Two wins in two games is what is necessary for Florida State to run its bowl streak to 36 years. The toughest remaining test is expected to come Saturday at rival Florida.
Of the six major publications and seven prognosticators listed below, all except one have the Seminoles bowl bound:
Projections
CBS Sports, Nov. 20: None
ESPN, Nov. 19: Independence Bowl vs. Florida Atlantic (Dec. 27, Kyle Bonagura), Independence Bowl vs. Western Kentucky (Dec. 27, David Hale)
Sporting News, Nov. 21: Camping World Bowl vs. Oklahoma State (Dec. 28)
USA Today, Nov. 21: Sun Bowl vs. Arizona (Dec. 29)
SB Nation, Nov. 20: TaxSlayer Bowl vs. Texas A&M (Dec. 30)
Sports Illustrated, Nov. 19: TaxSlayer Bowl vs. LSU (Dec. 30)
Summary
Of the six experts who project Florida State to a bowl game, not one has FSU facing the same opponent. The two most common destinations are Jacksonville and Shreveport, which both appear twice.
Both match-ups for the TaxSlayer Bowl would be intriguing ones. Sports Illustrated’s Eric Single has FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher facing LSU, where Fisher served as an assistant from 2000-06. Florida State and LSU last met in 1991 and last met in a bowl game in the 1968 Peach Bowl.
The match-up with Texas A&M as projected by Jason Kirk is particularly intriguing given all the current coaching rumors currently surrounding Fisher. The Seminoles beat the Aggies in East Rutherford to open the 1998 season, 23-14. FSU also topped Texas A&M 10-2 in the Cotton Bowl at the end of the 1990 season.
Both ESPN experts David Hale and Kyle Bonagura have the Seminoles bound for the Independence Bowl in Shreveport. Hale has FSU facing Western Kentucky while Bonagura pits the Seminoles against Florida Atlantic. Both would be first meetings.
Bill Bender of Sporting News has FSU facing Oklahoma State in Orlando for the Camping World Bowl. Those two teams met in Dallas to kick off the 2014 season with the Seminoles winning 37-31. The last bowl contest between the two was the 1985 Gator Bowl, which FSU won 34-23. Interestingly enough, that was the last time Florida State had a true freshman start at quarterback prior to James Blackman this season.
USA Today’s Erick Smith has FSU facing Arizona in El Paso for the Sun Bowl. It would be the first meeting between the schools. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm is the only expert without Florida State currently slated for a bowl.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
Mitch White/FSU athletics
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