ACC Bowl Predictions

Bowl season is quickly approaching so it's time for me to make my predictions for each of the ACC bowl games. My record, including the ACC Championship game is current;y 49-18.

Bowl games are in order by date played:

Independence Bowl: Air Force 31 Georgia Tech 27
Champs Sports Bowl: West Virginia 28 NC State 27
Military Bowl: E. Carolina 17 Maryland 24
Music City Bowl: North Carolina 27 Tennessee 21
Meineke Car Care Bowl: South Florida 10 Clemson 20
Sun Bowl: Notre Dame 24 Miami 21
Chick-Fil-A Bowl: South Carolina 31 Florida State 34
Orange Bowl: Stanford 31 Virginia Tech 28
Fight Hunger Bowl: Nevada 24 Boston College 17

FSU News and Notes

It's winter break in Tallahassee but there are still a few headlines this week.

• Will Muschamp was hired to replace Urban Meyer as Florida's head coach. Muschamp served as the Texas Longhorn's defensive coordinator and has no head coaching experience.
• Cam Newton won the Heisman Trophy easily despite his off-field issues.
• Florida State men's basketball team begins the 2010-2011 ACC season tonight as they host the Clemson Tigers at 6:15.
• Former FSU kicker Graham Gano struggles against the Tampa Bay Bucs, missing two field goals in the Redskin loss.

Florida State draws South Carolina in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl

Although the Seminoles would have wished to go to the Orange Bowl as ACC Champs, an invite to the Chik-Fil-A Bowl on New Years' Eve isn't a bad draw either. The bowl game in Atlanta is the #2 bowl game in the ACC, meaning they had second choice of an ACC representative following the Orange Bowl. With its selection, the Chik-Fil-A committee chose ACC runner-up Florida State to represent the Atlantic Coast Conference. In addition to its ACC representative, the bowl features a matchup with an SEC program. With the 5th choice in the SEC, the Chik-Fil-A committee picked SEC runner-up South Carolina to represent the South Eastern Conference.

Former Florida Gator head coach Steve Spurrier will be making his first appearance against Florida State since his days in Gainesville. He leads the 20th ranked Gamecocks into Atlanta to face the 23rd ranked Seminoles led by first-year coach Jimbo Fisher. Both teams enter the game with a 9-4 overall record this season. Expect a high scoring game in this matchup of two great offenses.

'Noles Fall Short in ACC Championship Game

The weather in Charlotte, North Carolina was anything but spectacular with temperatures below freezing and a mix of rain and snow. The Florida State's defense wasn't much better. Actually, neither team's defense played fabulous, the Hokies just seemed to make more big plays when needed. Christian Ponder was sidelined in his only ACC Championship Game appearance in his career due to an elbow injury that has existed the entire second half of the season. Instead, E.J Manuel made is sixth start of his young career and played a pretty decent game. Manuel threw for 288 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. The Florida State rushing game managed to gain only 53 rushing yards in comparrison to the 179 rushing yards put up by the Virginia Tech offense.

In front of over 72,000 fans, the Hokie offense was just too strong for the Florida State defense as they managed to score 44 points and defeat the Seminoles 44-33. The Hokies started the season 0-2 after suffering losses to Boise State and FCS opponent James Madison. However, after a streak of 10 wins, Virginia Tech managed to finish the season with a 10-2 record. That record improved Saturday night when the Hokies picked up their 11th victory this season and were crowned Atlantic Coast Conference Champions.

Virginia Tech will Stanford in the Orange Bowl on January 3rd, whereas the Seminoles will play in Atlanta on December 31st at the Chik-Fil-A Bowl against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Stay tuned for a preview of that game along with predictions for all the ACC bowl games this season.

ACC Predictions

With the regular season now over with, it's time to make some post season predictions. Last week I went a poor 5-4. However, that was kind of expected given that it was rivalry week and anyting could happen. I finished 49-17 in the regular season giving me a 74.2% win percentage. To put that into perspective, Heather Dinich is the ACC blog writer for ESPN and she finished with a 69% this season. Here's my ACC Championship Game prediction:

Florida State 27 Virginia Tech 24

The bowl game matchups will be finalized on Sunday so make sure you stay tuned for my bowl season predicitons next week.

FSU-UF Photos

Florida State Basketball Suffers Back-to-Back Defeats

The Florida State men's basketball team started the 2010-2011 season with a 5-0 record, however, none of their opponents were from 'BCS' conferences. That all changed this week when the 'Noles had #18 University of Florida and #2 Ohio State come to Tallahassee. The Seminoles rallied in the 2nd half of each game, and made it a close game versus the Gators, but fell short in both games. The Seminoles are now 5-2 and will have one more warm-up game against Hartford this weekend before it opens ACC play against Clemson on the 12th of December.

Maryland helps out Florida State

As if a victory over the Florida Gators isn't enough, Maryland provided a helping hand in their victory over NC State approximately 30 minutes after the FSU game. That means the Seminoles finish in sole first place in the Atlantic Division and will trave to North Carolina to play VIrginia Tech in the ACC Championship game.

Final ACC Atlantic Division Standings

Florida State    6-2
NC State         5-3
Maryland         5-3
Boston College 4-4
Clemson           4-4
Wake Forest    1-7

FSU dominates the Florida Gators

For the first time in six years, the Florida State Seminoles have defeated the Florida Gators. It is the first time since 1999 that the 'Noles have defeated both the Gators and the Hurricanes in the same season. It was a huge 31-7 victory in a game that was controlled by FSU since the ending of the first quarter. The Gators jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but unfortunately for UF fans, those were the only points the Gators scored all game.

Turnover after turnover, the Gators kept handing the ball back to Florida State and the Seminoles took advantage of the opportunities all game long. Leading 31-7 in the 4th quarter, FSU was able to give Ponder a rest a give E.J Manuel a chance to close out the game.

Despite being only slight favorites and having dropped the last 6 games in the rivalry, the Seminoles clearly looked like the better program on Saturday. In front of approximately 100 high school recruits and 82,324 fans on senior day, the Seminoles played their most complete game since their 45-17 victory in Miami on October 9th.

In Jimbo's first season ever as head coach, he finishes with a 9-3 overall record and 6-2 ACC record. The future looks bright for this Florida State program.

Rivalry Week

It's the greatest week of the college football season, rivalry week. Huge games take place all around the nation this week with bragging rights on the line. Records are thrown out the window and predictions are difficult to make. When rival teams meet, nothing is guaranteed, except an intense 60-minutes of football. Some of the best rivalry games played in the final week this season include Auburn-Alabama, South Carolina-Clemson, Florida-Florida State, Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, Michigan-Ohio State and Notre Dame-USC. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers this weekend as rivalry week 2010 kicks off.

Rivalry fact: The last time Florida State has defeated both Miami AND Florida in the same season was 1999. It was the same year as FSU's last national championship.

ACC Predictions Week 13

Happy late Thanksgiving folks. The blog has been slow due to the holiday but this is Florida week and rivalry week so here are my predictions for the final week of the season:
Last Week's record: 5-1
Season record: 44-13 (77% correct)

Syracuse 13 Boston College 10
South Carolina 27 Clemson 24
Florida 24 Florida State 27
NC State 28 Maryland 24
Vanderbilt 21 Wake Forest 13
UNC 28 Duke 14
Georgia 31 Georgia Tech 27
Miami 27 USF 17
Virginia Tech 28 Virginia 13

ACC Predictions Week 12

Due to there being no ACC games on Thursday this week, I decided to wait as long as possible before making my picks for this week. Last week I went 5-1, picked GT to upset Miami but that didn't happen, so I am now 39-12 for the season. This week in the ACC all 12 teams play an ACC opponent meaning there are once again 6 games to pick. However, this week and next week are likely the two tougest weeks to pick games due to all the good match-ups. Here we go:

Boston College 17 Virginia 10
Florida State 27 Maryland 21
NC State 24 North Carolina 27
Clemson 24 Wake Forest 6
Miami 28 Virginia Tech 31
Duke 17 Georgia Tech 24

Gameday: #25 FSU @ Maryland

It's the final game of the ACC regular season for the Seminoles as they travel to Maryland to take on the Terps. As mentioned in earlier posts, this is a must-win game for the 'Noles if they want to have any hope of reaching the ACC title game. The NC State-North Carolina game kicksoff at noon so the 'Noles will know the results of that game prior to the 8pm kickoff in Maryland. The Seminoles are pulling for a Tar Heel win tomorrow afternoon.

Christian Ponder has been practicing all week and he is expected to start at QB. However, E.J Manuel will be available if needed. It's a late November night game in Maryland so the temperature will be pretty chilly so it'll be key for FSU to start off to a quick start unlike last week. Another key to the game would be to control time of possession. The 'Noles struggled greatly against Clemson with time of possession and it almost cost them. So getting an early lead and controlling the ball are my two keys to victory.

Don't overlook Maryland. They are a program that FSU has had much success against over the years but this Maryland team is much improved from last year's team, as seen by their 4-2 conference record. Many people credit Maryland's easy schedule for their good record but that shouldn't prevent the Terps to put up a great match against the Seminoles. There's no doubt that the 'Noles must be 100% focused on this game and not looking ahead to next week's rivalry game against the Gators.

News and Notes

• Chris Singleton had the 3rd triple-double in FSU basketball history on Sunday night in a win against UNC-Greensboro. FSU is now 2-0.
• The men's team returns to Tallahassee Tuesday night to host Gardner-Webb.
• Christian Ponder is expected to start on Saturday against Maryland, according to his interview on Seminoles.com
• Ponder had enough fluid drained from his elbow last week to fill a 16 oz. soda bottle, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
• The FSU-Florida game on November 27th will either kickoff at 3:30 or 7pm, ESPN and the ACC announced today. The official time will be announced on Sunday.
• In addition to a World Series ring, Florida State grad Buster Posey won the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year award.

FSU-Clemson Photos

All photos were taken by Chris Alford

Updated ACC Atlantic Division standings

As we enter the final two weeks of the regular season, three teams remain in the Atlantic Division race. N.C State and Maryland are both 4-2 and Florida State is 5-2 in the conference. N.C State plays at North Carolina this week while Maryland and Florida State face-off head-to-head. Then, in the final week of the season, Maryland will then play N.C State. Florida State still has a slight advantage in the race as they already have 5 wins. However, the Seminoles are the only team that doesn't control its own destiny. If Maryland or N.C State wins-out, they will represent the Atlantic Division in the championship. Here are the scenarios for Florida State to win the division:

• First, Florida State MUST defeat Maryland this weekend. Otherwise, the 'Noles will be eliminated.
• Second, N.C State MUST lose to EITHER North Carolina OR Maryland.

A Florida State victory paired with an N.C State defeat is required for the 'Noles to participate in the 2010 ACC Championship game.

Florida State returns to the BCS standings

After dropping out of the rankings last week following the loss against North Carolina, the Seminoles climb back into the rankings at the #25 spot. Here is a complete look at the rankings courtesy of espn.com:

1. Oregon
2. Auburn
3. TCU
4. Boise ST.
5. LSU
 6. Stanford
 7. Wisconsin
 8. Nebraska
 9. Ohio State
10. Oklahoma St
11. Alabama
12. Michigan St
13. Arkansas
14. Oklahoma
15. Missouri
16. Virginia Tech
17. South Carolina
18. Nevada
19. Texas A&M
20. Iowa
21. Miss ST.
22. Arizona
23. Utah
24. Miami
25. Florida State

Redempion for Dustin Hopkins

It's amazing how sweet redemption can be. Especially if you're Dustin Hopkins. Exactly one week after he took majority of the blame for the loss against North Carolina, Dustin Hopkins became the hero against Clemson. As time expired in the 4th quarter, Hopkins drilled a game winning 55-yard field goal that could have been good from another 10 yards away.

Hopkins setting up for the game winning kick. Photo by Chris Alford

In a game which Christian Ponder was sidelined due to his elbow injury, E.J Manuel and the FSU offense got off to a slow start and were held to just 3 points in the first half. Clemson entered the game as one of the top defenses in the conference and they certainly lived up to that. The Tigers led 10-3 after a low scoring first half.

However, the Seminole's offense showed a little more life in the second half of the game. E.J Manuel was pretty successful running the option throughout the game and it eventually led to the first FSU touchdown of the game in the 4th quarter. The 'Noles took a 13-10 lead but with just under a minute left in the ballgame, Clemson hit a fieldgoal to tie it up at 13-13.

Put into a similar situation as last weekend, the Seminoles had less than a minute to make a game-winning score. The only difference this time was that the game was all tied up. This proved to be helpful for Hopkins as it took off some of the pressure. With just 3 seconds remaining in the game, Hopkins lined up for a career long 55-yard field goal attempt. The kick was accurate and certainly far enough to give the Seminoles a huge win against division rival Clemson. The team stormed the field following the game in celebration. It was sweet redemption for sophomore kicker Dustin Hopkins.

ACC predictions week 11

Last week I went 4-2 in my predictions. The season record is now 34-11. Let's see if I can pick up the pace this week. Here are my picks:

Boston College 21 Duke 17
Clemson 24 FSU 27
Maryland 21 Virginia 14
NC State 31 Wake Forest 10
Georgia Tech 27 Miami 24
Virginia Tech 24 North Carolina 21

'Noles Catch Break as N.C State Loses to Clemson

Despite Florida State being defeated by North Carolina, the Seminoles still sit a half-game ahead of the Wolfpack and the Terps in the Atlantic Division. Maryland and NC State both lost over the weeken giving each of them 2 losses in the ACC as well. Here is the updated look at the ACC Atlantic Division Standings:

FSU                   4-2
N.C State           3-2
Maryland            3-2
Clemson            3-3
Boston College  2-4
Wake Forest      1-5

Remember, N.C State holds the tie-breaker over Florida State so the Seminoles must continue to hope for another N.C State loss. The 'Noles can eliminate Clemson and Maryland with wins over each of them in the next two weeks.

Florida State-North Carolina photos

 

Photos Taken By Chris Alford

North Carolina upsets FSU in a heartbreaker

For the second time in two games, the Florida State Seminoles are defeated in heartbreak fashion. While the offense played slightly above average, it was the defense that seemed to look like the defense from last year rather than the successful defense of this year. North Carolina's quarterback, T.J Yates put up 439 passing yards against the 'Noles defense despite the team only rushing for 34 yards. The Tar Heels stuck early within the first two minutes of the game to jump out to an early 7-0 lead. But then it was back and forth until the Seminoles eventually led 28-21 in a high scoring first half.

The Seminoles offense slowed down emensely in the second half giving way for a North Carolina comeback. With 55 seconds remaining in the game, North Carolina led 37-35 but the Seminoles still had a shot. After a long Greg Reid kick return, the Seminole's offense managed to set Dustin Hopkins up for a 40-yard field goal with 7 seconds remaining in the game. However, Hopkins missed his second field goal of the game and North Carolina went on to win for just the second time ever against Florida State.

Link: Box Score/Recap

What equals a successful season?

As we enter the final month of the football regular season, I'd like to pose a question to all the readers... what will it take in this final month of the 2010 FSU football season in order for it to be considered a successful year?

The 'Noles currently sit at 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the ACC. FSU is tied with Maryland and NC State in the loss column right now and the Atlantic Division race is expected to come down to the final few weeks. Last year at this point Florida State was 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the ACC. A division title wasn't even on FSU's radar at this time last year, they were still fighting to become bowl elgible and avoid a losing season. So it's obvious that this season has been better thus far than last season. However, is that good enough to mark this season as successful?

A division title is still up for grabs and the 'Noles still have a lot of work to do and teams to pul for in order to win the Atlantic. Are the 'Noles in need of a division title in order for this year to be successful?

If the Seminoles win the division, they would then travel to North Carolina and face the Coastal Division winner in the ACC Championship game. Does FSU need to win the ACC in order for the 2010 campaign to be considered successful?

Last month Florida State crushed Miami and with the annual FSU-UF game comming up at the end of November, would a 2nd victory over an in-state rival in one season equal a successful season?

What if none of the things above happen, but the Seminoles finish with 7, 8, or 9 victories this year? And then go on to win a bowl game. That would still surpass last year's record. Is that all that is needed for this year to be successful?

Everyone has a different opinion as to what needs to be done this month in order to label the 2010 football season a successful one. What is your opinion?

News and Notes

• The FSU Men's Basketball team won last night in their first exhibition game of the season The Seminoles defeated Rollins by a score of 95-74.
• The first basketball game of the regular season for the men's team is next Friday, November 12th at home against UNF. I will have a preview of the season prior to the first game.
• The kickoff time for the FSU-Clemson football game on November 13th was announced, kickoff is set for 8pm on ABC. Get ready for some primetime football.
• Buster Posey is a world champion. The San Francisco Giants won the World Series with rookie catcher and former Seminole standout Buster Posey catching the final pitch behind the plate.

ACC Predictions Week 10

Last week was just a horrible week of predicitng. I went 2-4 last week, thanks to Miami falling apart against Virginia, Boston College pulling off the upset in Clemson, Duke comming alive against Navy, and the FSU heartbreak. Well last week nearly doubled my losses, so I am now sitting at 30-9 for the season. Here's a look at this week's predictions:

Virginia Tech 35 Georgia Tech 24
Boston College 17 Wake Forest 14
NC State 20 Clemson 21
Florida State 31 North Carolina 17
Miami 24 Maryland 21
Duke 24 Virginia 27

Florida State slips to #24 in the BCS

After losing to NC State, FSU falls to number 24 in the BCS standings. NC State enters the top 25 this week after defeating the Seminoles. The Wolfpack are now ranked 25th. Miami drops out of the rankings after their loss against Virginia. Oregon leaps over Auburn for the #1 spot in the BCS. For a complete look at the newest rankings, visit the link below.

College Football Rankings Week 10

Saturday Review: Cross Country ACC Champs

Both the men's and women's FSU cross country teams won the ACC Championship on Saturday morning. This is a wonderful start for Florida State in the 2010-2011 athletic year. The Seminoles finished with the 5th best athletics program in the nation during the 2009-2010 athletic year, the highest Florida State has ever finished in the annual Director's Cup.

Upsets in the ACC

It was another unpredicted Saturday in the ACC. Boston College managed to pull of it's first win in the ACC this season as it defeated the Clemson Tigers. This loss practically ends the Tigers chances of playing for an ACC championship.

Virginia stunned #22 Miami with a five point victory over the Hurricanes. This was Virginia's first win in the ACC this year and Miami drops to two games behind Virginia Tech in the Coastal Division.

Maryland pulled off a 62-14 blowout over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. This was a huge game for the Terps as it keeps them at 1 loss in the ACC, tied for first with NC State and Florida State.

Duke got a surprising victory over Navy and North Carolina barely defeated FCS opponent William & Mary. Both of these games were non-conference games.

Notes about the defeat

• NC State snapped a three-game losing streak against the 'Noles.
• FSU is now 6-2 overall, 4-1 in the ACC.
• Last season, FSU was 4-4 overall, 2-3 in the ACC after defeating NC State.
• The 'Noles are still in first place in the Atlantic Division, however, NC State now holds the tie-breaker.
• Here's an updated look at the ACC standings:

ACC Atlantic Division              Coastal Division

Florida State  4-1                    Virginia Tech 4-0
NC State 3-1                          Miami 3-1
Maryland 2-1                          Georgia Tech 3-2
Clemson 2-2                           North Carolina 2-2
Wake Forest 1-3                    Virginia 0-3
Boston College 0-4                 Duke 0-4

The Atlantic Division winner plays the Coastal Division winner on December 4th in Charlotte, North Carolina in the ACC championship game.

In order for Florida State to win their division, FSU needs to win it's remaining ACC games against North Carolina, Clemson, and Maryland. The Seminoles must also hope for an NC State loss. The Wolfpack still have to play @Clemson, Wake Forest, @North Carolina, and @Maryland. If the Wolfpack drops one of these games and the Seminoles win-out, FSU will represent the Atlantic Division in Charlotte. Anything can happen in the Atlantic Division these days.

Christian Ponder Interview Following The Game

Ponder interview link

Christian Ponder warming-up prior to the Wake Forest game in Tallahassee. (Chris Alford)

Heartbreaking loss for Florida State

In a crucial ACC game for the Seminoles, the game came down to the final minute of play. Four yards away from the endzone on second down, Christian Ponder fumbled the ball on a fake hand-off with 48 seconds remaining in the game. NC State recovered the ball, which ended all hopes of a glorious 2-minute drive to win the game. This was a game that had numerous penalties and plenty of sloppy plays. However, it still ended as the most exciting game in the ACC this season thus far.

NC State started off strong with an early touchdown, giving the Wolfpack a 7-0 first quarter lead. But the Seminoles stormed back, scoring 21 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter, giving the 'Noles a 21-7 halftime lead. Ponder had two rushing touchdowns and one touchdown pass in the first half of the game.

The second half, however, was won by the Wolfpack. NC State managed to retaliate and score 14 unanswered points to tie the ballgame. A Dustin Hopkins field goal once again put the 'Noles on top, 24-21. Following the field goal, with just over 9 minutes remaining in the game, NC State put together the longest drive of the game. On 4th and 1, on the FSU 1 yard line, NC State coach Tom O'Brien made a gutsy call and elected to go for it instead of kicking a field goal. The move payed off as the Wolfpack managed to convert a passing touchdown with only 2 minutes and 40 seconds remaining in the game.

With 2:40 left in the game, the Seminoles were down by four points. Lead by Christian Ponder, the 'Noles marched down the field. Unfortunately, on the 10th play of a 63 yard drive, Christian Ponder fumbled the fake handoff and fumbled away any chance of a last minute victory. A heartbreak defeat indeed.

FSU-NC State Keys To Victory

Heather Dinich of ESPN.com gives her keys to victory for both Florida State and NC State.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5736547

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 - Photo taken by Chris Alford 9/25/10 FSU vs. WF

Gameday Preview

The N.C. State game tonight is most likely the biggest game in the second half of the season for Florida State. (Miami was the biggest of the first half). Why is it so important?
Here's why:

ACC Atlantic Standings (Conference record only)

Florida State     4-0
NC State          2-1
Maryland          2-1
Clemson           2-2
Wake Forest    1-3
Boston College 0-4

This game could potentially decide who represents the atlantic division in the ACC championship game. A Florida State victory will give the 'Noles a nice lead with only three conference games remaining. However, a NC State victory would  mean NC State, Florida State, and Maryland would all have one loss, with Clemson right behind them. Also, NC State would then own the tie-breaker over Florida State due to their head-to-head victory. Therefore, FSU would have to win the rest of their ACC games and hope for the Wolfpack to lose atleast one more game. So this is a huge matchup if the Seminoles want to control their own destiny and play for the ACC championship.

Week 9 ACC Predictions

Last week I went 4-1 in predicting ACC games. My season record is now 28-5 (.848). As the final month of college football approaches, predicting will be a little tougher as the games heat up and upsets rise. If I can finish the season with over 85% of my picks correct, I will be very satisfied. Now, here are my week 9 predictions.

Florida State 34 NC State 31
Navy 28 Duke 14
Clemson 28 Boston College 17
Maryland 17 Wake Forest 14
Miami 31 Virgina 14
North Carolina 27 William and Mary 10

Thursday night games for Florida State

Once again, Florida State will be playing a road thursday night game. Also, once again it'll be at N.C. State. Florida State played in Raleigh on a Thursday night in 2004, 2006, 2008, and now again in 2010. It's become somewhat of a ritual lately for FSU to make thursday night trip to play the Wolfpack. Why is this?

Well, first of all, the contract between ESPN and the ACC is what puts this decision out of the hands of Florida State. ESPN holds a contract with the ACC that allows them to schedule Thursday night ACC games throughout the season. N.C. State happens to be a popular choice to host a Thursday night game each year because their fans seem to appreciate these games a lot and have always had great attendance on Thursday nights. FSU always draws large t.v. audiences so they are a huge boost for ESPN anytime their games are broadcasted. Add those two factors together along with the fact that FSU plays at N.C. State every other year, and it's no wonder why this is the fourth consecutive time these two teams have played a Thursday night game in Raleigh.

So why doesn't Florida State host a Thursday night game?

The last time FSU hosted a Thursday night football game was in 2002 versus Clemson. The university had to cancel classes for two days for "fall break" in order to host this game. Here are the main reasons why a Thursday night game in Tallahassee isn't the best idea.

• Campus must be shut down. There are classrooms and offices inside the stadium so there is no way those would be able to function on a gameday. Also, all of the parking lots surrounding the stadium are used daily by students and faculty. These spots are also used by boosters on gamedays, therefore, there would be a major parking shortage. This is why the university would be forced to take a "fall break" and cancel classes.
• Traveling. Many FSU fans drive 2-6 hours in order to attend football games so a Thursday night game would not be ideal for them. Most fans would have to take time off of work in order to attend the game. In addition to this, a 7:30 game on a Thursday would lead to horrible traffic throughout Tallahassee. Rush hour traffic is hectic enough, just imagine an additional 40,000 vehicles.

Although a Thursday night home game may sound like a cool thing to do, it isn't easy to do when your stadium is located on campus. It's unlikely that FSU will host another one anytime soon.

Basketball season is almost here

The Florida State basketball season is just a couple weeks away. The first game for the Seminoles will be November 12th at home against the University of North Florida. The Seminoles enter the season ranked 30th in the coaches poll and they are projected to finish in the top 5 in the ACC. Chris Singleton was announced to the pre-season first team all-acc team.

2010-11 ACC Preseason All-Conference Team
Kyle Singler, Duke, 62 (unanimous)
Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech, 61
Nolan Smith, Duke, 55
Tracy Smith, NC State, 45
Chris Singleton, Florida State, 29

Links:
Basketball Coaches Poll
All-ACC team

Weekend Review

Due to a bye week for the Seminoles, there's not a whole lot of news comming out of Tallahassee this weekend. The Coaches Poll was released a few hours ago and FSU moved up two spots, from #17 to #15, thanks to losses by Iowa and Oklahoma State. The newest BCS standings will be released tonight at 8:15pm so stay tuned for that. Florida State will be traveling to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on the Wolfpack from N.C. State this thursday for a crucial game in the ACC atlantic division. I will provide a preview for that game within the next few days.

ACC predictions week 8

Last week I went 6-1 in ACC predictions, bringing my season total to 24-4. The only game I missed last week was the NC State-East Carolina game in which I picked the ACC team but they got upset by a non-bcs school. Here are my picks for this week in the ACC:

Boston College 17 Maryland 7
Clemson 24 Georgia Tech 17
Virginia Tech 31 Duke 10
North Carolina 24 Miami 27
Virginia 28 Eastern Michigan 13

Mid-Season All-ACC Team

Here's a look at my 2010 All-ACC team up to this point in the season.

Offense-

QB: Tyrod Taylor - Virginia Tech
RB: Anthony Allen - Georgia Tech
RB: Montel Harris - Boston College
WR: Leonard Hankerson - Miami
WR: Connor Vernan - Duke
TE: Dwayne Allen - Clemson
OG: Rodney Hudson -FSU
OG: Austin Pasztor - Virginia
OT: Anthony Castonzo - Boston College
OT: Blake DeChristopher - Virginia Tech
Returner: Greg Reid - FSU

Defense-

DE: Brandon Jenkins - FSU
DE: Steven Friday - Virginia Tech
DT: Everett Dawkins - FSU
DT: Joe Vellano - Maryland
LB: Nate Irving - NC State
LB: Luke Kuechly - Boston College
LB: Kendall Smith - FSU
CB: Brandon Harris - Miami
CB: Xavier Rhodes - FSU
S: DeAndre McDaniel - Clemson
S: Kenny Tate - Maryland
K: Dustin Hopkins - FSU
P: Matt Bosher - Miami

Ponder's Struggles

Prior to the start of the 2010 season, Christian Ponder for heisman campaigns were all over the place. There was much hype for this guy, who in 2009, was on pace for a heck of a season statistically until he got hurt against Clemson. This year, however, his numbers are down. Here's some comparisons:

Last year: (9 games prior to injury)

227 completions
2717 passing yards
68.8% completion percentage
14 touchdowns
7 interceptions
147.70 passer rating

This year (Projected for 12 game season)

189 completions
2035 passing yards
60.4% completion percentage
21 touchdowns
12 interceptions
129.29 passer rating

As you can see from the stats above, despite being projected to play 3 more games than last year, Ponder is still projected to finish with less completions and passing yards this year. His completion percentage and passer rating are also below where they were at last year. If Ponder can get over injury in return to his form from last season, this team is in for a great season.

Stats provided by: http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=183733

Defensive Improvement

So how much has FSU's defense improved from 2009 to 2010?
Check out these stats from espn.com's acc blog:

In 2009, Florida State was ranked 108th in rushing defense (204.62 yards per game) and this year they are ranked 18th (104.86).

No. 94 in scoring defense a year ago (30 points per game) and No. 15 now (16.14)

No. 108 in total defense (434.62) to No. 22 now (308.14).

Ranked 58th in sacks in 2009, Ranked #1 this year.

I'd say Mark Stoops is a big reason why this team is still undefeated in the ACC. He'll definitely be up for some coaching awards this year.

http://espn.go.com/blog/acc

The first BCS standings of the year are released

Florida State enters at #17 in the first BCS standings of the season. Virginia Tech is the only other ACC team in the standings (#25). Miami and Florida both faild to make the cut this week. Here are the standings for this week: BCS Standings
RK	TEAM	RECORD
1	Oklahoma	6-0
2	Oregon	6-0
3	Boise State	6-0
4	Auburn	7-0
5	TCU	7-0
6	LSU	7-0
7	Michigan State	7-0
8	Alabama	6-1
9	Utah	6-0
10	Ohio State	6-1
11	Missouri	6-0
12	Stanford	5-1
13	Wisconsin	6-1
14	Oklahoma State	6-0
15	Iowa	5-1
16	Nebraska	5-1
17	Florida State	6-1
18	Arizona	5-1
19	Texas	4-2
20	West Virginia	5-1
21	South Carolina	4-2
22	Kansas State	5-1
23	Arkansas	4-2
24	Mississippi State	5-2
25	Virginia Tech	5-2

Source: ESPN

Updated ACC Standings: FSU and VT remain unbeaten

ACC Standings

ATLANTIC	CONF	OVERALL
* - Florida State	4-0	6-1
North Carolina State	2-1	5-2
Maryland	1-1	4-2
Clemson	1-2	3-3
Wake Forest	1-3	2-5
Boston College	0-3	2-4
COASTAL	CONF	OVERALL
Virginia Tech	3-0	5-2
Georgia Tech	3-1	5-2
Miami (FL)	2-1	4-2
North Carolina	2-1	4-2
Virginia	0-3	2-4
Duke	0-3	1-5

Source: ESPN

Florida State escapes Boston College with a 5 point victory

In front of 75,300 fans, the 'Noles escaped Boston College in rather close fashion. In a game in which Florida State was three touchdown favorites, Boston College managed to make this game a close one and actually took the lead in the fourth quarter. Christian Ponder threw three interceptions and had one fumble while trying to fight through an injury. Those four turnovers allowed Boston College to remain close to FSU the entire game and forced the Seminoles to pull off a 42-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter by Bert Reed in order to win the game. The Eagles had several opportunities to score touchdowns but the FSU redzone defense prevailed and held Boston College to three field goals instead. Despite the rather close game, the Seminoles advance to 4-0 in the ACC and 6-1 overall. Next week is a bye week for the 'Noles. The next game will be Thursday, October 28th at division foe NC State.

Weekend Notes

Just a couple of notes for this weekend:

Friday- "Jam With Coach Ham." According to Seminoles.com, tomorrow evening at 6pm, there will be free pizza, t-shirts, and other prizes given away at the Tully Gym. This event marks the beginning  of fall basketball practices and it includes a team scrimmage, three-point contest, and dunk contest. In addition to the entire basketball team, also in attendence will be the Golden Girls, FSU Cheerleaders, and Seminole Sound. At the end of the event, players and coaches will be signing autographs for the fans. Come out and support your 2010-2011 FSU men's basketball team.

Saturday- Noon kickoff versus Boston College. Get there early and cheer loud for your 16th ranked Seminoles.

Sunday- The first BCS standings of the season will be released Sunday at 8:15 on ESPN. Tune in to see where FSU will stand in the first rankings of the year.

Week 7 Predictions

It's the beginning of the 2nd half of the season and ACC play is about to heat up. There are 5 inter-conference games this week and 2 non-conference games. Dating back to week 4, I began predicting every game that involves atleast one ACC team. So far, my season record is 18-3. Pretty impressive I'd say. Now here are my predictions for this week:

Boston College 6  Florida State  34
NC State 38  East Carolina 31
Maryland 10 Clemson 27
Miami 31 Duke 10
Middle Tennessee 6 Georgia Tech 28
Wake Forest 13 Virginia Tech 24
North Carolina 17 Virginia 7

Must Read: "Confessions of an Agent"

        "Josh Luchs first got into the agent business
        at age 20 and represented more than 60 NFL
  players over the course of his career." -

               Robert Beck, Sports Illustrated

This article done by Sports Illustrated is definitely worth the time it takes to read. Are you curious as to what goes on between sports agents and star college athletes?

Story Highlights:

Josh Luchs admits he paid thousands to dozens of college football players.

In addition to money, Luchs gave players meals, trips, and concert tickets.

Luchs is leaving the agent business and is comming clean to set record straight.

Read the article:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/magazine/10/12/agent/index.html?eref=sihp#ixzz12AkbmrsG

Recap: Halfway mark of the 2010 college football season

Believe it or not, the Miami game was the sixth game of the twelve game season, meaning we are now officially halfway through the regular season. Florida State currently holds a 5-1 record after winning each of the last four games. The Seminoles are 3-0 at home this season and have won each of the past five home games dating back to last season. The only downfall to this season so far was the disappointing loss to Oklahoma in week two. However, the Seminoles have rebounded nicely and have outscored their opponents by an average of 31 points in their five victories. The 'Noles have failed to compete in a tight game thus far this season. The closest final score so far this season was a 34-14 victory in Virginia. The biggest achievement this season has to be the blowout win in Miami. Many people predicted FSU to be 4-2 at this point in the season with the defeats comming against Oklahoma and Miami.

Stars of the first half:

Mark Stoops- After a defensive struggle against Oklahoma in week two, Stoops has turned one of the worst defenses from a year ago into one of the best this season.

FSU's offensive line- As expected entering this season, this veteran group of guys have played outstanding once again this season. Florida State is averaging 223 rushing yards per game this season (16th in the nation) and it all starts with great blocking by this offensive line.

Second half outlook:

Despite already completing the away games against Oklahoma and Miami, the season doesn't get much easier. Florida State will be at home four of the final six games but they'll be up against good competition. Division opponents Boston College, NC State, Clemson, and Maryland all remain on the schedule. As well as the homecomming game against North Carolina and the traditional season-ending game against in-state rival Florida Gators. FSU has a legit shot at going 6-0 in the seond half of the season, but there are no guarantees in college football. One game at a time. I do, however, predict that the Seminoles will win their division and play in North Carolina for the ACC championship game.

Most important game remaining on schedule: @ NC State
Toughest game remaining on schedule: Florida
Easiest game remaining: @Maryland

Florida State climbs up to #16 in the AP poll

According to the newest AP poll, FSU climbs seven spots to #16 following the victory in Miami. The Hurricanes drop out of the rankings this week and the Florida Gators fall to number 22 after their second consecutive loss. The Crimson Tide are no longer #1. After their loss to Souh Carolina on Saturday, Alabama fell to the number 8 spot in the rankings. Here is the complete list of the AP top 25:

1) Ohio State
2)Oregon
3)Boise State
4)TCU
5)Nebraska
6)Oklahoma
7)Auburn
8)Alabama
9)LSU
10)South Carolina
11)Utah
12)Arkansas
13)Michigan State
14)Stanford
15)Iowa
16)Florida State
17)Arizona
18)Wisconsin
19)Nevada
20)Oklahoma State
21)Missouri
22)Florida
23)Air Force
24)Oregon State
25)West Virginia

http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings

FSU dominates in Miami

Greetings everyone, I am back in Tallahassee from Miami so I am finally able to post some reflections on the FSU blowout victory. Florida State did what any team must do in order to be successful on the road. They started off strong and jumped out to a 21-0 lead, taking the UM crowd out of the game early. Jermaine Thomas had all three of the first three touchdowns in the game. Miami's Jacory Harris gave the Hurricanes their first touchdown in the game and then a Dustin Hopkins fieldgoal prior to half time made it a 24-7 first half score. In the second half, Lonnie Pryor had a touchdown run but Miami followed it with a touchdown and a fieldgoal. The score was 31-17 after the third quarter, and Miami had built some momentum. However, a touchdown pass from Christian Ponder and a 90 yard run by Chris Thompson in the fourth quarter ended all hopes of a comeback. Florida State won the game with ease, dominating all aspects of the game. Jimbo Fisher picked up his first victory against Miami and it came on his 45th birthday. What a great way to celebrate a birthday with the team.

FSU-Miami recap

FSU-Miami Photos

Gameday eve

In about 3 hours I'll be leaving Tallahassee en route to Miami for the FSU-Miami game. I'll still do my best to provide many photos and blog posts throughout the weekend because this is such a huge rivalry for this program. Next time you hear from me I'll be in South Beach! Go 'Noles!

Week 6 Predictions

It's thursday, aka prediction day! Last week I went undefeated (7-0) in picking games that involved ACC teams. That gives me a record of 13-2 for the season. Let's take a look at my predictions for week 6.

NC State 27 Boston College 14
North Carolina 17 Clemson 24
Miami 24 Florida State 27
Wake Forest 14 Navy 17
Georgia Tech 24 Virginia 17
Virginia Tech 31 Central Michigan 6

FSU All-Access

Ever wondered what it's like to go behind the scenes at an FSU practice? ESPN went all-access with the FSU football team prior to the Wake Forest game. Here's a link to the clip.....FSU All-Access

Travel Update

Attention everyone, I will be making the trip down to Miami this weekend for the game. So I will have plenty of stories and photos to share with everyone on this site when I return. Stay posted!

FSU-Miami ticket sales are very high

According to the Miami Hurricanes website, less than 1,000 tickets remain for the game. Florida State fans sold out their ticket allotment and I would expect between 15,000-20,000 Seminole fans at the game, including the marching chiefs. Accoriding to the Orlando Sentinel, the FSU-Miami game was the 3rd-highest grossing game on Stub-Hub this week. The only two higher were Michigan-Michigan State and Alabama-South Carolina. It'll be an exciting atmosphere inside Sun Life Stadium.

The Rivalry: FSU-MIAMI

Gameday is getting closer and closer. It's that time of season everyone; The FSU-Miami game is now only a couple days away. This game is reguarded as one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football. It's mentioned with the other great rivalries like Michigan-Ohio State, Alabama-Auburn, Army-Navy, and USC-Notre Dame. Florida State fans may hate the Gators more, but Miami is the greater rival. Unlike games against Florida, the matchups against Miami affect the ACC standings. In a season like the current one, the winner of this game takes a giant step towards winning the ACC.

In the past, this rivalry had serious national implications. In the late 80's and throughout the 90's, these two schools would meet up in a matchup between two top-5 ranked schools. The winner would most likely end up in a national championship game. FSU has had some heart-breaking losses to Miami when they failed to convert on crucial field goal opportunities. Without those tough losses to Miami, FSU could be sitting at five national championships right now. It's a rivalry that began in 1951, and continues to produce  the most epic and memorable games. There will be plenty of speed, hard hits, and exciting plays in this battle on the gridiron. Only one thing is for certain.... it'll all come down to the final few minutes.

Florida State 34 Virginia 14

Sorry everyone for the lower number of blogs this weekend. I was out of town just like the 'Noles over the weekend. FSU played very well on both sides of the ball and the score was actually a lot closer than it really could have been. Most people expected a Seminoles' victory, but many thought it would have been much closer. The strong performance was due in most part to the play of Ponder and Thomas on offense; As well as another great defensive performance by FSU, led by 2 interceptions by Greg Reid. Florida State led 27-0 at halftime. However, Virginia was able to put a few good plays together in the second half and outscore the 'Noles 14-7.

The victory gives the Seminoles a 4-1 record, 2-0 in ACC play. The win was also good enough to give FSU a #23 ranking in the AP poll and sets up a great matchup in Miami next weekend against the #13 Hurricanes. I'll have more posts reflecting the victory in Virginia as well as previews of the rivalry game between FSU and Miami. Stay posted!

Florida State @ Virginia Preview

Happy Friday Everyone! The 'Noles are in Charlottesville, Virginia this weekend for their game against the Cavaliers.

Kickoff Time: 12 noon
Location: Scott Stadium; Virginia
Game Time weather: 66 degrees and sunny at kickoff. Chance of rain: 0%
Records: FSU 3-1 (1-0 in ACC)
              Virginia 2-1 (0-0 in ACC)

So far this season......

Virginia has beaten two FCS schools (Richmond and VMI) but lost by 3 points to the 16th ranked USC Trojans.

Florida State has beaten Samford, BYU, and Wake Forest but struggled in Oklahoma in their game against the Sooners.

Team Overviews:

Virginia has a pretty strong defense this year (ranked top 25 in the nation). They've only allowed an average of 12.3 points per game this season. Although, two of the games were against FCS schools. Virginia did perform much better than anticipated in their road game against Southern Cal. Judging from that game, this Virginia team looks much better than the team from last year that finished with a record of 3-9.

Florida State has had a much improved defense the last two games against BYU and Wake Forest. The team leads the entire nation in sacks with a total of 19. FSU's offense has somewhat struggled a bit compared to last season's offense. Despite scoring 31 points against Wake Forest last week, the Seminoles got off to a slow start in the first half once again and had a few turnovers.

Keys to the game:

Virginia's defense must continue to play strong in order to keep the Cavaliers in the game. If they do so, the game will remain a close one and homefield advantage could then really benefit Virginia.

Florida State's offense must get off to a quick start in the first half and limit turnovers. This Virginia defense is much better than Wake Forest's defense.If the Seminole's defense can perform as well as they did the last two games, the Cavaliers will have a tough task ahead of them.

Prediction:

I believe the improved FSU defense will help the 'Noles prevail with ease. The Seminoles just have too much talent on their side. I see the Seminoles winning this game 31-17 and head into Miami next week with a 2-0 record in the ACC.

source:
Florida State
 Virginia

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.