Virginia vs. Florida State: Latest Spread Info, BCS Impact and Predictions

Two teams that are fighting for positioning in the Atlantic Coast Conference face off this week, as the Virginia Cavaliers (7-3, 4-2) head to Tallahassee to play the No. 25 Florida State Seminoles (7-3, 5-2). 

Virginia still has an outside chance at winning the ACC Coastal division, as they sit just one game out of first place. However, Florida State has turned around a season that went south after a three-game losing streak. 

Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida

When: Saturday Nov. 19: 7:30 PM ET

Watch: ESPN-2 and ESPN-3.com

Spread

According to Bodog, the spread on this game has Florida State favored by 17.5 points. Take the Cavaliers in this game, as Florida State is good, but they aren’t good enough to beat this Virginia team by 18 or more points. 

Over/Under

According to Bodog, the over/under for this game is 47 points. Take the under in this game, as both teams come into this game ranked in the top 40 of average points against a game. This game will be a tight defensive contest with the game coming down to a game winning field goal. 

Key Injuries for Virginia

LB Daquan Romero is questionable with a “lower body” injury. Lower body could mean a lot of things, as it has caused Romero to miss the last two games.  

WR Bobby Smith is questionable with a “lower body” injury. Another lower body injury that has made Smith miss eight straight games.  

WR Matt Snyder is out with a foot injury. This injury may make Snyder miss the rest of the season. 

Key Injuries for Florida State

CB Xavier Rhodes is questionable for Saturday’s game with a hip injury. 

OL Henry Orelus is questionable with a head injury. The injury to his head has caused Orelus to miss the last two games.  

DT Darious Cummings is questionable with an hand injury. The injury has made Cummings miss four straight games. 

BCS/Top-25 Poll Implications

For Virginia, a loss will end any chance they had in making the ACC Championship Game and a BCS bowl bid. They are unranked but still have a shot at crashing into the BCS scene.  

Florida State's BCS dreams are long gone, but they still can make their way into a nice bowl game. A win will continue their rise back up the polls. While a loss will send them back to being unranked. 

Keys to a Virginia Win

Quarterback Michael Rocco has to have a big game on Saturday. Over the last three games, Rocco has led the charge for three wins. In each game Rocco has had two touchdowns, while only throwing one interception total. 

He has to have another mistake-free game for Virginia to pull the upset this week.

Wide receiver Kris Burd needs to have a big game like he did against Maryland. In that Maryland win, he took the game over by catching nine passes for 112 yards. If Burd can get open space this week, it will make for a long day for the Seminoles. 

Keys to a Florida State Win

The Florida State defense must dominate the ball from the first quarter to the end of the game. Over their five-game winning streak, they have dominated on defense, as they have not allowed an opponent to score more than 20 points in the last five games.  

Florida State has to get quarterback E.J. Manuel playing at a high level this week. During this five-game winning streak, Manuel has thrown a touchdown pass in each game, while throwing for over 200 yards in three of those five games.  

Manuel has to find his receivers down field for big plays to bust this game wide open on Saturday. If he can, it will force this Virginia team to try to keep up with the offense, which they will not do.

Prediction

This game will be a slugfest between two defensive-minded teams. It will be close. However, when the dust settles in this game, it will be Florida State who ends Virginia’s chances at sneaking into a BCS bowl game and the ACC Championship Game.  

Florida State 24 - Virginia 21

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