Florida State's coaching search loses a name as Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz rules himself out

One of the first names linked to the Florida State opening is out. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz opened his Tuesday news conference by saying he will not be replacing Mike Norvell. "I'm not a candidate at Florida State," Drinkwitz said, according to ESPN. He added that he wanted to clear away distractions before Missouri plays No. 10 Texas.

The statement shortens a list that formed quickly after Florida State fired Norvell on Sunday. CBS Sports had put Drinkwitz on its first list of candidates, along with Duke's Manny Diaz and Wake Forest's Jake Drickert. CBS also noted that Drinkwitz signed an extension last November that runs through 2031 and pays him more than $10.7 million a year on average. That makes him the 11th-highest-paid coach in the sport, which leaves very few programs that could offer him a raise. He is 52-31 in seven seasons at Missouri and 35-12 over the last four, and the Tigers are 6-2 and ranked 19th.

Drinkwitz's denial does not change much about Florida State's situation, but it does close off one path for the search. Athletic director-level ambition for a quick, splashy hire now has to look past a coach many saw as a natural fit. In a radio interview Monday, Drinkwitz also pushed back on the lists themselves. ESPN reported he called them a knock on Missouri, since they suggest the other job is better than his.

The Seminoles also took a hit on the field this week. Wide receiver Duce Robinson is out for the season with a torn ACL he suffered in the Clemson loss, On3 reported. Robinson leads the team in receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns, with 24 catches for 438 yards and four scores. Micahi Danzy and Jayvan Boggs are the next most productive pass catchers for quarterback Ashton Daniels.

What it means for Boston College

Florida State is 3-5 and has lost three straight: 44-20 at Louisville, 43-35 at No. 3 Miami and 36-24 at home to Clemson. Scoring has not been the main problem. The Seminoles average about 30.6 points a game, but they have allowed 41 per game during the losing streak. All three of their wins came against Virginia, Central Arkansas and New Mexico State, and none was close. Saturday's game at Boston College (ACC Network) is their first since the coaching change, and they will be playing without their top receiver.

The markets still have Florida State favored. Across the 12 venues on this site's board, the Seminoles are 6.5-point favorites, priced at -106 on Novig. On the moneyline, Novig has Florida State at -233 and Boston College at +217. The best Boston College price anywhere is +225 at theScore Bet, so the venues are close together. The total is 51.5 on Novig, with both sides at -102. BetMGM has the lowest number at 50.5, with the over priced at -118. Sportsbook hold runs from 3.5% to 5.8% on the moneyline and up to 6.7% on the spread and total.

The numbers raise a basic question: should a team that has just fired its coach, lost its best receiver and given up 40-plus points twice in three weeks be laying nearly a touchdown on the road? The markets say yes, for now.