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FSU football predictions for 2024 season: Experts make their College Football Playoff picks

dan rorabaugh, usa today network - florida
·7 min read

The Florida State football team is on its way to Ireland late Wednesday to kick off the 2024 college football season against Georgia Tech.

It's one of great promise for FSU football. Mike Norvell has led a remarkable turnaround as he enters his fifth season coaching the Seminoles, capped by last year's team that won the ACC after going 13-0 to start the season. But 2023 left FSU fans with a bitter taste after they were snubbed from the four-team College Football Playoff and suffered a humiliating loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl.

FSU is reloaded for another run at the CFP, now expanded to 12 teams. Jordan Travis, Keon Coleman and Jared Verse are gone, but the Seminoles hit the transfer portal to bring in new talent including DJ Uiagalelei, Malik Benson and Marvin Jones Jr. They enter the season ranked No. 10 in the polls.

Will FSU make the College Football Playoff? Do the Seminoles have a shot at the national championship? Here's what college football experts predict for this season:

Rece Davis and Pete Thamel, ESPN: FSU football makes College Football Playoff

The College GameDay host and college football insider both said on the College GameDay Podcast that FSU and Clemson would both make the playoff.

Davis said Clemson would beat FSU in the ACC championship. "I think Florida State wins the regular-season game against Clemson in Tallahassee," Davis said, but "Clemson wins the rematch because Clemson will be desperate to get in, and Florida State will already have a spot sealed up."

Thamel said the way FSU uses the transfer portal makes them the best team in the ACC, with first-round picks in Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr. "They have the best offensive and defensive lines in the ACC. ... Their fronts are so sound and so solid that everything behind them should fall into place." He also said FSU's chances are a bet on DJ Uiagalelei, but he has "a lot of faith in Mike Norvell's ability to maximize DJU's skill set."

Stewart Mandel, The Athletic: FSU football goes 7-1 in ACC, tied with Miami

"The Noles aren’t lacking talent, especially on defense, but they’ll go only as far as DJ Uiagalelei can take them. His ceiling the past four years was not nearly that of Jordan Travis, but it would be one heck of a redemption story if the player Clemson benched in the 2022 ACC title game leads FSU to a win there this year."

Bill Bender, Sporting News: FSU football makes CFP, loses to Texas

"The Seminoles make the CFP this time as the ACC champion, and they get a blockbuster matchup against Texas – one of the one-loss teams that made the CFP last season. There would be more than enough ACC vs. SEC heat in this matchup, which would be the first matchup between the schools. That is a win in the 12-team format."

Pete Fiutak, College Football Network: FSU football wins 10 games

"Last year’s team was very, very good - but again, the schedule made it all look a bit better than it was. This year’s team will need a little time to get up to speed. It probably won’t start 13-0, and everyone will undervalue it because it won't have that same record, hype, and vibe. However, the final result should be a whole lot better.

"There will be a misfire somewhere - like at Miami, or on the wrong day at home against Clemson, North Carolina, or Florida - and that Notre Dame trip will be a thing.

"But Florida State will be the best team in the ACC, it will win the ACC Championship, get a top four spot and a bye in the expanded CFP, and by December this bunch should have the right makeup to do damage in the playoff."

Jordan Silversmith, Tomahawk Nation: FSU football wins 10 games

"Trips to Miami and Notre Dame will be challenging, especially as Norvell seeks his first-ever win against the Irish, but those teams have found ways to lose close games in recent years and FSU should win at least one of those matchups. After beating Clemson last season, the Seminoles enter this year’s matchup as the better team on paper once again — this time with confidence after securing a win in the series and in the confines of Doak. There are plenty of chances and distractions where an unexpected underdog can sneak a win in, from international trips to Friday and Monday matchups, but Mike Norvell’s culture should win out. The last two seasons have solidified the team’s resolve and approach, from player to coach, and now is the chance to turn a trend into tried-and-true consistent success."

David Kenyon, Bleacher Report: FSU football finishes behind Clemson

"These two programs have reigned over the ACC most recently. Pitt won a title in 2021, but every conference championship otherwise since 2011 has belonged to Clemson or FSU. Entering the season, they are the behemoths."

RJ Young, Fox Sports: FSU football finishes No. 5

"(Mike) Norvell is quite close to putting FSU back where Bobby Bowden had them for the better part of the 1990s, replacing 10 NFL Draft picks with players of equal talent. That means the only returning skill player who started on offense is tight end Kyle Morlock. So Norvell went shopping and came back with a haul like a dad fresh from four garage sales stops, two estate sales stops, and a quick turn through the flea market. When he got back to the house, he revealed a former five-star QB DJ in Uiagalelei, as well as Alabama transfers Terrence Ferguson, Malik Benson and Roydell Williams, adding to a team that will feature Fentrell Cypress and Patrick Payton on defense."

Ryan Fowler, FSU Wire: FSU football goes 11-1

Fowler's game-by-game predictions have Florida State winning every game but the trip to Notre Dame on November 9. "The Fighting Irish are a talented team, and I think playing in South Bend will make this one even harder. I fear that Florida State will keep this one close, but fall at the end," Fowler wrote.

The Athletic staff: FSU football leads ACC with 9.1 expected wins

"The Seminoles were picked by the media to repeat as conference champions. If a receiver or two emerges, the offense could be capable of leading FSU to back-to-back conference titles for the first time since it won three in a row from 2012-14. That would put the Seminoles in position to secure a top-four seed and first-round bye in the CFP."

FSU football odds to make College Football Playoff 2024

Here are the odds the major betting sites are giving Florida State as of August 20 to make the 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024-25:

FSU football odds to win national championship 2024

Here are the odds the major betting sites are giving Florida State as of August 20 to win the 2024-25 national championship:

  • BetMGM: +3000 (tied for 10th-best odds)

  • DraftKings: +2800 (10th-best odds)

  • FanDuel: +3000 (tied for 10th-best odds)

  • ESPN Bet: +3500 (tied for 10th-best odds)

FSU football schedule 2024

  • Week 0: vs. Georgia Tech, noon Saturday, August 24 in Dublin, Ireland

  • Week 1: vs. Boston College, 7:30 p.m. Monday, September 2

  • Week 2: Open

  • Week 3: vs. Memphis, noon Saturday, September 14

  • Week 4: vs. California, Saturday, September 21

  • Week 5: at SMU, Saturday, September 28

  • Week 6: vs. Clemson, Saturday, October 5

  • Week 7: Open

  • Week 8: at Duke, 7 p.m. Friday, October 18

  • Week 9: at Miami, Saturday, October 26

  • Week 10: vs. North Carolina, Saturday, November 2

  • Week 11: at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 9

  • Week 12: Open

  • Week 13: vs. Charleston Southern, Saturday, November 23

  • Week 14: vs. Florida, Saturday, November 30

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida State football predictions 2024: CFP, championship odds