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FSU Football: Canes favored by double digits for first time since 2002

By Kelvin Hunt

TALLAHASSEE, FL - OCTOBER 7: Defensive back Stanford Samuels III #8 of the Florida State Seminoles intercepts a pass intended for wide receiver Lawrence Cager #18 of the Miami Hurricanes during the second half of an NCAA football game at Doak S. Campbell Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - OCTOBER 7: Defensive back Stanford Samuels III #8 of the Florida State Seminoles intercepts a pass intended for wide receiver Lawrence Cager #18 of the Miami Hurricanes during the second half of an NCAA football game at Doak S. Campbell Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /
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FSU football is a double digit betting underdog against the Miami Hurricanes. Should they be huge underdogs though?

I wrote in the summer I could’t fathom why the Noles were betting underdogs against the Miami Hurricanes. At the time they were +5.5 which I thought was a ridiculous line.

This with Malik Rosier as the Miami quarterback and the Noles returning either Deondre Francois or James Blackman.

Well, I thought the betting line should have been a pick’em at the very worst. Miami’s defense couldn’t possibly have the same turnover luck they had last year, and frankly they were not great on offense last season while losing some players off that defense.

Enter the 2018 season and FSU has looked atrocious for a good part of it and Miami hasn’t beaten anyone of note yet. Wins over FIU, Toledo, Savannah State and a terrible UNC team doesn’t exactly make them world beaters.

The Canes are now -12.5 betting favorites over the Noles. It’s the first time FSU has been a double-digit betting underdog against Miami since 2002 when they were +13.5.

The Noles lost that game by one point and it was on the road in Miami. Should the Noles be such huge underdogs in this game?

Even though they haven’t looked as good as I thought they would I wouldn’t say that’s the case. The biggest key is not turning the ball over against Miami who seems to live and die off turnovers.

The Noles have turned it over quite a bit this year but secured the ball pretty well against Louisville last week outside of a ball hitting a player in head on a punt return that ended up as a turnover.

The Canes will be sending N’Kosi Perry out in his second career start against the most talented defense he’ll see the rest of the year.

There are lots of questions is this one. How will Willie Taggart and company look to attack Miami’s defense? Can the Noles avoid turnovers? Can Miami establish the run against FSU?

Time For Willie Taggart Adjust Playcalling To Personnel Strengths. dark. Next

We’ll be writing more about these topics in the coming days, but that it was interesting to see it’s been such a long time since Miami was this big of a betting favorite.

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