Florida State Seminoles vs Virginia Tech Hokies
Saturday, 12/4/10, 7:45 PM EDT, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Virginia Tech -4.5
Current Betting Line: Virginia Tech -3
Opening Total: 51
Current Total: 52
Florida State and Virginia Tech will square off Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina for the 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. The Seminoles are vying for their record-tying 13th ACC title in 19 seasons of league membership. The program carries a three-game winning streak into the contest on the heels of its first nine-win regular season finish since 2003. “You know, Florida State’s just got that name,” said Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer. He should know, as FSU leads the all-time series with the Hokies, 22-11-1. The Seminoles have won 13 of the last 14 meetings between the schools and boast an 8-1 record against the Hokies with Beamer on the sideline. The team is 10-14 ATS versus conference opponents over the last three years and currently a field-goal favorite on the college football lines page.
The Seminoles know that they can’t solely rely on a name to pick up a victory in tonight’s game and will be led by quarterback Christian Ponder. “They’re always competing at the ACC championship level and they’ve been pretty much in every ACC championship game, and so I think they’re ahead of us right now,” he stated. Ponder has 6,866 career passing yards, ranking him fourth in school history, while he has recorded a 21-12 record as a starter. Defensively, the team gets after the quarterback in a big way, ranking second nationally with 43 sacks. The Seminoles are averaging 3.58 sacks per game and trail only Boise State (3.73).
Virginia Tech will be making its fourth appearance in the ACC Championship Game, by far the most of any conference team. The Hokies lost to Florida State in the inaugural game in 2005 in Jacksonville, beat Boston College in 2007 in Jacksonville and beat Boston College in 2008 in Tampa. It’s interesting to note that the program is 0-3 all-time in games played in Charlotte, but two of those games took place in the 19th century. The team has won 10 or more games in 10 of its last 12 seasons and became the first ACC team to win all eight of its regular season conference games since today’s opponent in 2000. Virginia Tech is 7-1 ATS against conference opponents this year.
The Hokies are led by quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who is one of just two active FBS quarterbacks in the career 2,000 rushing/6,000 passing yard club, Taylor has rushed for 2,150 yards and passed for 6,532. He has started 40 games and won 33 of them, which is the most wins for a signal caller in school history. Defensively, Virginia Tech has been able to force 12 turnovers in the last two games, including seven interceptions, giving them the top spot in the nation with a +1.36 turnover ratio.
Bettors will be interested in knowing that the Seminoles are 1-4 ATS in their last five conference games, while the Hokies are 14-3 ATS as a favorite.
The college football handicappers at Maddux Sports are ready for a huge day of winning to close out the regular season. Join them today!
