Staff Predictions: FSU at NC State

The Florida State Seminoles face a daunting task in their final four games. According to the College Football Playoff Rankings, every single one of the remaining opponents is among the top 25 teams in the nation.

For a Florida State team with four wins that is trying to make a bowl, the upcoming slate will be especially challenging. It starts in Raleigh against the NC State Wolfpack on Saturday. Despite the No. 21 ranking, the Wolfpack have lost their last two games, and they appear on the brink of collapsing.

We here at The Daily Nole have provided a week’s worth of content aimed at giving you all the information necessary for this game. Check out some of our stories below if you haven’t already:

Column: Replacing Toxic Talent is the First Step for Taggart
FSU Football: First Look at NC State
Column: Taggart Has A Tough Decision to Make; What Will He Choose?
How FSU Has Responded to 30-Plus-Point Losses Last 30 Years
FSU’s Biggest Questions for NC State
The Daily Nole — Oct. 31, 2018: Murray, White Suspended for First Half vs. NC State

Staff Predictions

Lead Writer Clint Eiland: Everything is on the table now for Florida State. It would be totally unsurprising to see it travel up to NC State, get blown out by 20-plus points, and crash to a 4-8 season. It would also be totally unsurprising to see them start a batch of new players, motivate themselves to beat a declining NC State team, and squeak out a bowl invite.

Thanks to Ryan Finley’s style of play and NC State’s receiving corps, I think the Wolfpack will move the ball fairly consistently for a half. They will try and methodically wear down FSU and keep possession for large swaths of time. But at halftime, defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett will make adjustments and get it under control.

The offense is a true wild card. Whether the starter is James Blackman or Deondre Francois, both will be forced to try and attack a weak NC State secondary. They’ll have multiple opportunities to get it past the safeties for explosive touchdowns. The running game will suffer, but not to the tune of negative-21 yards.

My gut is telling me that this will be a tight contest. The sheer amount of uncertainty for Florida State means I’ll take the Wolfpack by a single touchdown. NC State 31, Florida State 24.

Editor Mike Ferguson: In terms of strengths and weaknesses, Florida State and NC State are quite similar. The two programs possess two of the best rush defenses in the ACC and two of the worst rush offenses. The Seminoles and Wolfpack are also near the top in passing offense and near the bottom in pass defense.

For FSU to pull this one off, starting strong will be key — something it has rarely done this season. When all is said and done however, NC State has the home field and edge at quarterback with Ryan Finley. It is not yet known where the Seminoles will start Deondre Francois or give James Blackman his first look of 2018. NC State 27, FSU 24.

Digital content manager Edwin Collins: With quitting being a hot topic, Florida State could use some wholesale changes, including at quarterback. If Deondre Francois starts, we’ll get more of the same and NC State will prevail, 32-10. We’ll assume James Blackman makes his first start of the season. Noles 37, Wolfpack 10.