The Florida State Seminoles are just over a month away from welcoming the New Mexico State Aggies to Doak Campbell Stadium for their first game of the 2026 season. It is a critical year for FSU, which has gone 7-17 over the past two seasons, falling well short of its standards.
Head coach Mike Norvell is back, but enters the season on the hot seat and will be looking to cool it off with a strong start. He will have a chance to pick up two quality wins early, with FSU playing the SMU Mustangs and Alabama Crimson Tide in the first three weeks of the season.
The Seminoles are set to play one of the toughest schedules in the ACC, giving them a chance to make a statement or suffer another tough season. Here are ESPN’s initial predictions for FSU’s 2026 season. ESPN runs 20,000 simulations for each game, and the chances are updated after each week.
Aug. 29: vs New Mexico State Aggies
Sept. 7: vs SMU Mustangs
Sept. 19: at Alabama Crimson Tide
Sept. 26: vs Central Arkansas Bears
Oct. 3: vs Virginia Cavaliers
Oct. 9: at Louisville Cardinals
Oct. 17: at Miami Hurricanes
Oct. 31: vs Clemson Tigers
Nov. 7: at Boston College Eagles
Nov. 13: at Pittsburgh Panthers
Nov. 21: vs NC State Wolfpack
Nov. 27: vs Florida Gators
Follow us @FSUWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida State news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: ESPN predicts FSU football’s 2026 season
Reporting by JD McCarthy, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By JD McCarthy, FSU Wire | USA TODAY Network
