FLORIDA vs FLORIDA ST
When: 11/26/2016 8:00 PM

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC.
LINE: Florida State –7
PREDICTION: Florida State 27, Florida 14

Something other than instate pride is on the line when No. 15 Florida State hosts No. 13 Florida.

Florida State seniors are trying to accomplish a feat that no other class in program history has been able to do: Finish their careers with an 8-0 sweep of rivals Florida and Miami.

They already won their four meetings with Miami to stretch the Seminoles’ winning streak to seven over the Hurricanes, and go for the sweep against the Gators on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC).

“I think it means a lot to the seniors’ legacy here, and the foundation that we set,” Seminoles’ senior cornerback Marquez White said of the possibility of going 8-0 against their two rivals. “This is my last time playing in this stadium. Last home game.

“This is the way I want to go out. This is the way I want to be remembered. So, it means a lot to have this opportunity.”

All told, Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher is 12-1 against Miami and Florida since taking over the program in 2010. He is the first Florida State coach to have wins over Florida and Miami in three consecutive years.

“It’s important to us,” Fisher said. “It’s part of our goal. We always say that. The state of Florida is a dynamic football state. If you can play with Miami and Florida, you’re usually in the national title hunt.”

Of course, that isn’t quite the case this season. Miami isn’t ranked, and though Florida (8-2) has the opportunity to create a little chaos by beating Alabama in the SEC championship game Dec. 3, the Gators aren’t in College Football Playoff consideration.

That situation could been more likely had their offense matched their defense this year, but that hasn’t been the case. The Gators produced an average of just under 355 yards in total offense, in part because coach Jim McElwain has had to replace his starting quarterback twice this fall.

Luke Del Rio, a transfer from Oregon State, started the season, but was hurt in the third game and gave way to Purdue transfer Austin Appleby. Del Rio returned after a three-game absence and started three games but went out injured again. Appleby started the last two games and will do so again at Florida State. He led the Gators to wins over South Carolina and LSU in their last two games.

The latter victory last week gave the Gators the SEC East title.

It was Florida’s defense that sealed that win over the Tigers, however. The Gators stopped the Tigers on two plays from their own 1-yard in the closing seconds to preserve the 16-10 victory.

For the season, the Gators are fifth in the country in total defense in limiting opponents to just over 282 yards a game with just 160 of that coming through the air.

“This is a very impressive team when you turn the film on,” Fisher said. “Defensively, they jump off the screen at you.”

The game in Tallahassee features two game-breakers, one for each team.

Florida wide receiver Antonio Callaway has 37 receptions for 545 yards and two touchdowns and has returned 23 punts for 175 yards, including a 39-yarder. He has had two games with 125-plus yard receiving.

Florida State running back Dalvin Cook has put himself at least on the fringe of the Heisman conversation with yet another outstanding season. The school’s all-time leading rusher with 4,166 yards, Cook rushed for 1,467 yards this season with 17 touchdowns and a 6.1 per-carry average. He also boasts 400 yards receiving on 27 catches.

“This guy is the most explosive player in college football,” McElwain said. “You look at his running and his catching the ball out of the backfield, he’s going to play at the next level for a long time.”

The Gators lead the series 34-24-1, but the Seminoles can match their longest winning streak against Florida with a victory.

The post Florida vs. Florida State Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Fisher made the announcement in a brief statement released by FSU on Monday night.

Johnson, who was named Florida’s “Mr. Football” as a senior at First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida, was indefinitely suspended from the team in June. He was charged with misdemeanor battery for striking the 21-year-old woman during an argument June 24. He surrendered to Tallahassee police on June 30 and was released on $500 bond.

The video, which was captured by security cameras in a bar near the FSU campus, shows Johnson trying to push past the woman, who was waiting to order at the bar. The woman turned toward Johnson, who grabbed her right arm after she raised it in a fist. The woman raised her knee and swung at Johnson with her left arm, and then he punched her in the face.

According to the Tallahassee Police Department incident report, the woman, an FSU student, suffered bruising near her left eye, swelling of the left cheek and upper lip, and a small cut near the bridge of her nose.

State’s attorney Willie Meggs, who decided to charge Johnson after seeing video of the incident, said the woman still had a black eye when he met with her last week.

Johnson’s family has retained prominent criminal defense and trial attorney Jose Baez, who is best known for obtaining an acquittal in the Casey Anthony murder trial in Orlando.

“While it is clear from the video that De’Andre Johnson was not the initial aggressor, his family wants to take the lead in helping him learn and grow from this experience,” Baez said Monday in a statement. “He is currently participating in community service and faith-based programs focused on battered women, substance abuse and the empowerment of children.

“De’Andre is extremely embarrassed by this situation and would like to express his heartfelt apologies to everyone, including those who were directly affected, Coach Fisher and his teammates, the entire Florida State University community, as well as his family and friends.”

Johnson, who enrolled at FSU in January after graduating early from high school, wasn’t thought to be a contender for the Seminoles’ starting job this coming season. Junior Sean Maguire and Notre Dame transfer Everett Golson, who enrolled at FSU this summer, are believed to be the top choices to replace 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, who was the No. 1 pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in April’s NFL draft.

Freshman Deondre Francois of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, also joined FSU’s quarterback competition this summer. He was ranked the country’s No. 3 dual-threat quarterback and No. 42 overall prospect in the ESPN 300.

Johnson was ranked the No. 7 dual-threat quarterback as a senior. He passed for 3,710 yards and 47 touchdowns while running for 398 yards and nine scores the past season, as he led First Coast High to a 12-1 record. He finished his prep career with 11,697 total yards.

The post Seminoles dismiss QB De’Andre Johnson after video of altercation surfaces appeared first on IdealCapper.

Florida State at Georgia Tech
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 6, 2014
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC.
LINE: Florida State -4.5
PREDICTION: Georgia Tech 33, Florida State 27
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Oddsmakers currently have the Seminoles listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Yellow Jackets, while the game’s total is sitting at 58½.

Justin Thomas is the leading passer and rusher for the Yellow Jackets, but he has plenty of help on the ground in the form of Zach Laskey (748 yards, eight TDs) and Synjyn Days (686 yards, three TDs). Overall, Georgia Tech ranks fourth in the nation with an average of 333.8 rushing yards per game, and that domination was on display last Saturday, when the Yellow Jackets posted 399 rushing yards on a staggering 70 carries – led by Laskey (26 carries, 140 yards) against Georgia. DeAndre Smelter (35 catches, 715 yards) is the only Georgia Tech player with more than 16 catches or 255 receiving yards, so he will certainly be the focus for the Seminoles’ secondary.

Last time out for Georgia Tech, they were a 30-24 winner as they battled Georgia on the road. Georgia Tech covered in the match as a 10.5-point underdog, while 54 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 10-2 SU,8-4 ATS
Current Streak: won 5 straight games.
Georgia Tech is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Georgia Tech is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Georgia Tech’s last 9 games
Georgia Tech is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Florida State

The Seminoles have won six games by single diigts, including each of the last three, and Winston has thrown an interception in six straight games, giving him a disappointing 21-to-17 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season. “Very few guys have that true ability and he’s one of them,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said of Winston, who has thrown 13 of his picks in the first half. “We’re fortunate enough to have him.” Florida State’s current winning streak – the longest in school history – began with a 21-15 win over Georgia Tech in the 2012 ACC title game, when the Seminoles’ defense limited the Yellow Jackets quarterbacks to 5-of-16 passing, including two interceptions.

Last time out for Florida State, they were a 24-19 winner as they battled Gators at home. Florida State failed to cover in the match as a -7-point favorite, while 43 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 12-0 SU,3-9 ATS
Current Streak: won 12 straight games.
Florida State is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games
Florida State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida State’s last 5 games
Florida State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Georgia Tech

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