Friday nights are generally reserved for high school football and there are a lot of good games going on as those regular seasons come to a close. We do have one Friday night game in college football this week, as the Boston College Eagles trek down to Tallahassee to take on the Florida State Seminoles. The Seminoles are laying a hefty price at Doak Campbell Stadium as they look to move above .500 in conference play, which is a sentence you never thought you’d hear.
Boston College vs. Florida State College Football Preview
Date/Time: Friday November 11, 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
College Football Betting Odds from 5Dimes
College Football Betting Favorite: Florida State -21
Total: 48.5
Some people expected the Seminoles to be in the College Football Playoff this season and possible emerge as the national champion. They are 6-3 straight up on the season, but that’s not going to get you to a January game. Florida State is just 4-4 against the spread, with one unlined result against Charleston Southern. The Seminoles have stepped up in class three times in conference play and they’ve lost every game. On the other side, Boston College needs to win two of its last three games to get bowl eligible. The Eagles missed a bowl game last year with a 3-9 mark and will likely need to beat UConn and a much improved Wake Forest team on the road to get there. They are 3-5-1 against the spread.
Boston College Eagles:
This offense is terrible. The Eagles have managed just 4.7 yards per play this season on an average of 67 plays per game. They’ve scored less than 20 points per game for the second straight season and it would be a surprise to see that number go up given the remaining opponents on the schedule. The Eagles have only managed 3.7 yards per carry and have barely completed 50 percent of their passes as a team. Kentucky transfer Patrick Towles hasn’t been the answer, as he has a 51 percent completion percentage with an 8/6 TD/INT ratio. Jon Hilliman is the team’s leading rusher, but he only has 3.3 yards per carry, despite a 73-yard touchdown run earlier in the season. BC’s leading receiver has 24 catches and only five pass catchers have over 100 yards rushing.
The saving grace for Boston College has been the defense. They haven’t been as stout as last year’s group that allowed 15.3 points and 254 yards per game, but that’s to be expected since that was a really remarkable performance that was unlikely to be replicated. The Eagles have allowed 26.2 points per game and 5.3 yards per play. Boston College has dictated time of possession more often than not, but they’ve given up 13.5 yards per catch this season. The secondary limited opponents to a 51.8 percent completion percentage last year and it’s at 58.6 percent this season. That’s the major difference and it has shown, particularly against good offenses like Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Clemson.
Florida State Seminoles:
It was fair to wonder what kind of effort Florida State would have against North Carolina State last weekend. The Seminoles were coming off of a devastating loss to Clemson and it showed early in the game, as they trailed by 10 points late in the third quarter. Florida State roared back with two long touchdown drives in the blink of an eye and won 24-20. Deondre Francois, who took an absolute beating against Clemson, struggled a little against NC State, but had the game-winning touchdown pass. He’s thrown 12 TDs against four picks with a 60 percent completion rate. The big story for the Seminoles offense, however, is Dalvin Cook. The Heisman hopeful has rushed for 1,134 yards on 5.8 yards per carry and has found pay dirt 12 times. He also has 25 catches for 388 yards and one touchdown. He’s a special player and a game changer.
The Seminoles defense was lit up by both Clemson and Louisville and had issues with North Carolina as well. This is not what we’re used to seeing in Tallahassee. The Seminoles have allowed 28.8 points and 411 yards per game. The 6.1 yards per play that they have allowed is the highest since 2009. This is a defense that gave up 3.9 yards per play in 2012. Times have definitely changed. Fortunately, Boston College doesn’t have the offense to put up a big number, but the Seminoles have allowed 4.3 yards per carry and haven’t faced a power running team like the Eagles as of yet.
College Football Free Pick: Boston College +21
This feels like a letdown type of game for Florida State. They’re taking on a bad opponent at home and this is a team that has given them fits in recent years. The Seminoles have won six straight, but Boston College was within two touchdowns last season, three points in 2014, and 14 points as a 23-point dog in 2013. With Syracuse and Florida left, it’s tough to see the Seminoles fully engaged for this Friday night affair on a short week with a banged up quarterback and off a comeback win.
Kyle Hunter is 50-20 (71.4%) in his last 70 totals selections. Grab ALL of his college football and NFL totals for just $350 for the rest of the season. Every single pick as soon as he makes it, through the Super Bowl. Email kyle@huntersportspicks.com or message Kyle on Twitter for this special.
