Getty Images
Ryan Fowler
August 18, 2024 3:00 pm ET
Florida State will begin the 2024 college football season at No. 10 in the AP Top 25 poll. With a new roster featuring stars like DJ Uiagalelei, Roydell Williams, and Marvin Jones, Jr., Norvell has spent the offseason revamping his squad in an effort to make the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff format.
So how does starting in the preseason AP Top 25 at No. 10 compare to the FSU teams of the past? In 2023, the Seminoles started at No. 8, while in 2022 the team began the season unranked. Since 2000, Florida State has seen only four head coaches and one interim coach, a number that is low compared to other programs with expectations like that in Tallahassee.
While No. 10 is a good start, Norvell and his team have higher aspirations for this season. Let’s look at where FSU has begun each season since 2000 in the AP poll.
2000 – No. 2
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 1 (Week 6)
Season Record: 11-2
Bowl Game Result: 13-2 Loss to Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship
Final AP Ranking: No. 5
2001 – No. 6
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 6 (Weeks 1-4)
Season Record: 8-4
Bowl Game Result: 30-17 Win over Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 15
2002 – No. 3
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 3 (Week 1)
Season Record: 9-5
Bowl Game Result: 26-13 Loss to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 21
2003 – No. 13
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 3 (Week 10)
Season Record: 10-3
Bowl Game Result: 16-14 Loss to Miami in the Orange Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 11
2004 – No. 5
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 4 (Week 1)
Season Record: 9-3
Bowl Game Result: 30-18 Win against West Virginia in the Gator Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 15
2005 – No. 14
USA TODAY Sports
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 4 (Weeks 5-6)
Season Record: 8-5
Bowl Game Result: 26-23 (3OT) Loss to Penn State in the Orange Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 23
2006 – No. 11
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 9 (Weeks 1-2)
Season Record: 2-6 (5 wins vacated)
Bowl Game Result: 44-27 Win against UCLA in the Emerald Bowl (vacated)
Final AP Ranking: Unranked
2007 – No. 19
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 19 (Preseason)
Season Record: 0-6 (7 wins vacated)
Bowl Game Result: 35-28 Loss to Kentucky in the Music City Bowl
Final AP Ranking: Unranked
2008 – Unranked
USA TODAY Sports
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 16 (Week 9)
Season Record: 9-4
Bowl Game Result: 42-13 Win against Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 21
2009 – No. 18
USA TODAY Sports
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 18 (Week 3)
Season Record: 7-6
Bowl Game Result: 33-21 Win against West Virginia in the Gator Bowl
Final AP Ranking: Unranked
2010 – No. 20
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 16 (Weeks 6-8)
Season Record: 10-4
Bowl Game Result: 26-17 Win against South Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 17
2011 – No. 6
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 5 (Weeks 1-2)
Season Record: 9-4
Bowl Game Result: 18-14 Win against Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 23
2012 – No. 7
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 3 (Week 5)
Season Record: 12-2
Bowl Game Result: 31-10 Win against Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 10
2013 – No. 11
Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 1 (Weeks 14-Final)
Season Record: 14-0
Bowl Game Result: 34-31 Win against Auburn in the BCS National Championship
Final AP Ranking: No. 1
2014 – No. 1
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 1 (Weeks 1-6, 12-13)
Season Record: 13-1
Bowl Game Result: 59-20 Loss to Oregon in the College Football Playoff Semifinal (Rose Bowl)
Final AP Ranking: No. 5
2015 – No. 10
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 9 (Weeks 2, 7, and 14)
Season Record: 10-3
Bowl Game Result: 38-24 Loss to Houston in the Peach Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 14
2016 – No. 4
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 2 (Week 2)
Season Record: 10-3
Bowl Game Result: 33-32 Win against Michigan in the Orange Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 8
2017 – No. 3
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 3 (Preseason)
Season Record: 7-6
Bowl Game Result: 42-13 Win against Southern Miss in the Independence Bowl
Final AP Ranking: Unranked
2018 – No. 19
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 19 (Preseason)
Season Record: 5-7
Bowl Game Result: N/A
Final AP Ranking: Unranked
2019 – Unranked
Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: N/A
Season Record: 6-7
Bowl Game Result: 20-14 Loss to Arizona State in the Sun Bowl
Final AP Ranking: N/A
2020 – Unranked
Getty Images
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: N/A
Season Record: 3-6
Bowl Game Result: N/A
Final AP Ranking: N/A
2021 – Unranked
Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: N/A
Season Record: 5-7
Bowl Game Result: N/A
Final AP Ranking: N/A
2022 – Unranked
Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 11 (Final Poll)
Season Record: 10-3
Bowl Game Result: 35-32 Win against Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 11
2023 – No. 8
Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 3 (Week 2)
Season Record: 13-1
Bowl Game Result: 63-3 Loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl
Final AP Ranking: No. 6
2024 – No. 10
Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
Highest Midseason AP Ranking: N/A
Season Record: N/A
Bowl Game Result: N/A
Final AP Ranking: N/A
