Memphis' Ryan Silverfield focused on bigger picture as showdown with Mike Norvell, Florida State awaits

Memphis (2-0) coach Ryan Silverfield made one thing clear: His team's Week 3 road trip to Florida State (0-2) isn't about Ryan Silverfield vs. Mike Norvell. This might be the first time that the two former co-workers have faced off as head coaches, but it isn't some Hollywood flick where the protégé becomes a master by getting the best of his former mentor.

Silverfield maintains a great relationship with Norvell, who hired him to guide the offensive line on his inaugural staff at Memphis in 2016. By doing so, Silverfield was provided his first on-field assistant coaching role at the FBS level.

It was Silverfield that was hand-picked as Norvell's successor when Norvell left for Florida State in 2019, inheriting a Memphis program in the midst of its golden era as a 39-year-old, first-time head coach. No matter what past the two might share -- one that stretches even further back than Memphis to Arizona State in 2015 where then-Sun Devils offensive coordinator Norvell identified Silverfield as an offensive assistant -- Silverfield referred to the Tigers' game at Doak Campbell Stadium as a "business trip."

"Mike and I worked literally a foot away from each other for four straight years," Silverfield told CBS Sports. "We know everything about one another. But this is about Memphis vs. FSU and the opportunity to go out there and win the next game."

Though Norvell, who won 38 games in four years with the Tigers, took Memphis to heights previously unseen, Silverfield has an opportunity to push the envelope even further. Memphis is being mentioned in the same breath as other Group of Five College Football Playoff contenders, all vying for one of five conference champion auto-bids in the 12-team format.

The Tigers already jumped an immense nonconference hurdle by beating Troy -- a team that won 23 games and consecutive Sun Belt Conference championships over the past two seasons 38-17. Florida State's a different stage, though.

The Seminoles may be off to a rough start in 2024 following an even rougher finish to the 2023 season, but this is still a program that draws eyes -- and the attention of the selection committee.

"I don't hide the fact that they were the preseason No. 10 team in the country," Silverfield said. "They are loaded with talent. They are one of the blue bloods of college football. We're going on the road, so it's going to be a significant challenge."

Beating Florida State would add a Power Four team to Memphis' resumé, a requisite for playoff consideration. Cincinnati used wins against Indiana and Notre Dame in 2021 to become the first -- and only -- Group of Five team to make the four-team College Football Playoff.

Just last week, Northern Illinois marched into South Bend, Indiana, and stunned No. 5 Notre Dame with a 16-14 upset. Overnight, the Huskies surged from relative unknown on the national scale to No. 25 in the AP poll. That currently makes them leader in the clubhouse for the Group of Five's playoff spot.

Florida State is Memphis' true breakout opportunity. The Seminoles are down after an 0-2 start -- both losses to ACC opponents -- that saw them plummet out of the rankings and maybe even their own conference race. Even so, a win against Florida State still resonates.

The Tigers have come achingly close to a regular season statement win in recent years. Last year, they took a Missouri team that eventually won 11 games and beat Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl to the wire in St. Louis before losing 34-27. Silverfield's Tigers did beat Mississippi State at home in 2021 before losing three straight games, and the Bulldogs got their win back in Starkville in 2022.

Memphis hasn't won a true road game against a power conference opponent since 2015, when it walked into Lawrence, Kansas , and beat the imminently beatable (at least pre-Lance Leipold) Jayhawks. Not that any of this diminishes Silverfield's faith in his team.

"They've got confidence," Silverfield said. "It's not like we're going in saying, 'Oh my gosh, we're playing the mighty Seminoles.' No, we're going out and playing our next opponent. We're going to have to deal with crowd noise, we're going to have to deal with a grass surface, something that we don't play on at our home games. A variety of different things versus a very, very talented team."

Beating the 'Noles won't be easy, no matter what the past few weeks might indicate. They boast an experienced quarterback in DJ Uiagalelei and two preseason All-ACC selections on the offensive line. Silverfield said some NFL scouts and general managers told him that Florida State "by far" has the most talented defensive line in college football.

Get past Florida State and a favorable schedule awaits. The Tigers only have to play three teams in their last nine games that finished with a winning record in 2023. Going undefeated in the American Athletic Conference could put them one win away from the playoffs.

Whether or not they beat the Seminoles could make the difference when comparing records with the myriad of other Group of Five teams all trying to make the cut.

"Is it big? Yes, simply because of the nature of their program and what they're capable of," Silverfield said. "They've got a ton of talent. We have to go out there and be better than them. On any given Saturday, if we play like we're capable of, we'll give ourselves a chance."