There is always more on the line when these two teams play each other.
However, could a crushing defeat to Miami be the final nail in the coffin for head coach Mike Norvell? The Noles have a bye week after this game, and if the early-season results do not go their way, the talk after the Hurricanes will not be about the contest but about the coach’s next steps.
On the flip side, if Florida State is to have a bounce-back season, getting a mid-season win over a highly-hyped rival would do wonders in the narrative around it.
Florida State vs. Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes: 2026 Team Preview
Florida State vs. Miami Hurricanes: Game preview, predictions
It is difficult to figure out a best-case scenario because there is almost no way Florida State does not open this game as at least a double-digit road underdog. Either FSU pulls off a major upset, or the administration has a plan heading into the bye week.
As far as the game is concerned, the most realistic scenario is that it starts close and cagey early, before Miami’s talent takes over in the second half. The Seminoles just do not match up with UM at almost any position, and Cristobal has done an amazing job the last two years making sure his team gets up for this game to take care of business.
The worst case is just the flip of the best-case scenario. What happens if Florida State gets pummeled in Coral Gables, but the administration did not see it coming or continues to turn the other cheek? What if the program does not take advantage of the bye week and instead sticks with Ashton Daniels rather than trying out one of the younger quarterbacks? The loss is almost inevitable; a lack of preparation afterward does not have to be.
2026 FSU football schedule