AP Photo/Phil Sears

FSU’s 2021 Schedule Opens (and Closes) With a Bang

The Florida State Seminoles are still in their "rebuilding" phase.

Head coach Mike Norvell has been tasked with bringing glory back to Tallahassee, and his tenure got off to an inauspicious start with a 3-6 record in 2020.

The 'Noles will need a lot to go right in 2021 to look like a competitive program once again. This regular-season schedule is on the tougher side, but that doesn't mean FSU can't string together wins and reach a bowl game.

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FSU's season starts with a bang when the Seminoles take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Irish, of course, just reached the College Football Playoff, but it will be a home game at Doak Campbell Stadium.

After a date with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, ACC play ramps up in Week 3 against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. One of the more enticing matchups of the season comes two weeks later, when the 'Noles travel to Chapel Hill to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels.

There are winnable home games sprinkled in as well, particularly against the Louisville Cardinals and Syracuse Orange. However, following a tilt with the UMass Minutemen, the FSU schedule really kicks it up a notch.

To close out the 2021 campaign, the 'Noles will play the Clemson Tigers, North Carolina State Wolfpack, Miami Hurricanes, Boston College Eagles, and Florida Gators.

There are seven home games in this slate, but the road matchups are certainly tough. Traveling to Alumni Stadium and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in back-to-back weeks won't be easy, but if Norvell feels like his team can contend, this shouldn't scare them too much.

Parsing through college football schedules is a great way to hold oneself over until August. Football season is getting closer and closer.

The 'Noles may have some difficulties with the conference games this year, but with new quarterbacks in tow, they could look better than pundits are expecting.

Florida State Football Schedule 2021

Sept. 5: NOTRE DAME

Sept. 11: JACKSONVILLE STATE

Sept. 18: at Wake Forest* (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

Sept. 25: LOUISVILLE*

Oct. 2: SYRACUSE* (Family Weekend)

Oct. 9: at North Carolina* (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)

Oct. 23: UMASS

Oct. 30: at Clemson* (Clemson, South Carolina)

Nov. 6: NC STATE*

Nov. 13: MIAMI*

Nov. 20: at Boston College* (Chestnut Hill, MA)

Nov. 27: at Florida (Gainesville, Florida)

* —- Denotes ACC game
ALL CAPS —- denotes home football games at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.

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