ACC Championship: 5 Story Lines in FSU vs GT

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The ACC Championship Game pits the Florida State Seminoles against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets tomorrow night in Charlotte’s very own Bank of America stadium. Here are five Story Lines to consider going into the big game.

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1. Florida State must win to make the playoff

The Seminoles have been unbeaten all year, but their schedule has not developed quite how they hoped. Oklahoma State and Notre Dame turned out to be less than exciting teams. FSU did beat Clemson, NC State, and Louisville, but only by close margins.

The Seminoles sit fourth in the playoff ranking right now and will not survive a loss. The Committee would love to resolve the TCU-Baylor issue by putting both in the bracket and avoiding a discussion of the value of head-to-head this year.

2. Can the Florida State defense stop the option?

Unlike the ACC Coastal Division or Clemson, Florida State does not face the Yellow Jackets every year. The offense will be completely foreign to them. They also have not seen cut-blocking all year.

The Seminoles had a hard time keeping opponents off the field early in the year. The option is designed to keep them on the field even more and wear them down. This game could come down to who has the ball last.

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NC State vs Tennessee: 2023-24 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
NC State vs Tennessee: 2023-24 college basketball game preview, TV schedule /

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  • 3. Is Georgia Tech destined for the Orange Bowl?

    The Yellow Jackets may be playing for a trip to Miami no matter what. If they win, they are guaranteed the Orange Bowl slot. If they lose, then Florida State goes to the playoff and Tech should still be the choice for the Orange Bowl. Of course a victory by Tech would have a domino effect down the bowl chain for the other ACC teams.

    4. Can Jameis Winston play his way back into the Heisman race in the ACC Championship game?

    No. Winston has 21 touchdowns to 17 interceptions on the year. He would have to have an All-Time game to even get a whiff.

    5. Will Paul Johnson get any credit?

    Also no. Even if they win, people will point to the scatter-brained nature of the ACC Coastal Division and say that any opponent with a month to prepare for the option can take it down.