Predictions Week 5

It's thursday, that means one thing..... prediction time! Last week I went 6-2 predicting the ACC games. So let's see if my luck can continue in week 5.

Notre Dame 21 Boston College 17
Miami 27 Clemson 21
Florida State 31 Virginia 17
Maryland 20 Duke 14
NC State 21 Virginia Tech 27
Georgia Tech 31 Wake Forest 10
North Carolina 35 East Carolina 27

Jefferson-Eppes Trophy

Did you know that Florida State and Virginia actually have a "rivalry" in football? Well, FSU has won 13 of the 15 matchups with Virginia, so call it what you want, but these two teams do play for a trophy. Each time the Seminoles and the Cavaliers compete against each other in football, the winner of the game brings back the Jefferson-Eppes trophy to campus and keeps it there until the next meeting. These two teams used to meet each year from 1992 until 2006, but with the expansion of the ACC and the creation of two- six team divisions, Florida State and Virginia no longer meet each year. Add the lack of a consistant matchup to the lack of Virginia wins and this game isn't considered much of a rivalry.

So how did the Jefferson-Eppes trophy get it's name?

Former U.S president Thomas Jefferson is the founder of the University of VIrginia. His grandson, Francis Eppes, is one of the main reasons why FSU is located in Tallahassee. He was also mayor of Tallahassee in the mid-1800's. A statue of Eppes is located near Westcott fountain on the campus of Florida State. The Jefferson-Eppes trophy is named after these two gentleman and their influence on these two universities.

Source: Jefferson-Eppes trophy

FSU Attendance Woes

Andrew Carter of the Orlando Sentinel wrote an excellent article on the recent attendance struggles at Doak.

A few highlights from the article:

• Attendance for Wake Forest game: 61,647
• That's the smallest crowd at Doak since 1992 (Stadium capacity was only 70,123)
• On Saturday, Doak was only 74.9% filled,
• That's the lowest percentage since 1976 (Bowden's first season)

Here's the link: Florida State attendance woes: A closer look

(Andrew Carter

Orlando Sentinel)



ACC Divisional Standings and Matchups

Atlantic Division                                Coastal Division

FSU: 1-0                                       Virginia Tech: 1-0
NC State: 1-0                                Georgia Tech: 1-1
Wake Forest: 1-1                           Miami: 0-0
Clemson: 0-0                                 Virginia: 0-0
Maryland: 0-0                                North Carolina: 0-0
Boston College: 0-1                        Duke: 0-0

Week 5 ACC games:

Miami @ Clemson
FSU @ Virginia
VT @ NC State
Duke @ Maryland
GT @ Wake Forest

Standings

Good reasoning behind the future of Jimbo's scheduling tactics

This season is a perfect example of how Jimbo's scheduling tactics will benefit FSU much more than those harsh schedules that Bowden agreed to. If FSU had scheduled a cupcake opponent for a home game in week 2 instead of Oklahoma, FSU would be 4-0 right now.  FSU was ranked 17th heading into the Oklahoma game. An easy victory in week 2 to a cupcake team, along with victories against BYU and Wake Forest, would put the Seminoles ranked near the top 10. There would be no storylines in the news discussing FSU's blowout loss to Oklahoma.

Instead, FSU would currently be the highest ranked ACC team and they'd be closing in on UF in the rankings for the first time in quite a few years. Jimbo Fisher plans on replacing tough non-conference games, like the one at Oklahoma, with much easier games that'll be played at home. Not only will it add victories to FSU's record, but it will also add an extra home game that'll boost the total attendance for the year. It's a win-win situation for the Seminoles.

It's also mandatory in the BCS-era  to schedule lightly if you want to compete with teams like UF. The Gators schedule teams like Appalachian State, FIU, and Miami (Ohio) each year but still manage to reach the national championship.. BCS teams don't get punished enough for scheduling cupcake teams, so why should FSU play teams like Oklahoma and USF? We already play UF every season, so why add any more difficulty to the schedule? Thank you Jimbo Fisher for realizing one of the flaws in the current BCS system. Say goodbye to marquee matchups and hello to a few more victories.

Seminoles fall short in top 25 polls

Despite a blowout win over Wake Forest this weekend, FSU remains out of AP top 25 poll and the Coaches' poll for the second straight week. The 'Noles are 27th in the AP poll and 26th in the Coaches' poll. Miami (16th) and N.C State (23rd) are the only two ACC teams ranked in the AP top 25 this week.

Source: AP top 25 poll

Noles dominate the Demon Deacons 31-0

Inside Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, the Seminoles won easily over Wake Forest with a final score of 31-0. The FSU offense struggled early with a fumble on the first possession and scored only 10 points in the first half. However, Ponder and the rest of the offense got on track and managed to rack up 485 total yards, including 284 on the ground.

The defense stole the show and managed to record a shutout for the first time in 2 years. The defense for Florida State recorded 6 sacks and allowed only 185 total yards. After struggling against Oklahoma in week 2, this Seminole's defense has looked much improved from last season. The team now hits the road for away games at Virginia and at Miami. The next home game will be October 16th versus Boston College.

Source: Wake Forest-FSU recap

FSU-Wake Forest photos

All photos were taken by Chris Alford.