Bye Week Viewing Guide: FSU Edition

Bye weeks are both a curse and a gift. On one hand, fans won’t be able to witness their favorite team in action. That includes no tailgating, no road trips, no celebratory postgame dinner, none of that. On the other hand, it does act as a stress reliever.

This is especially true of Florida State, who has had more late game heroics and down-to-the-wire finishes than perhaps any team in the country over the past few years. The bye week also allows fans to catch up on teams that they may not be able to watch otherwise, making for a weekend full of watching football.

Luckily for FSU football fans, we’ve got the full viewing guide for all the games that should interest you: Past opponents, future opponents, top ranked match-ups, anything that Florida State fans could be interested in. Some of these games even have a mix of both a past opponent and future opponent. Saturday is full of contests that FSU fans should be keeping an eye on, and we have them listed below:

Past Opponents

(23) Ole Miss at (25) LSU: The Rebels are the only team with three losses still in the Associated Press Top 25. Why? It’s clear that they possess a near dominating offense that can win them any game on their schedule, but their defense has struggled to keep up. Against the three currently ranked teams they’ve played, Ole Miss gave up 45, 48, and 34 points. Luckily for the Rebels, they play an LSU team that has only seen an offensive revival due to playing teams like Missouri (2-3) and Southern Miss (4-3). Running back Leonard Fournette will be back for the Tigers, which should give them a boost on the ground, but it is hard to imagine that LSU will be able to match the production of Ole Miss. Rebels by 10. The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 9 p.m. EST.

(7) Louisville vs. N.C. State: Is it possible to have two straight trap games? Louisville had a slight scare against the Duke Blue Devils last Thursday, when the game was within one score until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, N.C. State pushed the No. 4 Clemson Tigers to overtime after missing a potential game-winning field goal in the final seconds. Could fans be looking at a repeat thriller? Probably not. Unlike Clemson, Louisville and its offense has rarely been stifled this year. It’s also unlikely that N.C. State coach Dave Doeren would be able to motivate his team after the heartbreaker suffered last Saturday. Cardinals by 21. The game will be broadcast on ABC at noon EST.

(22) North Carolina at Virginia: Perhaps the loss to Virginia Tech skewed perceptions of North Carolina too much. The Tar Heels still have an incredibly efficient offense led by a star quarterback in Mitch Trubisky, even if their defense still leaves much to be desired. Teams can beat UNC if they have a competent offense to hit back. Virginia is not one of those teams. Bronco Mendenhall is still building a solid foundation in Charlottesville, but at the current moment, the Cavaliers are not a competitive team in the ACC. They might be able to hold out at home for a couple of quarters while UNC feels out their defense, but they won’t be able to respond once UNC scores. Tar Heels by 17. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network at 3 p.m. EST.

Future Opponents

Syracuse at Boston College: Dino Babers has already worked wonders at Syracuse, leading the Orange to a ranked upset of the No. 17 Virginia Tech Hokies last Saturday. The Orange finally seem to have a pulse on offense with Eric Dungey under center, even if they lack consistency on a week-to-week basis. Boston College is built in the exact opposite manner; the defense (while down from last year) is the backbone of the team. The problem arises when you look at who the Eagles have beaten so far: Massachusetts, Wagner, and Buffalo. Against Power 5 competition, they have been outscored 119-24. This game appears close on paper, but the competition faced by the Eagles might be misleading. Orange by 14. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network at 12:30 p.m. EST.

Top 25 Match-ups

(6) Texas A&M at (1) Alabama: Trevor Knight has already beaten the Crimson Tide once and that came during the Sugar Bowl while he was at Oklahoma. Will the Aggies channel the (Johnny) Manziel Magic once again? Catch this one on CBS at 3:30 p.m. EST.

(17) Arkansas at (21) Auburn: In what might be the most attention the state of Alabama will receive until the Iron Bowl, the Razorbacks hope to derail the Auburn hype train that has been rolling for three whole weeks. The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 6 p.m. EST.

Upset of the Week

(10) Wisconsin at Iowa: The Badgers’ season is a story that is too good to be true. While Wisconsin is certainly talented and a legitimate threat in the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes will be excited to host their first ranked opponent of the season. This one starts on ESPN at noon EST.

Other FSU Sports

FSU softball vs. Florida: While the official season doesn’t start for a few more months, there’s nothing wrong with getting hyped for an FSU team that has a serious chance of making it back to the Women’s College World Series. The Seminoles will face the Gators in the Rising Stars Tournament down in Fort Lauderdale at 6 p.m. EST.