Florida State vs. Oklahoma: Final Countdown

The date is finally here. The rematch with Oklahoma that has been on the minds of every Florida State player for a year now is just over 24 hours away. The state of Florida is buzzing, every sports radio station is talking about it and every critic or writer is weighing in on the possibility of a Florida State upset.

There's no turning back now and Florida State will have to put up or shut up. Florida State has a great opportunity here, not just for themselves, but for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Teams in the ACC have lost 32 consecutive games against top five teams. That's too many contests lost and too many setbacks for the ACC.

Now Florida State has a chance to change that. They also have a chance to put their name back on the map as an elite program.

Florida State's Offensive Line vs Oklahomas Defensive Line

The 2010 Florida State offensive line was much better than the 2011 version, and that's going to be a problem for the 'Noles on Saturday.

Rodney Hudson and Ryan McMahon are gone. Their replacements, Jacob Fahrenkrug and Bryan Stork, still have a ways to go to fit a comparison. Andrew Datko, Zebrie Sanders and David Spurlock are still around, however, and they will have their hands full.

Oklahoma's defensive line is one of the best in the country led by defensive end Ronnell Lewis. Opposite Lewis is Frank Alexander and the tackles, Casey Walker and Jamarkus McFarland, are monsters in the middle.

The game will have plenty of battles between these two units, but on paper it looks like Oklahoma might have the upper hand.

Florida State Secondary vs Ryan Broyles

Oklahoma has a plethora of offensive talent, but public enemy number one is Ryan Broyles.

Broyles has had a remarkable career at Oklahoma and he will most likely own all of the major receiving records in the history of college football.

Last season, Broyles had 12 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. He completely dominated the Seminoles secondary.

The pressure is solely on the secondary. The front seven for Florida State is one of the best in the country, especially the line, but the secondary has been very suspect.

Under Mickey Andrews, the scheme was man coverage; now it's a zone scheme and the secondary is still getting adjusted. After the debacle against Oklahoma last season, the secondary started to hit their stride and now the secondary looks like it might be up to the task of covering all of the Oklahoma receivers, not just Ryan Broyles.

The combination of Greg Reid, Xavier Rhodes and Mike Harris at cornerback along with true freshman Nick Waisome will need to play at their very best. In addition, safeties LaMarcus Joyner and Terrance Parks will need to play exceptional.

Expect the secondary to put up more of a fight this time around.

Florida State's Running Game

Florida State has a luxury in the backfield—five capable running backs.

Chris Thompson, Ty Jones, Jermaine Thomas, Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. are all capable of carrying the load, but the lingering fact is that the combination of running backs have failed to hit the ground running in the first two games against a couple of cupcakes.

Thompson has been hurt, Thomas isn't the same running back he was two years ago and Jones is struggling. Freeman and Wilder Jr. are just babies in the backfield looking for their window of opportunity, which may have come last week for Wilder Jr. when he rushed 10 times for 76 yards.

Thompson, Jones, and Thomas are all "scat backs," not built for power. That means that Freeman and Wilder Jr. may be called on early in order to get the small yards that are needed on third and possibly fourth downs.

The Oklahoma front seven will supply plenty of difficulties for the rushing attack by the Seminoles, but the five backs in the backfield should prove to be able to move the ball and gain yards on the ground.

Home Field Advantage

Last year, Florida State had to make the trip to Norman, Oklahoma to play the Sooners in their own backyard. Now it's Florida State's turn to host the game.

In the 90's, teams couldn't buy a win at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. That's changed in recent years and the 'Noles haven't defended their home field as well.

That doesn't mean it's easy for teams to find a win and it certainly won't be easy for Oklahoma. Oklahoma will be in a large environment full of screaming Florida State fans waiting for their every mistake and pouncing all over them when they make it.

The crowd will be fully energized for the entire contest and that should give the Sooners problems. Not to say the crowd will determine the outcome, but they will definitely help.

Brandon Jenkins and the Florida State Defensive Line

Arguably the most important player on the Florida State defense against the Oklahoma Sooners is defensive end Brandon Jenkins.

Jenkins is one of the best defensive ends in the country. He had an amazing first year as a starter last season and that production needs to carry over to this year. He has one sack and three tackles for loss so far this season, but those were against lesser opponents.

Jenkins will be going up against a very good offensive line for Oklahoma. He will have his work cut out for him and he will most likely be getting double teamed, which could give the other members of the Florida State defensive line opportunities to make plays.

Bjoern Werner, Tank Carradine, Everett Dawkins, Anthony McCloud, Jacobbi McDaniel and Cameron Erving will all see plenty of playing time and will need to prove their worth against Oklahoma's offensive line.

E.J. Manuel

Last, but certainly not least, E.J. Manuel. The new face of Florida State is the leader of the team and the player that will determine if Florida State is successful or not against Oklahoma.

It's not right to rest all of the responsibility on just one player, but in this particular situation it fits. Manuel will need to play perfect, or close to it, in order for the 'Noles to win. He's a big quarterback that provides another element than what Christian Ponder provided.

Manuel is healthy, he's mobile and he has a strong arm. He has plenty of knowledge of the playbook and knows how to direct this offense. Now the only thing left to do is prove that he can do it against a top-notch team, or in this case—the top ranked team in the country.

Manuel has been poised and ready for this game all offseason and will get his chance to put his mark on the history books of Florida State with an enormous win against Oklahoma. The only thing left to do for Manuel is win.