Clemson fans are likely still celebrating the 36-24 win over Florida State, and understandably so. The Florida State faithful? Not so much. Even before kickoff, the displeasure with head coach Mike Norvell in Tallahassee was shown in a major way, with anonymous fans paying their hard-earned money to have a plane fly a banner with 'Fire Novell' on display.
Couldn't even get the guy's name right... or maybe keeping the letter off saved them an extra $100 or something. Who knows. What we do know is that it was a pretty embarrassing move by those involved, and Dabo Swinney also took serious issue with it.
Not long after the Tigers took care of business at Doak Campbell Stadium, Swinney showed just how angry he was with those FSU fans for taking their anger to this level. Shameful, embarrassing? It was that and more, per Dabo.
"That was embarrassing," Swinney said without hesitation. "Florida State’s better than that. That’s not good for these kids. They didn’t even spell his name right. It’s disrespectful. Mike Norvell is a good man. He ain’t gonna say it, but I’m gonna. Whoever did that, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Ain’t nobody trying to lose. This job is hard. I don’t know why we think because people make money you have the right to destroy people as humans."
A plane carrying a banner that says “Fire Norvell and Peter Collins” is currently flying around Doak pic.twitter.com/0GdMGlNlmK
— Warchant.com (@Warchant) October 31, 2026
What's Mike Norvell's buyout? Clemson might have FSU rethinking its stance
While it's easy to agree with what Swinney had to say, it doesn't take away from the fact that Florida State is in a low spot right now, and the loss to Clemson only makes this all even worse for the Noles. Norvell's buyout is around $51 million, which only complicates trying to get him to leave town, too.
Following the Week 9 defeat, Florida State is now 3-5 on the season, which is not where many people thought this team would be after eight games. This was supposed to be a year where a 180 was posted by Norvell and his players. Instead, more of the same disappointment is being showcased, and people are tired of it.
That's of course not a worry for the Tigers, who are now 5-3 on the year. Tait Reynolds is coming off his best game of the season, with his 79-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter still being talked about. Offensive coordinator Chad Morris was 'in his bag,' as the kids say, calling a fantastic game in the victory over FSU.
While Swinney has had plenty of Clemson supporters pretty ticked off with him too, the frustration hasn't reached the level it has on the FSU campus. Norvell is easily one of the most hated guys around right now. The negativity surrounding the program is at an all-time high.
The administration has strongly hinted that Norvell isn't going anywhere, but the brutal loss to Clemson could end up getting some people ready to change their minds. Norvell is doing nothing to help his team improve, with the Tigers showcasing just how valuable strong coaching can be in the Week 9 win for the good guys.
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