We hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas holidays.
It’s been a quiet week for Florida State athletics, but the Seminoles’ Sun Bowl showdown with Arizona State is less than a week away. FSU, at 6-6, will need to beat the Sun Devils to avoid a second straight losing season.
This week, we asked our social media followers who would win the New Year’s Eve showdown in El Paso. Many of the 191 accounts to respond were surprisingly confident in the Seminoles.
57 percent of those who responded have FSU winning, but most — 40 percent — have it being a close game. The next highest selection at 26 percent have Arizona State winning by multiple scores. 17 percent each have FSU winning by multiple scores and Arizona State edging the Seminoles by a score.
Our Take
We’re unfortunately going to have to go with the 26 percent that have Arizona State winning by more than one score.
This game will be competitive, but FSU doesn’t have its best offensive player in running back Cam Akers, who is preparing for the NFL Draft. Arizona State is in a similar situation with Eno Benjamin, but the Seminoles won’t have a scholarship running back ready to play on Tuesday.
The FSU defense will be without maybe its two best players in Marvin Wilson and Hamsah Nasirildeen and it comes in giving up a combined 71 points in its last two games against FBS competition. The onus will be on quarterbacks James Blackman and Jordan Travis to win this contest, but Arizona State has an above average defense.
Arizona State has a talented young quarterback in Jayden Daniels and he has a nice duo of wide receivers in Brandon Aiyuk and Frank Darby, but Aiyuk will not play. The FSU secondary has been gashed in recent weeks and the defensive line hasn’t generated much of a pass rush.
Arizona State 34, FSU 24.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson. Like The Daily Nole on Facebook. To pitch an idea, author a post or to learn more about The Daily Nole, email Mike Ferguson at Mike@TheDailyNole.com.
Jeremy Esbrandt/FSU athletics 
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