoles didn’t really make a compelling argument that they deserve to crack the top three while struggling to put away a 21-point underdog. If anything, Florida State’s performance might cost them a spot or two.

UP NEXT
Florida State: will try to beat the Hurricanes for a third straight time next weekend.
Pitt: Travels to New York City to meet Syracuse at Yankee Stadium next Saturday.

“A lot of people wanted to see how I play the run, how physical I am with blockers, moving them out of the way,” Payton said. “It has been a good transition for me. That was one of my main goals in the spring, even when I changed my number. Just look totally different from 56. Look like 11, like a better player, a different player.”

FSU debuts at No. 4 in initial College Football Playoff rankings

Payton was the ACC’s defensive rookie of the year in 2022, recording five sacks. His 7.5 tackles for loss is tied for the team lead (with linebacker Kalen DeLoach) and the 6-foot-5 Payton uses his long arms to deflect passes (he leads the defensive line with five pass break-ups).

The redshirt sophomore is coming off one of his best games, recording three tackles for loss (including two sacks) in the win at Wake Forest. While sacks are often viewed as the most important stat for a defensive lineman, those tackles for loss and pass break-ups show up as negatives for opposing offenses and underscore his development.

“I think you see it in his physicality,” defensive ends coach John Papuchis said. “When he got here he was thin and he needed to gain strength in the weight room. Coming off last year that was going to be his No. 1 goal and priority was to gain some muscle and gain some weight and really focus on being physical.

“Pat is growing into a really physical run defender and is really becoming a very complete player in every way. And then you add to that the fact that he’s really, really smart in terms of how he understands and plays the game.”

Payton’s work to add good weight in the offseason has helped him but also reinforce the depth of FSU’s defensive front, along with Jared Verse and tackles Joshua Farmer, Braden Fiske and Fabien Lovett. The Seminoles didn’t allow a touchdown pass in October, which is a credit to an improving secondary as much as it is pressure applied by the front.

According to Pro Football Focus, Payton has had 10 pressures in the last two games. That includes six hurries against Duke on Oct. 21.

“Every week I feel I have been getting better,” Payton said. “From the LSU game to now. Watching film, watching myself on film it looks like I am just playing better, playing harder, playing faster.”

Coaches: Mike Norvell, 4th season at FSU, 26-16 (64-31 overall); Pat Narduzzi, 9th season at Pittsburgh, 11-15 (64-47 overall).

Quick slant: FSU can clinch a spot in the ACC title game with a win over Pittsburgh. … This is FSU’s first trip to Pittsburgh since 2013, the season opener in a national championship season. … Pittsburgh leads the series 6-4, including a 2020 victory in Tallahassee in the teams’ most recent matchup.

About No. 4 FSU (8-0, 6-0 ACC): The Seminoles have scored 30 or more points in 15 straight games, but they’ve also kept every opponent under 30. … Opponents are completing just 49.4% of their passes against FSU, the only defense in the FBS that can make that claim. … QB Jordan Travis surpassed 10,000 offensive yards in last week’s win at Wake Forest. Travis has 8,068 passing yards and 1,979 rushing yards in his career.

About Pittsburgh (2-6, 2-3 ACC): The Panthers have just one P5 win (38-21 victory over Louisville) and are coming off a 56-7 loss at Notre Dame. … TE Gavin Bartholomew is one of Pitt’s top receiving options. The 6-foot-5 Bartholomew has 310 receiving yards, and an 18.2-yard average per catch. … Pitt last beat a top-5 team in 2017, stunning No. 2 Miami.

3 things to watch

Don’t fall in a trap. On paper, there aren’t too many strengths or ways that one would think Pitt could make this a competitive game. There’s a businesslike attitude among the Seminoles, who seem excited to play in an NFL stadium and set aside any distraction of being the CFP’s No. 4 team. The Seminoles appear focused and shouldn’t be distracted, even with Miami up next week.

Get after the quarterback. Pitt’s Christian Veilleux will be making his third career start. While he’s had moments of brilliance, leading an upset of Louisville, he’s often erratic. And the Panthers have an injury-depleted line, one that has given up 16 sacks in eight games. The Seminoles are at their best when they bring more heat than just the front four, so it’s fair to expect more linebacker and safety blitzes to rattle Veilleux. This could be a good opportunity for the likes of DeLoach and safety Shyheim Brown to apply pressure.

Roll with it at receiver. Johnny Wilson, Destyn Hill and Hykeem Williams each missed the Wake game due to undisclosed injuries. How much they play (or if they do) is uncertain. Darion Williamson had an impressive one-handed catch in practice Wednesday and has impressed in limited game opportunities, while Kentron Poitier and Ja’Khi Douglas are back in the mix following preseason camp injuries. Regardless of who’s available at receiver, or which tight end options are on the field, Travis should do what he’s been doing: Distribute the ball, not evenly but using a variety of options (he connected with eight Seminoles in the win at Wake last week).

Where: Acrisure Stadium

When: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN; Radio: 660 AM in Orlando; SiriusXM Ch. 98 or 194

Weather: 58 degrees, 10% rain chance

Favorite: FSU by 21.5.