It’s kickoff time… virtually.
EA Sports released the early access to College Football 26 on July 7, with the full game released on July 10. With the new game comes a first look at new rosters, coaches and uniforms, including Florida State football.
While the Seminoles’ 2024 season didn’t live up to expectations, the 2025 season provides a fresh slate for head coach Mike Norvell and his new coaching staff. Norvell and defensive coordinator Tony White are both in the game, while offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn elected not to participate.
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With the game released and college football almost a month away, we thought we’d have some fun and simulate the Seminoles’ 2025 season, starting with week one against Alabama.
Here’s how it went.
For this story, we used College Football 26’s dynasty mode.
Week 1 vs. Alabama
EA pulled no punches in week one as the Seminoles’ first game in the newly renovated Doak Campbell Stadium ended with an upset win for FSU.
Quarterback Thomas Castellanos threw for 263 yards and a touchdown in his debut. Importantly, the rushing game won FSU the game with 201 rushing yards, something that was only possible in a video game in the 2024 season.
Final score: FSU 40, Alabama 32
Week 2 vs. East Texas A&M
East Texas A&M isn’t in the game, but the created FCS Midwest team was the Seminoles’ week two opponent, and they took care of business, starting the year 2-0.
Final score: FSU 45, East Texas A&M (FCS Midwest) 24
Week 4 vs. Kent State
After a bye week, a third straight win means the virtual 2025 Seminoles eclipsed the 2024 teams’ win total in the first three games of the year.
Final score: FSU 27, Kent State 21
Week 5 at Virginia
The first conference game of the season, and the Seminoles start ACC play 1-0 with a road win over Virginia.
Castellanos throws for 319 yards and a touchdown, with Gavin Blackwell recording 94 yards on six catches and Lawayne McCoy 89 yards and a touchdown on five catches.
Final score: FSU 30, Virginia 13
Week 6 vs. Miami
A rivalry showdown at home is the first slip-up of the season for the Seminoles, who lose a close one to Miami.
Carson Beck comes to Tallahassee and throws for 343 yards and three touchdowns to give the Hurricanes a second straight win over FSU in two seasons.
Final score: Miami 40, FSU 32
Week 7 vs. Pittsburgh
Back-to-back home losses take the wind out of FSU’s sails as the Seminoles get upset against Pitt.
FSU starts conference play 1-2.
Final score: Pittsburgh 38, FSU 31
Week 8 at Stanford
The longest road trip of the season, the Seminoles two game losing skid ends in Palo Alto with a win over Stanford.
Scoring 40 points for the third time in the virtual season, the Seminoles’ offense is a far cry from the 2024 iteration. One wonders if the real-world Seminoles can do the same.
Final score: FSU 42, Stanford 17
Week 10 vs. Wake Forest
The Seminoles start the final month of the season with a crucial ACC win over Wake Forest.
Final score: FSU 35, Wake Forest 14
Week 11 at Clemson
A date with Clemson in Death Valley ends in defeat for the Seminoles, who fall to 3-3 in ACC play and out of conference title game contention.
Cade Klubnik exploded for 370 yards and four touchdowns against the FSU defense, while Castellanos threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns.
Final score: Clemson 35, FSU 24
Week 12 vs. Virginia Tech
After a crushing loss to Clemson, the Seminoles bounced back with a senior day win over Virginia Tech.
Final score: FSU 44, Virginia Tech 20
Week 13 at NC State
Kicking off the final two games of the season on the road, the Seminoles drop a tight one to NC State.
With the loss, the team ends the season 4-4 in ACC play and sits at 8-4 ahead of the regular season finale vs. Florida.
Final score: NC State 31, FSU 25
Week 14 at Florida
On the road in the Swamp, FSU ends the season with a rivalry win over the Gators.
Sitting at 2-2 in November, entering the game, the Seminoles end the month with a positive record. Roydell Williams explodes for 164 yards and two touchdowns in the game, something that FSU fans would surely be happy to see.
Final score: FSU 28, Florida 25
Bowl game: Gasparilla Bowl vs. Kentucky
The Seminoles finished sixth in the conference, so there was no conference title for Norvell’s Seminoles, only a date with Kentucky in the Gasparilla Bowl.
It wasn’t a close game as EA gave FSU a 35-10 win over the Wildcats to claim a first bowl win since the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl. Castellanos capped off his Seminole career with a 392-yard and three-touchdown performance.
Final score: FSU 35, Kentucky 10
Final record: 9-4
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: We simulated FSU football’s season in EA Sports College Football 26. Here’s how it went
Reporting by Liam Rooney, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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