Games To Watch On The Bye Week For Florida State Fans

As the #10 Florida State Seminoles (3-0) sit on a week four bye, there are plenty of games around college football to keep an eye out for as a ‘Noles fan. Here is a complete listing of why you should watch certain games on TV today, and the impact they could have on the Seminoles later on in the season.

#20 Georgia Tech (2-1) Vs. Duke (2-1), 12:00 ET–ESPN2

The very first game of the day that Seminoles fans should keep their eye on is future opponent on October 24th, Georgia Tech, heading to Durham in the newly-renovated Wallace Wade Stadium, to take on a pesky Duke squad led by David Cutcliffe. First and foremost, coming off of a loss to Notre Dame, Georgia Tech is looking to bounce back this week and get the running game back on track. A week ago, the Yellow Jackets were held to a mere 216 yards rushing, after amassing a colossal 457 yards per game in the opening two weeks, albeit against over-matched Alcorn State and Tulane. Duke does not have the defense that Notre Dame has, so expect for the Yellow Jackets to run wild against the Blue Devils. As long as the Georgia Tech defense comes to play this afternoon, I’d expect a nice rebound for the ‘Jackets. Even if you don’t watch this game in its entirety, as a ‘Noles fan, you should hope that Georgia Tech wins out until the match-up in Atlanta on October 27th, so that they will be as highly-ranked as possible heading into that marquee contest.

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#8 LSU (2-0) Vs. Syracuse (3-0), 12:00 ET, ESPN

For sheer viewing pleasure, LSU has become must-watch TV with sophomore Leonard Fournette in the backfield carrying the load for the Tigers. The man-child that is Fournette, has burst onto the scene in his first 15 games as a collegiate athlete, and currently sits as the leader in the clubhouse for the Heisman Trophy as we enter the season’s fourth week. What is more important, however, is the play of the Orange, who is Florida State’s October 31st opponent. Syracuse is 3-0 to date, despite losing their senior quarterback, Terrel Hunt, to a torn achilles in week one. The Orange have done a spectacular job at circling the wagons in what may be a make-or-break year for their head coach, Scott Shafer. Running the football has been a priority over the first three weeks of the season, as the team has averaged 209 yards per game, which is 43rd in college football to open the year. They will have to once again run the ball to that effect today, against an SEC defensive line that will not allow them to get an inch. The fact that LSU is Syracuse’s biggest challenge to date goes without saying, but the Orange will need to stop the run on defense, and rush it effectively on offense to have a chance, especially with quarterback Eric Dungey out with a concussion. This game will allow the ‘Noles to get some early intel on the rushing attack of the Orange, and how to gameplan to stop it in the coming weeks.

Indiana (3-0) Vs. Wake Forest (2-1), 12:30 ET–ESPN3.com

This could actually be the second-best game on Saturday’s ACC slate besides the GT-Duke match-up, and ‘Noles fans should watch this game for one obvious reason: They face Wake next week. The Demon Deacons are coming off of a game last weekend in which they lost their starting quarterback, John Wolford, to an ankle injury on the game’s first drive. Kendall Hinton, a freshman, replaced Wolford and displayed his dual-threat ability, throwing for 159 yards and rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns in the 17-14 win over Army. While Florida State will enter next weekend’s game as a heavy favorite, Seminoles fans will want to see who Wake Forest goes with at quarterback today, with Wolford listed as questionable and Hinton gaining momentum in the locker room with the new dynamic he brings to the offense.

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