Florida State’s disappointing 2016 season could still end in a prestigious bowl game, according to prognosticators. The Seminoles are 7-3 following an impressive 45-7 win over Boston College and if they run the table, they could end up back at a place they’ve already won this season — Miami.
Both ESPN’s Brett McMurphy and Jason Kirk of SB Nation each have the Seminoles headed to the Capital One Orange Bowl on Dec. 30. That’s one of the New Year’s Six bowls and one FSU has been to many times.
McMurphy has the Seminoles slated to play Wisconsin while Kirk projects an FSU-Penn State match-up. The Seminoles beat Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando at the end of the 2008 season. FSU and Penn State have twice met in Miami for bowls. FSU beat the Nittany Lions 24-17 in the Blockbuster Bowl at the end of the 1990 season, but fell to Penn State 26-23 in three overtimes in the Orange Bowl to conclude the 2005 campaign.
Most other prognosticators have the Seminoles staying in Florida — this time Orlando — but not necessarily for the same game. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports and Jerry Palm of CBS Sports each have FSU headed to the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31 to take on Tennessee. The Seminoles and Volunteers haven’t met since the Fiesta Bowl to decide the 1998 national championship.
Both Bill Bender of the Sporting News and Brian Fischer of College Football Talk have FSU headed to the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 28. Bender has the Seminoles taking on Oklahoma State and Fischer has FSU facing West Virginia.
FSU defeated Oklahoma State in Dallas to open the 2014 season. The last meeting between the teams in a bowl came in the 1985 Gator Bowl with FSU winning, 34-23. The Seminoles beat West Virginia in the Gator Bowl to conclude 2004 and 2009.
The one prognosticator to have Florida State leave the state for bowl season was 247Sports’ Brad Crawford. Crawford has FSU headed to El Paso to take on Stanford in the Hyundai Sun Bowl on Dec. 30. It would be the first meeting between the Seminoles and Cardinal.
The Seminoles will wrap up ACC play on Saturday at Syracuse before concluding the regular season at home against Florida on Nov. 26. Bowl selections will be made on Dec. 4.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
Mitch White/FSU athletics
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