Don’t look now, but the No. 9 Florida State Seminoles are hitting their stride midway through the season. They already have one of the best backs in the country in Dalvin Cook playing out of his mind, and now, it looks like transfer quarterback Everett Golson is finally getting into a nice groove as well.
On the other side, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who faced FSU in last year’s ACC championship game, find themselves dead last in the Coastal Division as they’ve suffered a total collapse. However, they have historically given the Noles a tough time, and could still be a threat to wreak the Noles’ College Football Playoff hopes.
Read on as we preview this intriguing ACC clash. Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out more Week 8 college football action, with our previews of Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss and Utah vs. USC.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Florida State Seminoles vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Preview
Where: Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta
When: Saturday, October 24, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Florida State Seminoles (-5.5) at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+5.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN2
Betting on the Florida State Seminoles (6-0, 4-0 ACC)
The Florida State Seminoles just put up their most impressive performance of the season in their 41-21 home win over Louisville on Sunday.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Dalvin Cook continued doing Dalvin Cook things, as he rushed for 163 yards with two touchdowns. But the big surprise was quarterback Everett Golson, who exploded for 372 passing yards and three touchdowns, both his highest totals since Week 1 against Texas State. He’s also yet to throw a pick this season after throwing 14 with Notre Dame in 2014.
It’s been a steady climb for Golson, who is increasingly looking more and more comfortable in the Seminoles offense. He has added more completions and more passing yards in each of his last four games. After averaging just 22 points in their first three conference games, Golson’s emergence could be what unleashes this offense’s true potential.
There’s every chance that Golson continues his upward trajectory against a Georgia Tech defense that has not been able to stop anyone this season. But he might not even need a big game for Florida State to blow the Yellow Jackets out, especially with Cook playing incredibly well.
Cook has been arguably the best college running back not named Leonard Fournette. He’s averaging 159 yards per game (second only to Fournette) and has 385 rushing yards and five total touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) in his last two games. Expect him to add to those numbers against a terrible Tech front seven that is giving up 178 rushing yards per game with 15 rushing touchdowns this season.
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Betting on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-5, 0-4 ACC)
Georgia Tech’s season from hell just keeps getting worse. The Yellow Jackets dropped their fifth consecutive game after losing 31-28 at home to Pitt. After comfortably covering in their first two games, the Jackets have now gone 0-5 ATS in their last five.
Georgia Tech reeled off 376 yards on the ground – an impressive feat given that Pitt had only been surrendering 84 yards per game on the ground prior to that game – but the Yellow Jackets couldn’t stop the run themselves. They gave up 200 rushing yards against a Pitt offense that came in averaging 163 yards per game.
Tech’s defense simply hasn’t been able to stop anyone since the first two games of the year. The Yellow Jackets have coughed up at least 30 points in each of their five losses. The once-prolific triple-option offense has greatly disappointed as well, as it has averaged just 25 points against the higher level of competition.
It’s pretty tough to make any sort of case for Georgia Tech, who just looks as if it’s packed it in for the season. However, history will be on the Yellow Jackets’ side against the Seminoles. In nine meetings since 1999, Georgia Tech has gone an incredible 8-1 ATS against Florida State, including the last four since 2008.
Writer’s Prediction
Cook goes crazy on the ground as Florida State steamrolls past Georgia Tech, 38-24.
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