LET THE GAME BEGIN
It's Florida State versus Miami, and the whole state of Florida is talking about it. Even the Florida Gator fans are discussing it when their 2025 season is pretty much down the drain. Nonetheless, it doesn't get more monumental than this.
Understandably, individuals are frustrated with the fact that College GameDay isn't coming to Tallahassee and will make the trip to Tuscaloosa to watch Alabama versus Vanderbilt instead. However, Florida State did it to themselves after their recent double overtime loss to Virginia by a score of 46-38.
Nonetheless, it will still be an exciting time as Lee Corso will be attending the contest, fans will have an opportunity to annoy Kirk Herbstreit before he broadcasts the game, and former head football coach Jimbo Fisher will be doing the pre-game ACC Huddle show. The storylines are there.
ANALYSIS
Florida State comes into the game as the No. 18 team in the country. Meanwhile, Miami is riding high after wins over ranked Notre Dame and South Florida, where AP voters have them at No. 2. The Seminoles realize that they are in desperation mode, where they cannot have another conference loss.
Quarterback Thomas Castellanos mentioned during his interview with the Gramlich & Mac Lain Show that he has never been part of two field stormings in a season. He clarified the comments after he said them and mentioned that he was talking about a field storming happening in this game.
The Seminoles' defense had a problem wrapping up against Virginia running back J'Mari Taylor. The talented rusher had 27 carries for 99 yards and one touchdown in last Friday's night loss. Florida State faced an even bigger challenge with Miami running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar Brown.
Then you include an experienced passer like Carson Beck in the mix. It won't be easy, but the Hurricanes have not played a game away from Coral Gables this season. Doak Campbell Stadium will be rocking at night and will give Miami issues if they aren't careful. The last two meetings in Tallahassee haven't been memorable for the Hurricanes, so Florida State is expecting something magical.
SCORE PREDICTIONS
We at ChopChat all had Florida State winning last week, which we were wrong. However, I am willing to break the curse and choose Miami to defeat the Seminoles on the road in an attempt to reverse psychology.
Send me a barf bag because I might need one after selecting the Candy Canes.
Taylor Devers: 31-27 Miami
Kelvin Hunt: 31-27 FSU
Griffin Durden: 30-26 FSU
Nick Andre: 21-14 FSU