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College football insider places Florida State firmly in ACC championship hunt

The Seminoles are looking to bounce back in a big way after a horrendous 2024 season.

Jackson Bakich

Oct 5, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell reacts before the game against the Clemson Tigers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images
Oct 5, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell reacts before the game against the Clemson Tigers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images
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Phil Steele has released his prediction for the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, and it appears he's higher than most on the Florida State Seminoles.

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The former ESPN Insider and producer of the famous college football season preview magazine has the 'Noles within the top five, with two rivals in front of them.

Here's Steele's full list:

1) Clemson, 2) SMU, 3) Miami, 4) Georgia Tech, 5) Florida State, 6) Louisville, 7) North Carolina, 8) Pittsburgh, 9) NC State, 10) Duke, 11) Virginia Tech, 12) Syracuse, 13) Virginia, 14) Boston College, 15) California, 16) Wake Forest, 17) Stanford.

Based on this prediction, FSU will face four teams in the top 10. Two of them will be at home (Miami and Pitt in back-to-back weeks) and two will be on the road (Clemson and NC State, two weeks apart near the end of the season).

The Garnet and Gold finished dead last in the ACC standings in 2024, going 1-7 in the league.

The Seminoles will need to improve mightily to have a shot at finishing fifth in the conference. In 2024, four teams (Syracuse, Louisville, Georgia Tech, and Duke, respectively, on tiebreakers) ended with 5-3 records in a tie for fourth place.

Florida State will likely have to finish in that 6-2, 5-3 realm in league play in order to meet Steele's prediction.

2025 Florida State Football Schedule:

Week 0: BYE week

Week 1: Saturday, August 30 at 3:30 p.m. - vs. Alabama (home-opener)

Week 2: Saturday, September 6 at 12:00 p.m. - vs. East Texas A&M

Week 3: BYE week

Week 4: Saturday, September 20 - vs. Kent State (family weekend)

Week 5: Friday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m. - at Virginia

Week 6: Saturday, October 4 - vs. Miami

Week 7: Saturday, October 11 - vs. Pitt (cancer awareness)

Week 8: Saturday, October 18 at 10:30 p.m. - at Stanford

Week 9: BYE week

Week 10: Saturday, November 1 - vs. Wake Forest (homecoming and Seminole heritage)

Week 11: Saturday, November 8 - at Clemson

Week 12: Saturday, November 15 - vs. Virginia Tech (military appreciation and Senior Day)

Week 13: Friday, November 21 at 8:00 p.m. - at North Carolina State

Week 14: Saturday, November 29 - at Florida (regular-season finale)

READ MORE: Cornerback prospect shuts down recruitment, sticks with Florida State

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Jackson Bakich
JACKSON BAKICH

Born in Orlando but raised in Lake County, Florida, Jackson Bakich is currently a senior at Florida State University. Growing up in the Sunshine State, Bakich co-hosted the political talk radio show "Lake County Roundtable" (WLBE) and was a frequent guest for "Lake County Sports Show" (WQBQ). Currently, he is the Sports Editor of the FSView and host of "Tomahawk Talk" (WVFS), a sports talk radio program covering Florida State athletics in Tallahassee.

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