ACC Championship Game 2023: Early Preview, Predictions for Louisville vs. FSU
The ACC Championship Game carries the least amount of buzz of any conference title contest.
The Florida State Seminoles are undefeated, but they come into Charlotte with a backup quarterback running their offense.
The Louisville Cardinals lost any buzz about their season when they fell to the Kentucky Wildcats in their regular-season finale.
Florida State is the only team with significant stakes on the line on Saturday night, as it needs a win to get into the College Football Playoff.
Louisville should embrace the role of spoiler, and if it pulls off the upset, it might be able to sneak into a New Years' Six bowl, but the potential of that was dashed a lot by the loss to Kentucky.
Tate Rodemaker Under Pressure to Play Well
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Florida State's national title hopes lie with backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker.
The Seminoles managed their first game without starting signal-caller Jordan Travis, a win over the Florida Gators.
Rodemaker completed under half of his 26 passes and threw for just 134 yards. FSU managed 90 yards on 31 carries in support of the backup.
The FSU defense stole the show, as it held the Gators, who used their own backup quarterback, to 86 passing yards.
FSU needs a similarly strong defensive performance to slow down Louisville and put Rodemaker in the best possible position to win.
Rodemaker could use a better performance through the air to prove that the Seminoles can contend in the CFB Playoff. A win would put the undefeated ACC champion into the playoff.
Rodemaker does not need a 300-yard day, but if he manages the game better and makes some more important throws, trust will begin to grow that FSU can compete after Saturday.
Louisville Needs to Bounce Back
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Louisville was the only top 10 team to lose to an unranked foe during Rivalry Week.
The Cardinals dropped to 10-2 in a 38-31 defeat to the Kentucky Wildcats in which they turned the ball over on three occasions.
Louisville outgained Kentucky 403-289, but it made mistakes in pivotal moments, which is a bad sign for the ACC Championship Game.
Saturday's loss was one of two disappointments in big spots for the Cardinals this season. They lost to the Pittsburgh Panthers one week after they upset the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at home.
The Cardinals are in need of a bounce-back performance to contend with FSU, and to also make a late push at the New Years' Six bowls.
However, that may not be possible if the FSU defense contains Jack Plummer and Co. The Seminoles allowed 20 points or fewer in each of their last eight games.
Prediction
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Florida State 24, Louisville 10
Florida State's defense will be its key to victory in Charlotte.
The Seminoles played an elite level of defense regardless of who was at quarterback, and that should help them gain an advantage against Louisville.
Jared Verse and Co. will be expected to get plenty of pressure on Plummer when he steps back to pass, and that could result in some quick Louisville drives.
Rodemaker must perform better than he did against Florida, and if he manages the game well and receives some support in the rushing game from Trey Benson, the Seminoles should be fine.
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