The national championship hopes of both Notre Dame and Florida State could very well be on the line as the two undefeated teams square off in a potential playoff eliminator in Tallahassee.
Heisman hopeful Everett Golson and the Irish were given all they could handle at home against another ACC team in North Carolina last week. They surely can’t afford another poor outing on the road against the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and the defending ACC champion Seminoles.
SEC giants Alabama have their own playoff hopes hanging by a thread as they head into their game against Texas A&M in desperate need to a convincing win. Read all about that very important game here, but don’t forget to learn more about which of these two title contenders’ hopes will be dented.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Florida State Seminoles Preview
Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee
When: Saturday, October 18, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Florida State Seminoles – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish played North Carolina as if they were looking ahead to their pivotal matchup with No. 1-ranked Florida State and it almost cost them their perfect record. In arguably their least impressive performance of the season, the Irish just squeaked by the Tar Heels, 50-43, at home. The 6-0 Irish drop to 4-2 against the spread this season.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Quarterback Everett Golson led the way with 371 total yards and three touchdowns, but completed just 55 percent of his throws, and committed three turnovers (two fumbles and an interception). Golson has now thrown at least one pick in each of his last three games.
However, the more worrisome part of Notre Dame’s game was on the defensive side, which may not be as good as the statistics made it out to be. After holding opponents to just over 12 points and 316 yards per game in their first five games, the Irish allowed 43 points on 510 total yards of offense to the Tar Heels.
With the suspended KeiVarae Russell now officially ruled out for the rest of the season, Notre Dame will surely be without their best cornerback against the Seminoles. After allowing over 300 passing yards to the Tar Heels’ Marquise Williams, the Irish will be in for another long night if they don’t improve their play against Heisman winner Jameis Winston and a formidable Florida State passing attack.
Golson has also been playing at a Heisman-caliber level for Notre Dame since his return from suspension this year, and he’ll need to significantly outplay Winston if the Irish play to escape Tallahassee with a win. Albeit it was against Syracuse, Golson did have his best performance of the season thus far on the road, as he completed 82 percent of his passes for 362 yards and four touchdowns, all season bests.
Without Golson, three of the Irish’s four losses last season came on the road.
Betting on the Florida State Seminoles
Despite more off-the-field issues looming for Jameis Winston, the star Seminoles quarterback showed no signs of distraction as he played arguably his best game of the season so far in a 38-20 win at Syracuse. Winston completed 83 percent of his passes and threw for 317 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Winston, who is facing a disciplinary hearing regarding a past offense, expects to suit up on Saturday against Notre Dame. The Seminoles are 19-0 with Winston under center.
Wide receiver Rashard Greene showed no signs of the concussion he suffered against Wake Forest as he led the Seminoles with six catches for 107 yards against Syracuse, making him the all-time leading receiver in school history. The Noles also hardly missed starting running back, Karlos Williams, who was out with an ankle injury. Freshman Dalvin Cook broke out with 122 of the team’s 165 rushing yards against the Orange.
Winston’s possible return to Heisman form is a welcome development for a Florida State offense that’s looking to improve upon its current scoring average of 38.8 points per game, which is well below last season’s average of over 50 points.
However, their concerns on defense look much more pressing. After giving up 12.1 points per game, the best mark in the nation in 2013, the Noles are now coughing up nearly 21 points per game so far this season. Just last month, they surrendered 41 points and 359 passing yards at North Carolina State, a team that was shut out and limited to 154 total yards by Clemson the following week.
The key for Florida State in this game will be to limit the influence of Irish quarterback Everett Golson, most likely through applying constant pressure. But getting to Golson will be a challenge for a Seminoles defense that has not been able to generate a decent pass rush this season. The Noles’ seven sacks are tied for the least in the ACC so far.
Writer’s Prediction
Homefield advantage helps the Seminoles squeak by the Irish in a close contest. Create a betting account now and enjoy all the huge college football matchups with major postseason ramifications.
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