First off, just wanted to say I'm looking forward to conversing with Ole Miss fans as our game gets closer and closer.
There are a couple of big story lines for this game. There is the ACC vs SEC angle. At FSU we love playing in these big time Non-Conference matchups because for the most part a lot of our ACC games just simply aren't competitive. There are about 4 or 5 teams in the ACC that can give us a competitive game and only 1 where I go into the game feeling like it is evenly matched. That would be Clemson. Then the only SEC team we play on a Regular basis is Florida. That series has gone back and forth but we've had a pretty good streak on them lately with winning 5 of the last 6 in the series. So it is nice to get to play an SEC team other than UF that is a good team.
You really don't see these kinds of ACC/SEC matchups very often. By that I mean matches that are close to even. You see a lot of SEC/ACC games where the game is a mismatch and it works both way. For instance the ACC is 7-1 against the SEC East the past two years on Rivarly weekend yet looking at the games that would have been expected going in based on the Spread. Same thing on the ACC/SEC matchups that the SEC has won. A lot of them were favorable matchups. But I'd definitely say overall there are more really good teams in the SEC (particularly the SEC West) than there are in other conferences.
So that is what is exciting about this matchup is that it is a Non-Conference matchup between two teams that both have National Championship aspirations playing on a big stage.
As to my thoughts on the game. I think there are advantages both sides have. 1) Chad Kelly being back gives Ole Miss a pretty big edge at that position. If Maguire stays the Nole starter then Kelly would be a big edge. If Deondre Francois (#1 dual threat QB in 2015 class) wins the job then talent wise the gap narrows but Francois would be inexperienced in that kind of environment. 2) On the flip side, overall Ole Miss returns 9 starters while FSU returns 16 starters. So taking the QB out of the equation, FSU returns more experienced players overall. Doesn't mean first time starters can't handle it but they haven't been tested in performing on that kind of stage. 3) I am interested in seeing the crowd distribution with the game being in Orlando. You'd think there'd be a pretty big advantage for the Noles there but I'm sure Ole Miss will travel well as Orlando is only an 8 hour drive from Oxford.
Anyway, here's to a good game and some good discussion leading up to the game.
There are a couple of big story lines for this game. There is the ACC vs SEC angle. At FSU we love playing in these big time Non-Conference matchups because for the most part a lot of our ACC games just simply aren't competitive. There are about 4 or 5 teams in the ACC that can give us a competitive game and only 1 where I go into the game feeling like it is evenly matched. That would be Clemson. Then the only SEC team we play on a Regular basis is Florida. That series has gone back and forth but we've had a pretty good streak on them lately with winning 5 of the last 6 in the series. So it is nice to get to play an SEC team other than UF that is a good team.
You really don't see these kinds of ACC/SEC matchups very often. By that I mean matches that are close to even. You see a lot of SEC/ACC games where the game is a mismatch and it works both way. For instance the ACC is 7-1 against the SEC East the past two years on Rivarly weekend yet looking at the games that would have been expected going in based on the Spread. Same thing on the ACC/SEC matchups that the SEC has won. A lot of them were favorable matchups. But I'd definitely say overall there are more really good teams in the SEC (particularly the SEC West) than there are in other conferences.
So that is what is exciting about this matchup is that it is a Non-Conference matchup between two teams that both have National Championship aspirations playing on a big stage.
As to my thoughts on the game. I think there are advantages both sides have. 1) Chad Kelly being back gives Ole Miss a pretty big edge at that position. If Maguire stays the Nole starter then Kelly would be a big edge. If Deondre Francois (#1 dual threat QB in 2015 class) wins the job then talent wise the gap narrows but Francois would be inexperienced in that kind of environment. 2) On the flip side, overall Ole Miss returns 9 starters while FSU returns 16 starters. So taking the QB out of the equation, FSU returns more experienced players overall. Doesn't mean first time starters can't handle it but they haven't been tested in performing on that kind of stage. 3) I am interested in seeing the crowd distribution with the game being in Orlando. You'd think there'd be a pretty big advantage for the Noles there but I'm sure Ole Miss will travel well as Orlando is only an 8 hour drive from Oxford.
Anyway, here's to a good game and some good discussion leading up to the game.
