Mike Norvell details harsh reality of coaching FSU amid playoff snub and ACC exit rumors: "Most challenging weeks of coaching that I've ever had"

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell finally met with the press after his team was snubbed from the College Football Playoff. The Seminoles remained undefeated this season and were crowned ACC champions after defeating Louisville. But because of a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Jordan Travis, their hopes of contending for the national title were shattered by the selection committee.

In the first press conference after the disappointing heartbreak, Norvell talked about how it has been difficult to cope with the situation in the past few days and called it the most challenging time in his coaching career. He spoke about how overcoming the mental barrier of being snubbed from the playoffs even after emerging as undefeated ACC conference champions is a tall task at hand:

"It's been challenging. With all the things and how the season ended, we got 12 hours to celebrate what was an unbelievable accomplishment for this team. And then you had to learn to work through disappointment, frustration, hurt, anger, every bit of it. 18 to 22-year-old kids and a 42-year-old, I think a 42-year-old coach.

"It's hard, but at the end of the day, you can control the things you can control. We did everything that we needed to do to win 13 games this season, now we get an opportunity to go get better. Can't just be good when it sounds good.

"But for a young group of men of having to work through that, it's probably the most challenging weeks of coaching I've ever had. It is our reality, so you work through it, go push it, and get better."

Mike Norvell and his team will now face the Georgia Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl. The Bulldogs were another team who were eliminated from the playoff contention after losing the SEC Conference championship game to Alabama. Despite the situation, Mike Norvell and Florida State still have a chance to prove themselves by defeating a team that won the last two national titles.

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Will Mike Norvells' Seminoles leave the ACC?

Following the snub, there have been rumors going around that the Seminoles are having extensive discussions about their future in the ACC. The conference's grant of rights means that the teams will have to stick together till 2036. However, if Florida State wants to leave early, they would have to pay a buyout fee of $120 million along with any additional legal fees.

2023 ACC Championship

At the moment, it is not certain that the Seminoles will be leaving the ACC in the coming days. But they are still looking at the options for the future.