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

Florida State’s 2023 season began with a historic 19-game winning streak and a perfect 13-0 record, setting the stage for a College Football Playoff berth. But the Seminoles’ playoff hopes collapsed after star quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending leg injury in the regular-season finale against North Alabama, fracturing and dislocating his ankle.

Without Travis, Florida State struggled in its ACC Championship Game and was ultimately left out of the playoff rankings, sparking outrage from head coach Mike Norvell, who called the selection committee’s decision unjust. The program’s disappointment deepened when it accepted an Orange Bowl matchup against Georgia—a team also left out of the playoffs—despite losing key players to injury and opting out.

Facing the Bulldogs without its starting quarterback, top running backs, receivers, and defensive starters, Florida State suffered a 63-3 blowout, the worst loss in bowl history. The defeat compounded the program’s trauma, leaving it unable to recover from the playoff exclusion and setting off a downward spiral that ultimately led to Norvell’s firing three years later after a 36-24 loss to Clemson.

Norvell’s tenure unraveled amid financial strain, poor evaluations, and the lingering shame of the 2023 season. The Seminoles’ decision to play Georgia in the Orange Bowl, rather than declining the game like Notre Dame had done the prior year, proved disastrous.

With nearly a third of the roster absent, Florida State had no chance against a motivated Georgia team, and the loss erased any remaining credibility from the playoff snub. The program’s inability to move past that moment—combined with mounting losses and a $50 million buyout to end Norvell’s contract—marked the end of an era that once promised so much.

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