With Thursday's primetime matchup before us, here is the FSU/Louisville preview. Look for the rest of our previews later!
The CFB Playoff #2 team in the nation, Florida State, will be tested for probably the last time this regular season by new ACC member Louisville. It will be strength vs. strength under the lights in Louisville. The Seminoles offense has had some hiccups this year, but still remains one of the best units in the country and will be tested against perhaps the nation’s best defense. This may have been the first time Jameis Winston wasn’t under severe media scrutiny. Rather, it was his backfield mate Karlos Williams. However, Williams appears to be ready to play, which will be important since Mario Pender appears to be injured. Injuries have hit Florida State’s team hard this year; defections haven’t been the only source of lost personnel. Linebackers E.J. Levenberry, Jacob Pugh, and Ukeme Eligwe are all expected to miss this one. Right on cue, former five-star recruit Matthew Thomas was cleared to play last game. His play, along with Terrance Smith, will be crucial as the Seminoles will try to make QB Will Gardner beat them. Gardner is completing 57% of his passes and boasts an impressive 11/2 TD/INT ratio. Those numbers are sure to improve because of the return of arguably the nation’s best receiver, Devante Parker. Last week in his first game this season, Parker caught 9 passes for 132 yards. NFL talent evaluators will be drooling as they watch Parker go against the likes of PJ Williams, Ronald Darby, and the rest of the Florida State secondary. Parker’s presence will be huge because if Louisville can score 30 points or more, I expect the Cardinal defense to limit Florida State to its worst offensive performance of the season. The nation’s top total defense has the horses up front to pressure Jameis Winston. Winston has actually been sacked fewer times per game than he was last season, but has been under noticeably more pressure. Without his safety valve in Kelvin Benjamin, we have seen this lead to a slightly lower level of performance, most notably his TD/INT ratio (2.16 in 2014, 4.0 in 2013). Winston struggled in the first half against Notre Dame, and Louisville’s front is much better. If Winston can come up with a huge performance, his Heisman candidacy may not be completely lost. With Devante Parker back in the lineup, Louisville is coming into this game underrated. This is not just Florida State’s hardest easy game. This is an actual test on the road. Say what you want about Jameis Winston, but on the field he has never lost. I anticipate this game to be close, but Winston’s presence under center to prevail. Florida State 26 Louisville 23