The Florida State Seminoles are sitting at 3-3, and they need to put together some wins in order to ensure that they make a bowl game. Up next, they face the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, and they’ll have to travel to Hard Rock Stadium to play them.
FSU has been the model of inconsistency in 2026. One week they look like a competent team, and then they look completely lost, as they did against the Louisville Cardinals last Friday. Miami is the complete opposite, as they’ve had their foot on the gas all season and have dominated their opponents.
Although this looks hopeless for Florida State, games still have to be played on the field. So, with that said, here are five reasons why the Seminoles have a chance to take down the Hurricanes.
Miami has a bad day on both sides of the ball
No matter who the team is or how good they are, there’s always a game in which they don’t play up to their standard. With FSU being their biggest rival, it’s the perfect scenario where that could be the case. Miami could come out flat and allow Florida State to gain confidence, and that will lead to a much tighter game in the fourth quarter. If that happens on Saturday, the Seminoles could win.
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A desperate FSU is a dangerous FSU
The Seminoles need every win that they can get. Sometimes that can drive a team to play their best football, and this would be the perfect game to do so. All it takes is a mistake here, or a mistake there, from Miami and Florida State to make this a more competitive game than most think it will be, and ultimately, a Seminoles’ win could be the result.
Mike Norvell has his best coaching performance of the season
Norvell is on the hottest of all hot seats in college football these days. He’s fighting to save his job, and that type of motivation can inspire him to dig down deep and pull out an excellent game plan. His back being to the wall can be the fuel that helps FSU pull off an upset.
Florida State’s defense rises to the occasion
This unit has been hard to watch this season. However, they have talent on all three levels that can make things difficult for Miami’s high-powered offense, especially if they get off to a slow start. If they can consistently get stops to start the game, FSU’s defense could gain the confidence they need to put forth their best showing of the year.
Anything can happen in a rivalry game
The rivalry between Florida State and Miami is one of the best in the nation. Things like records and even talent go out the window when this game comes around, and that’s the perfect storm for FSU, which is clearly the inferior team. If Miami doesn’t play well, it’s extremely possible for Florida State to get a huge upset victory.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Five reasons FSU will beat Miami