Can Jameis Winston keep Florida State unbeaten through yet another off-field controversy/scandal/distraction/you pick the word? That's the question when No. 5 Notre Dame comes to Tallahassee for Saturday night's game vs. the No. 2 Seminoles.
How to watch Notre Dame vs. Florida State: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Two unbeaten, top-five teams meet Saturday night in Tallahassee.
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
With news of Florida State investigating autographs signed by Winston overshadowing on-field matters this week, it’d be easy to overlook this weekend’s big game vs. the also-unbeaten Fighting Irish. Notre Dame has played just one ranked team (Stanford, ranked No. 14 when the Irish pulled out a 17-14 win on Oct. 4), but brings the nation’s No. 8 scoring defense (17.2 points allowed per game) into the matchup. Against Stanford, Notre Dame held the Cardinal to just 205 yards and a 5-of-16 mark on third downs.
Having taken down North Carolina by just seven points last weekend (and giving up 43 points in the process), Notre Dame knows it has to be on point to really challenge Florida State. If "good" Everett Golson shows up, the Irish just might have a chance to at least keep this one close. That's a big question, though.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Radio: Florida State, Notre Dame
Online streaming: abc.go.com/watch-live
Our sites on these teams
The numbers
Rankings and records: Florida State is 6-0 (4-0 ACC) and ranked No. 2 in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Polls. Notre Dame is also 6-0 and ranked No. 5 in both polls.
Vegas: Florida State opened as a 13.5-point favorite and is now an 11.5-point favorite. Several sportsbooks, however, have taken the game off the board considering the ongoing situation with Winston.
Weather forecast: Sunny, high of 85 and low of 59.
Two things at stake
For Florida State, a loss would strengthen the case for “Jameis Winston: Off-Field DISTRACTION.” It’d also strike a blow to their Playoff hopes, though the Noles’ schedule does get considerably easier after Saturday. None of their remaining opponents is currently ranked and three of the five games left are at home.
For Notre Dame, a loss, while still widely expected, would dampen the early-season hype fostered by Golson’s hot start.
One big matchup
Notre Dame’s passing offense vs. Florida State’s passing defense. Golson has nine turnovers in his last three games, including four interceptions. He tossed two vs. Syracuse and one vs. both Stanford and North Carolina; against the Tar Heels, all three of his turnovers led to touchdowns. Golson’s last “good” outing came vs. Syracuse, when he went 32-of-39 for 362 yards and four touchdowns, but still turned the ball over four times.
Florida State has struggled against some mobile quarterbacks this season (Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, N.C. State’s Jacoby Brissett), but overall it ranks 13th in the country with 324 passing yards allowed per game. Also in the Noles’ favor is that none of the Irish’s four main rushers averages more than 4.7 yards per carry. Needless to say, Golson will have the ball in his hands a lot. If he’s pressured into making decisions quicker than he’d like, FSU could be in prime position.
Further reading
For more on Florida State, Tomahawk Nation has all you need... and more. For more on Notre Dame, head to One Foot Down.
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