College football analyst Josh Pate recently offered a compelling comparison for what Alex Golesh should strive to achieve in his debut season leading the Auburn Tigers. According to Pate, Auburn’s path back to national relevance should mirror at least in spirit the breakout success of the 2023 Florida State Seminoles under head coach Mike Norvell.
That Florida State squad enjoyed a perfect 13–0 regular season, captured the ACC championship, and appeared destined for the College Football Playoff before being controversially left out of the final four-team field. Their season ended on a sour note with a lopsided 63–3 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl a game heavily impacted by key player opt-outs.
Still, Pate’s point wasn’t about copying Florida State’s exact formula. On his show, he emphasized that Auburn doesn’t need to rely on an aggressive transfer portal strategy or attempt to quickly assemble a short-term contender that could collapse just as fast. Instead, he argued that Golesh’s team needs a defining season one that clearly signals to the college football world that Auburn is “back,” much like Florida State did in 2023.
Norvell’s success that year was built in part through strategic transfer additions, including standout defensive end Jared Verse from UAlbany and quarterback Jordan Travis, who had transferred earlier in his career from Louisville. By his fifth season in Tallahassee, Norvell had already laid a foundation, coming off a nine-win campaign in 2022 before making the leap to an undefeated regular season.
However, the comparison between Auburn’s current situation and Florida State’s trajectory isn’t perfect. Auburn is still trying to recover from several disappointing seasons, and expecting a near-playoff miss right away might be overly ambitious though many Tigers fans would gladly accept that outcome given recent struggles.
A more realistic and perhaps more fitting model for Auburn to follow might be the 2022 TCU Horned Frogs. Under first-year head coach Sonny Dykes, TCU made a stunning run to the national championship game behind quarterback Max Duggan, who exceeded expectations despite not initially being projected as the starter. Like Florida State, TCU’s magical season ended decisively at the hands of Georgia, but their rapid rise set a strong example for programs seeking quick turnarounds.
Another recent case is the 2024 Indiana Hoosiers, led by head coach Curt Cignetti. While they didn’t secure a playoff victory, their undefeated run and conference success showcased how a strong cultural reset and disciplined leadership can transform a program in a short time. That kind of internal overhaul may be exactly what Auburn needs under Golesh.
Ultimately, the key takeaway is that Auburn shouldn’t aim to replicate Florida State’s exact blueprint especially since even a highly successful season like the Seminoles’ 2023 campaign left fans dissatisfied due to its controversial ending. Instead, Golesh’s mission is to craft a sustainable resurgence, one that announces Auburn’s return to prominence while building a foundation for long-term success rather than a fleeting breakthrough.
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