Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/396685
GAME PREVIEW: FLORIDA STATE were a double-digit underdog to a team ranked below them — but built an amazing 34-10 lead before a couple of late FSU touchdowns made the final score a more respectable 34-24. Almost 10 years to the day later, Oct. 27, 2012, Notre Dame faced a vir- tually identical situation, this time at Oklahoma. Notre Dame was 7-0, ranked in the top five and had an excellent defense that ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring defense, but its offense was classified as "a work in progress." The Sooners were 79-4 (.952) in their last 83 home games, and the Irish were expected to be exposed as a fraud, even being installed as a double-digit underdog to a team ranked below it. Lo and behold, just like against Florida State in 2002, the Irish made believers of many and improved to 8-0 with a 30-13 triumph against the Sooners. This year, the themes are similar. Unbeaten, top-five Notre Dame on the road with a stellar defense and an of- fense, specifically the line, trying to make progress. The venue is Florida State again, and this time the home team is the defending national cham- pion with a 22-game winning streak. This one will require the best effort of all from the Irish. ✦ Predictions Douglas Farmer: Notre Dame 34, Florida State 27 Notre Dame has exceeded expectations to date. Florida State has fallen beneath them. With identi- cal 6-0 records, one program is thrilled and beginning to dream, while the other is frustrated, though relieved to still have title hopes. Those opposite headings of momentum may be enough for Notre Dame to overcome a hostile road atmosphere. Tom Loy: Florida State 34, Notre Dame 31 The Irish will hang with the Seminoles in this battle of two of the top teams in the country. However, FSU quarterback Jameis Winston will prove to be too much, and his dual-threat abilities will be a thorn in the side of the defense. The Seminoles win this one late. Andrew Owens: Florida State 37, Notre Dame 34 This is it — the game Notre Dame fans have been waiting for since last December's schedule release. Beat the Seminoles and Notre Dame is in the driver's seat for a College Football Playoff berth. Expect the Irish to be a worthy opposition for Jameis Winston and Co., but a late fourth-quarter score will prevent Notre Dame from pulling off the upset. Lou Somogyi: Florida State 27, Notre Dame 24 Every fiber of my being smells a 2002 Florida State or 2012 Oklahoma type of upset, especially because the Seminoles seem ripe for one. But 21 years of not being quite the same since the 1993 victory over Florida State — other than a dramatic 2012 regular season — leaves one a tad gun shy to be too bold.