Greg McElroy: Florida State’s path to College Football Playoff is ‘within reason’

After Florida State went 2-10 last season, many college football fans aren’t considering the Seminoles a legitimate College Football Playoff threat in the 2025 campaign. However, ESPN’s Greg McElroy hasn’t given up on Florida State quite yet.

“As long as Florida State plays football, I still believe it is within reason that they can get back into the mix of the College Football Playoff conversation,” McElroy said. “Now, it’s going to look a little different. New quarterback coming in from Thomas Castellanos.

“But I want to tell Florida State fans this: If you watch what Thomas Castellanos did two years ago against Florida State while he was at Boston College, he almost single handedly won that game on the road in Chestnut Hill… It’s going to be a new looking unit, but you got to feel pretty confident about the improvements they’re likely going to make on the offensive side of the football.”

Castellanos tallied 305 passing yards, 95 rushing yards and two total touchdowns in Boston’s College 31-29 loss to Florida State in 2023. The Seminoles were excellent that year, posting a 12-0 regular-season record and winning the ACC Championship.

Although Castellanos couldn’t replicate this performance in 2024, McElroy clearly believes the transfer QB possesses plenty of promise. FSU surrounded Castellanos with as much talent as it could muster this offseason.

The team reeled in 23 transfers, including standout wide receivers such as Duce Robinson and Squirrel White. Florida State also hired Gus Malzahn this offseason after firing offensive coordinator Alex Atkins. Moreover, Florida State made a wave of changes of the defensive side of the ball.

“Defensively, new defensive coordinator, new scheme, new system, but they do have some pieces that you could absolutely build around,” McElroy said. “You look at kind of everything along Florida State, they’re poised for a massive bounce-back from the 2-10 season.”

Tony White will be FSU’s defensive coordinator this fall. He was the DC at Nebraska for the past two seasons and is expected to greatly improve the Seminoles’ defense, which allowed a whopping 385.9 yards per game last season. Florida State won’t have to wait long to see if its offseason changes pay off.

“Week 1 will tell us all we need to know about what Florida State might be able to accomplish,” McElroy said. “If they can go toe-to-toe in Tallahassee with Alabama, a team that I have great admiration for this season, that might be a sign of things to come for what could be a team that bounces back in a huge way. Goes from the outhouse back to the penthouse here in 2025.”

FSU and Alabama will square off at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 30. The game will air live on ABC.