College Football Preview – Florida State Seminoles vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The last four years have been a nightmare for Florida State fans. The Seminoles have been a disaster since Jimbo Fisher left for Texas A&M. Willie Taggart was dismissed after going 9-12 with the Seminoles, and Mike Norvell’s first season saw FSU finish 3-6. There is hope that Norvell will turn the team around in 2021, but it won’t be easy to knock off the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the season opener.

This game will take place at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. Kickoff is scheduled to occur at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 5, 2021, with ABC broadcasting.

College Football Betting Odds

Notre Dame -7.5

Florida State +7.5

Total 55.5

Mike Norvell was 38-15 in four seasons with Memphis. He was brought to Tallahassee to replace Willie Taggart, but the results from his first season were not encouraging aside from a fortunate win over North Carolina.

Notre Dame has one of the best coaches in the game in Brian Kelly. He has led the Irish to a 43-8 record in the last four years, and this program has been to the College Football Playoff in three of the last six seasons. Kelly will have his work cut out for him in 2021 as Notre Dame is losing a lot of talent.

When Florida State Has the Ball

Jordan Travis beat out McKenzie Milton to be the starting quarterback for the Seminoles. Travis is one of the best mobile threats at the position in college football. He led FSU in rushing in 2020 with 559 yards and seven touchdowns on 5.8 YPC. His accuracy has reportedly improved too, and that was the big concern with Travis last season.

There are plenty of questions on this offense though. The offensive line has been a disaster for the last four seasons, and FSU is starting a former Notre Dame backup at left guard. There isn’t a lot of talent at the skill positions either, although the Seminoles are high on sophomore Jashaun Corbin.

The Irish have a solid front seven with Kurt Hinish, Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, and Jayson Ademilola up front. The star of this defense is safety Kyle Hamilton though. Hamilton has been trumpeted as one of the best safety prospects ever, and he is a playmaker in the fullest sense.

When Notre Dame Has the Ball

Wisconsin grad transfer Jack Coan will be replacing Ian Book under center. Coan was solid for the Badgers in 2019, but he didn’t play a down last season as a result of injury.

Fortunately for the Irish, he has one of the best running backs in the country to take the pressure off him. Kyren Williams ran for 1,125 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. This offensive line figures to be solid once more with the addition of Marshall grad transfer Cain Madden, and tight end Michael Mayer is an elite tight end.

FSU will be starting a lot of underclassmen on defense. Nine starters on this side of the ball are freshmen or sophomores including standout cornerback Travis Jay. The defense was a mess in 2020, but there is hope that it will be improved in 2021.

Prediction

Until Florida State can show signs of a legitimate turnaround, it’s best to bet against the Seminoles. Notre Dame has a sizable talent advantage and should be a double-digit favorite.

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