Can Georgia Tech Bounce Back Against Florida State?

Florida State at Georgia Tech
Saturday 3:30 PM
Line: GT -2

FSU and Georgia Tech meet on Saturday in an important ACC showdown. The Seminoles are trying to maintain a first-place tie in the Atlantic Division while Georgia Tech is trying to crawl back into the Coastal Division race. FSU has won four in a row, while Georgia Tech had a four-game winning streak stopped last week against Virginia.

FSU Offense vs. Georgia Tech Defense

The FSU offense has improved over the last few years mainly due to a revived running game led by Antone Smith. Smith is helping FSU average close to 200 yards per game on the ground. Quarterback Christian Ponder has been slowly improving on the watch of offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. Ponder is completing 57 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and six interceptions. The FSU offensive line is young, but athletic.

Georgia Tech's defense had been carrying the team until last week, when the unit could not get Virginia's offense off the field. The defensive line is one of the best in the ACC, led by three seniors. The linebackers are a young group who is great against the run but has not against the pass. The secondary is led by sophomore Morgan Burnett. This unit is very young, though, and could be starting two true freshman.

Georgia Tech Offense vs. FSU Defense

Ga. Tech's offense has had its ups and downs this season. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt has had a similar season, struggling with fumbles but making plays with his feet. Running back Jonathan Dwyer is a load at B-back, but around him the depth is thin. The offensive line has the toughest job of learning the new system and executing it. Last week, the O-line had a bad game, and its play largely determines how well GT moves the ball.

For all the struggles of FSU over the past few years, the defense under defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews has remained a constant. The run defense is very strong, giving up under 80 yards per game. The pass defense is a little less formidable, but not by much, giving up 170 yards per contest. However, the strongest part of the FSU defense is its third-down conversion rate, in which it is allowing under a 20 percent success.

Prediction

I thought Georgia Tech would lose one more game in the ACC, but I did not expect it to happen last week. The Seminoles are on a run and improving each week. This is a gut-check week for Paul Johnson's team after last week. I think the Yellow Jackets play better this week, but it will not be enough against FSU's tough defense.

Florida State 23, Georgia Tech 20
FSU Covers +2

Last Week: 3-2 ATS, 3-2 SU
Season: 23-9-2 ATS, 23-11 SU

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