Herbie Doesn't Know Football

Final thoughts on the college bowl season:

* Can someone explain to me why two inferior bowls were sandwiched between the BCS bowl games and the national championship game? Don't understand it.

* Can we now say out loud that Ohio State did not deserve to be in the national championship game? I think there are at least four teams in the SEC that could have beaten Ohio State. Ohio State's bowl record against SEC? Buckeyes are 0-9 against the SEC.

* The most mismatched bowl game had to be the Georgia-Hawaii game. Hawaii should never have been in a BCS bowl. Georgia defense was awesome.

* So how far have the salaries of college football coaches come? Well, SMU has just hired Hawaii head coach June Jones to a 5-year deal worth about $2 million per year. SMU?

* So what about some of the other bowls and my awards?

Fold Like A Cheap Chair Award- Clemson for once again folding against Auburn.

The Who Cares Award- GMAC bowl with Tulsa beating Bowling Green 63-7.

Good Karma Award- All around decent guy and retiring Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr whose team beat the ever cocky Gators. Also, I think it was bush league for new Michigan head coach Rich Rodriquez to be on sidelines and take the spotlight away from Lloyd Carr.

The Kirk Herbstreit "Homer" Award- Goes to Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Florida who all lost their bowl games. Seems that Herbie really doesn't know much about football other than to be a homer or shill for certain teams.

"... I'm not going to give the spot back."

"Once I get the offense down, that's the priority," he said. "Once I get on the field, I'm not going to give the spot back."
Quarterback E. J. Manuel, FSU verbal commit from Virginia, commenting about his future at FSU after the Under Armour All-American game

Graham Off To Junior College...Suspensions Will Be Four Games...Report To NCAA Soon

* Last year heralded tight end Brandon Warren left FSU to head back home to Tennessee. Now this year tight end Charlie Graham has left FSU to go to junior college due to grades. FSU is hopeful that Graham may be back by summer. In 2007, Graham has 11 catches for 84 yards and one TD. This leaves only sophomore Caz Piurowski as the only scholarship tight end. The Noles have one tight end commit for 2008 and are looking at another.

* Remember Bobby Bowden saying that suspensions for involved football players would be 3.6 games or 30 percent of 12 games. However, published reports are saying that FSU President T.K Wetherell is saying that the number will be rounded up to four games.

* And what about the academic fraud report that FSU is currently completing to be sent to the NCAA ? According to Wetherell, the committee is close and is hoping that the report will be sent within the next two weeks. The report is said to contain among other things self-proclaimed sanctions and possibly including the loss of scholarships.

Breaking Down The Numbers: Scoring Offense

FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher has now been named as "coach in waiting" as the successor to legendary Bobby Bowden. It might be helpful to look at the offense for the Noles under Fisher's leadership and see if there was any noticeable improvement in 2007.

With the hiring of Jeff Bowden as the offensive coordinator in 2001, the FSU offense spiraled downward while at the same time Bobby Bowden vigorously defended his son.

In 2007, the offensive coaching staff underwent almost a complete change. Beside Fisher, Rick Trickett was hired as the offensive line coach from West Virginia. In addition, former Nole great Dexter Carter was brought in as running backs coach. Another former Nole, Lawrence Dawsey was hired as the receivers coach. Chuck Amato was also rehired as the linebackers coach.

It would be naive to judge Fisher on one year but at the same time we can see if the Noles gained any ground in 2007 and if discernible improvements were made in any key areas.

These posts will look at all the major numbers from a national and ACC perspective and attempt to gauge any progress. We will look at 2006 before Jimbo Fisher and 2007.The national rankings will be based on 119 teams and the ACC rankings on 12 teams.

Stat: Scoring Offense- FSU averaged 22.9 points in 2007

ACC Ranking: 2006- #2 2007- #8

National Ranking: 2006- #45 2007- #90

This stat tells it all for the FSU offense in 2007. The Noles were clearly unable to put points on the board. On offense, the Noles in 2007 lost some notable players in running back Lorenzo Booker and wide receiver Chris Davis to graduation. Booker in 2006 rushed for 616 yards and 4 TDs while Davis had 684 receiving yards and 4 TDs. Antone Smith replaced Booker with Bobby Bowden saying that Smith should rush for 1,000 yards in 2007. However, that did not happen due to Smith being injured as well as his inability to find holes and run between the tackles.

One of the keys on offense was that FSU had an offensive line that was a work in progress as well as the fact that the Noles did not have any playmakers with the exception of Preston Parker. Three players accounted for 73% of the 15 receiving TDS in 2007-Parker(3), Fagg(5), and Carr(4).The big drop off was with Greg Carr who scored 12 TDs in 2006. Fagg did improve but he was erratic in his performance.

There is no question that FSU must recruit some players that are capable of being play makers on offense. Parker will be back in 2007 but he has to heave help and it is still unknown whether Carr will be back in 2008. My guess is that Carr will not be a high NFL draft projection so he should be back.

The question of quarterback is also one that needs to be addressed. Do you go with senior Drew Weatherford who is a safe choice but who is an average quarterback or do you opt for someone else? These are questions that Fisher needs to address. And Bobby Bowden could be an obstacle to some of those decisions.

"So many questions, such uncertainty...."

" So many questions, such uncertainty, for a program that at one time was a rock of consistency in the college football world. "
Tom D'Angelo,Palm Beach Post

Julio Jones On Nole List

The Noles are still in hot pursuit for the number one ranked wide receiver in the nation, Julio Jones. The 6-4 and 212 pound receiver from Foley, Alabama is a guy that all the major schools are hoping to land on national signing on February 6.

In yesterday's Under Armour All-America High School Football Game, Jones was fighting being double-teamed all game but managed to catch six balls for 97 yards.

And just what kind of guy is he? “A lot of wide receivers can catch the ball and run but you’re not the only person out there. You can’t take a play off for yourself and miss a block. I just go out there and play for the guy next to me. If I have to go out there and make a block for this guy, I will but I expect the same thing in return.” Sounds like the kind of receiver that the Noles need in light of comments made in 2007 about taking plays off.

FSU commit E. J. Manuel contacts him periodically with text messages trying to convince him to commit to the Noles but Jones has said that he will not make his decision until National Signing day.

So what are his skills? Here is what one recruiting service has to say about Jones. "Jones has a great combination of size, speed, quickness, and athleticism. He is tough over the middle and can get behind the secondary. Jones can take the short pass and make the first defender miss or run right through him. He's so dangerous with the ball in his hands because of his sheer size, power, speed and elusiveness. Jones has very good balance and super vision. Jones is also super in the air and he has great hands."

Jones has scheduled five official visits- they are Alabama(12/8),Florida State(1/11),Florida (1/19), Oklahoma (1/26) and Texas Tech (2/2). Whichever school he finally chooses will be one that his mother is comfortable with also. As she states, “I want them to take care of him like I take care of him at home. I don’t want him to go out and get buck wild.”

Small Minds In Nole Land

I had occasion to read some comments today from another FSU site regarding my blog that to say the least were dishonest and classless. This from another site that if you have a problem sleeping, you won't after reading it. That is, if you can get past the pages crowded with ads. There is some "content" among the ads. Of course I use content in the most generous of terms.

This particular site is upset at me because in the past I had the audacity to question Bobby Bowden and his hiring of Jeff Bowden. The nerve of me. So if you can't simply do your own thing, start attacking others.

Very classy guys. The kind of guys that would never take someone on individually but would have their sycophants along to bolster their small egos. Guys that would rather deal with you in a dark alley. Look up the word sleazy in the dictionary and these guys would be there.

ACC Hits Bottom...Crew Cut Charlie Popular...Rich Surprised

Thoughts and comments on college football this week:

* As those of us who have followed ACC football know, ACC football was terrible this year. Now the entire nation knows. ACC teams played in eight bowl games this year and won only two games. Wake Forest and Boston College were the only teams to be victorious in their bowl games.

* Wonder if Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN will now stop hyping Oklahoma after they lost their fourth straight BCS bowl game ?

* Apparently there is no correlation between the success of a team and how they recruit. At least if you are Notre Dame and crew cut Charlie Weis. They won three games in 2007 and yet they are currently ranked number one in the recruiting rankings for 2008.

* You have to admire the gall of former West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriquez who bailed for Michigan. First he says that he was caught off guard by all the hard feelings left behind at West Virginia, his alma mater and the place he spent the last seven seasons."It's been difficult and it's been a little disappointing to be honest with you," he said. This from a guy that last year got a huge salary increase and said that he was going nowhere.

He also says that he was surprised by the university's decision to collect a $4 million buyout by filing suit in court.The suit surprised Rodriguez. "I was obviously disappointed to read in the paper and see on the news I was getting sued," he said. "I don't think that's normal. That's not normal protocol. Is Rich serious? Not normal protocol? I guess he meant the university should just forget collecting on the buyout and that would be normal to Rich. Kudos to WVa for pursuing this. Coaches need to start being held accountable.

PJ Says No To Noles - Opts For LSU

FSU once could get some of the top rated corners in the country who wanted to come to FSU and be like Deion- no more.

The LSU football program picked up one of the nation's most prized football recruits Saturday afternoon when five-star cornerback Patrick Johnson of Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Florida gave his verbal commitment to LSU.

"My decision is that I want to spend my next couple years at LSU," Johnson said. "I feel comfortable with Les Miles."

Johnson visited LSU officially in October and was a verbal commitment to the University of Miami until he recently eliminated the Hurricanes from consideration.
He chose LSU over Florida and Florida State.

It is an understatement to say that FSU is in need of some quality players for the secondary.

Do Noles Have A Shot At Landing PJ ?

One of the areas that the Noles need to improve in is the secondary. Someone that could help in that area is 2008 recruit Patrick Johnson. PJ as he is called is a 6-1 corner from Pompano Beach, Florida. He is ranked as the number one corner in the nation this year. Do the Noles have a shot at landing him?

I'm about 90 percent solid right now," Johnson admits. "I'm still committed to Miami. I love Miami. It's a great city and I love all the support they have. Everybody loves them. I also like coach Randy Shannon.

Scouting services describe Johnson as a physcially dominant cornerback who has the prototypical size and excellent top-end and makeup speed to combine into an excellent defensive back prospect. He attacks routes with violence and yet still able to have a sense of awareness of the play. Moves well laterally and explodes out of his dig to the ball. Excellent range and can play well out of man and zone coverage.

Despite his almost 100% committment to Miami, sources are saying that the Noles still have a shot at landing him. In the past, four schools were said to be in the mix for landing the talented corner- Florida, Miami, LSU and Southern Cal. FSU did offer him a scholarship on December 14 and there are rumors that the Noles have a shot.

So who or what is the unknown factor in this? Two words- Nigel Bradham. Bradham is the five star linebacker that is a solid commitment to the Noles. Bradham and Johnson are roommates at the Army All-American Game. Bradham has been lobbying Johnson hard this week during practices for the game to become a Nole. He has told Johnson that he has a chance to play a lot given the loss of players for the Noles next year.

Bradham says that PJ is keeping everything close to the vest but feels that it will come down to UF and FSU. It is interesting that the official bowl site does not even list FSU as one of the schools that he is looking at for making a commit. Patrick Johnson will be making his decision on Saturday at the Army All-American Game. The bowl game can be seen on NBC at noon EST this Saturday.

"One Play Away" Tommy Boy...Campbell Heads To NFL...Bama-Clemson Matchup

* Bobby Bowden talks about being one or two players away. Now Tommy Bowden is talking about being one play away. Like father like son. Tommy Bowden after folding again with a loss to Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Bowl said that his Tigers are just one play away. “When you’re losing by 20 or 30 (points), you’re not one play away,” Bowden said.

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have to keep saying that. At one point in time, based on experience, we are going to make that one play to put us in a championship game or in a BCS bowl game. I think as close as we’ve been for that amount of time, it’s eventually going to happen.” Sure Tommy.

* Miami Hurricanes defensive end Calais Campbell made it official Thursday by saying he will skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. A 6-foot-8, 240-pound junior, Campbell is projected as a first-round pick by many analysts. Despite a disappointing season, scouts are still impressed by his size and potential. After having 10 sacks as a sophomore, Campbell finished last year with six sacks, one interception and 50 tackles.

* The Atlanta committee that organized the Chick-fil-A Bowl is expected to announce final plans for Clemson and Alabama to open the 2008 season in the Georgia Dome. Atlanta Sports Council officials have been in negotiations with the schools for months to play the neutral-site game in Atlanta on August 30th, with tickets distributed evenly between the schools. Chick-fil-A Bowl president Gary Stokan said last week that plans for the game were put on hold while the committee focused on the bowl game, but he said talks would resume this week. "One Play Away" Tommy Boy can get another loss early.

Noles In Final Push For Recruiting

With the bowl game over,FSU coaches will be focusing on the final run toward signing day for football recruits on February 6. All schools have been in what is called a "dead period" in which no meeting or evaluations are allowed, and no unofficial or official visits are permitted. This ran from December 18 and ends today.

Starting January 4, there is a so called "quiet period" in which there can be in-person recruiting contact, but only on the college campus. The Noles have at least eight recruits scheduled for on campus visits for January 11 which is shaping up as a key date. Fans will be able to view FSU commits and prospects at the Jan.5 U.S. Army All-American Bowl Game and the Under Armour Bowl Game.

"... best move for Florida State and the league would be for Bowden to retire...."

"The best move for Florida State and the league would be for Bowden to retire and make the natural move into television work. The sooner coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher can launch his restoration plan, the quicker the project will move."
Caulton Tudor, Raleigh News & Observer

Officiating Was An Eight Letter Word

To wrap the Music City Bowl up, here are a few observations:

* Officiating was- how can I say this? T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E ! The offensive interference call on Carr that negated the TD was awful as well as the so called leaping call.

* Bobby Bowden as I had predicted did put on the headsets. As my wife so aptly put it, "Maybe he was listening to country music."

* I am not as sure as ESPN announcer Ron Franklin regarding the NCAA not doing anything to FSU regarding the academic fraud scandal. I will not be surprised to see a full blown investigation by the NCAA.

* Penalties by FSU are a sign of a lack of coaching and discipline. Several FSU players should have been benched for their stupid actions.

* Antone Smith is not as fast as has been reported. If he was, he would have had a TD on the long run that he had in the game.

* Just when you thought Cismesia had turned the corner, he misses a field goal. Not a very good ending to his FSU career.

* Bobby Bowden says that Drew Weatherford is the man next year. Let's hope that QB coach Jimbo Fisher has something to say about that.

Grading The Noles In Music City Bowl

Offensive Line: With the changes on the offensive line, Trickett did a great job for the bowl game. O line only allowed one sack.
Grade: A

Running Game: Smith had 156 yards rushing. The run game was good but tailbacks did not get any TDs.
Grade: B+

QB: Weatherford had 276 yards,1 passing TD and two interceptions. He played about as good as he can.
Grade: B

Receivers: There was one TD by the receivers. Carr and Parker had decent games but not enough to win.
Grade: B

Offensive Coaching: Mixed bag for the offense. Noles did not keep the ball enough to keep depleted Nole defense off the field. Running game probably should have been used more.
Grade: C

Defense and Defensive Coaching: Mickey was dealing with a depleted defense. FSU secondary is a problem that needs help in 2008.
Grade: C-

Penalties: Will it ever get better? Noles had a total of 102 yards in penalties. Unbelievable!
Grade: F

Kicking Game: Cismesia was 0-1 and Gano had a bobble but averaged 57 yards in punts.
Grade: B

Nicholson Tackle Leader In Music City Bowl

Linebacker Derek Nicholson- 13 tackes (4 solo and 9 assists)

Safety Roger Williams - 10 tackles (4 solo and 6 assists)
and one breakup

Safety Myron Rolle- 8 tackles (4 solo and 4 tackles)

Linebacker Geno Hayes- 8 tackles (3 solo and 5 assists)

Corner Tony Carter- 7 tackles (6 solo and 1 assist), one breakup, one fumble recovery, and one interception

Music City Bowl Game Balls

Although the Noles did not prevail, there are some game balls to hand out from the Music City Bowl:

* Corner Tony Carter who had a fumble recovery for a run back and also had one interception returned for a TD.

* Antone Smith who rushed for 156 yards on 17 carries.

* Shared ball for Preston Parker with 105 receiving yards and Greg Carr with 99 yards and one TD.

* The offensive line who had a good game despite the changes and in particular Rodney Hudson at left tackle who played a great game. Offensive line only allowed one sack in the game.

"The ugly reality of right now..."

"The ugly reality of right now: Florida State has lost 12 games the past two years. In the 1990s, Florida State lost 13 games. "
Writer Tom Dienhart for Sporting News commenting on FSU loss in Music City Bowl

"The King" Sings

In honor of "The King", Elvis Presley, and the fact that he recorded many songs in Nashville, FSU It's Time has used some of his songs to describe some of the key plays of the Music City Bowl game:

"He Is My Everything"- On 3rd and 10 at FSU 14,Andre' Woodson threw a pass to tight end Jacob Tamme for 14 yards and a TD. This was Tamme's 6th TD of the year.

"All Shook Up"- With the ball at the 1st and 10 at FSU 24,Andre' Woodson threw pass to Rafael Little for 11 yards who fumbled at the FSU 2 and was recovered by Tony Carter who ran it back to the Kentucky 47.

"Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"- Kentucky scores second TD when on 1st and 10 at FSU 13 Andre' Woodson threw pass to wide receiver Steve Johnson for 13 yards and a TD. Kentucky leads 14-7.

"Return To Sender"- On 1st and 10 at UK 1 yard line,Andre' Woodson's pass is intercepted by Tony Carter at the Kentucky 24 and returned for FSU TD. Game tied 14-14.

"Blue Moon Of Kentucky"- In third quarter with the ball at the 2nd and Goal on FSU 2,Andre' Woodson pass complete to Rafael Little for 2 yards for a TD. Kentucky leads 21-14.

"It's Over"-With the ball on 2nd and Goal at FSU 4,Kentucky's Tony Dixon ran the ball in 4 yards for a TD to take the lead 28-14.

"Run On"- In fourth quarter, with the ball on 4th and Goal at UK 1 Drew Weatherford runs ball in for a TD. Kentucky leads 28-21.

"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain"- With the ball on 2nd and 9 at FSU 38,Andre' Woodson throws pass to wide receiver Steve Johnson for 38 yards and a TD. Kentucky leads 35-21.

"It's Now Or Never"- On 3rd and 4 at UK 7 Drew Weatherford throws pass to Greg Carr for 7 yards and a TD. Kentucky leads 35-28.

"The Impossible Dream"- Florida State gets the ball back with 50 seconds left in the game and takes the ball to the Kentucky 44 yard line. Weatherford throws a Hail Mary into the end zone that is batted away and Wildcats win 35-28.

New Poll: Was Effort By Noles A Moral Victory ?

There is a new poll question: "Some are saying that the effort by the Noles against Kentucky was a moral victory. What do you think?"

Inside Music City Bowl Numbers

First Downs: FSU- 22 Kentucky- 29

Net Yards Rushing: FSU- 204 Kentucky- 143

Net Yards Passing: FSU- 276 Kentucky- 358

Yards Penalized: FSU- 102 Kentucky- 45

Third Down Conversions: FSU- 6/16 (37.5%) Kentucky- 6/14 (42.8%)

Fumbles Lost: FSU- 0 Kentucky- 3

Interceptions Thrown: FSU- 2 Kentucky- 1

Time of Possession: FSU-29:35 Kentucky-30:25

Field Goals: FSU-0-1 Kentucky- 0-2

FSU Called For 102 Yards In Penalties

102- Penalty yards called on FSU

2- Number of interceptions thrown by FSU

3- Number of fumbles by Kentucky

156- Number of yards rushing by Antone Smith

2- Number of rushing TDs by Drew Weatherford

4- Number of TDs thrown by Andre Woodson

Music City Bowl Was All Academic As Wildcats Take Down Noles 35-28

There was a big dose of irony for the Noles as they prepared for the Music City Bowl. After all, the mass suspension of players for the game was due to cheating on an online music appreciation course. The irony of ironies. So the Noles were left singing the blues as they headed to Nashville with first team players missing on both offense and defense. The Seminoles were left preparing for the Kentucky Wildcats short 36 players.

The Noles came to Nashville like so many aspiring singers, writers, and musicians- to face the music. The game was an opportunity for the remaining players to show what they were still capable of doing on the field.

The first half was marked by momentum changes and questionable calls by the refs. One call saw an FSU TD by wide receiver Greg Carr called back for offensive play calling. The FSU defense played about as good as they could play and made some big calls when it was needed.

FSU corner Tony Carter's interception and return for a TD tied the game up for the Noles. FSU was able to keep points off the board for Kentucky when the Wildcats missed a field goal to end the half. The first half ended in a 14-14 tie with Bobby Bowden summarizing the sentiments of many FSU fans regarding ref penalty calls when he told ESPN analyst Jack Arute, "It irritates the crap out of me."

In the third quarter,it was all blue as the Wildcats scored twice to take the lead 28-14, It was obvious that the depleted FSU defense was getting tired. The fat lady was beginning to warm up her vocal cords at the end of the third quarter for her final song in the Music City Bowl.

When Kentucky scored a TD with under six minutes left in the game to go up 35-21, only the most rabid fan thought the Noles still had a shot.

However,a blocked Kentucky field goal and a subsequent TD by the Noles gave fans hope as the Noles pulled to within seven with a little over two minutes to go. When an onside kick was recovered by Kentucky, it looked over.

It looked as if the Noles still had a shot when a fumble by the Wildcats and an almost sure recovery fumble by the Noles was snatched out of the hands of Nole safety Michael Ray Garvin.

However,the Noles were able to get the ball back with a minute left and drive the ball down the field to attempt a hail Mary in the end zone that was batted away by the Wildcats to end the game.

The Noles came close but were unable to overcome a lot of adversity. The fat lady finally sang "The King," Elvis Presley's song, "Too Much". There was too much going against the Noles going into the Music City Bowl and in the end it was all academic.

Poll Results: What Song Will Nole Fans Be Singing

Results of poll question: "In the spirit of the Music City Bowl, what song will Seminole nation be singing at the end of the FSU-Kentucky game?"

"Singing The Blues" by Marty Robbins- 61.9%

"We Are The Champions" by Queen- 38,1%

Music City Bowl Game Day Facts

Kickoff: 4:00 p.m. EST

Television: ESPN

Announcers: Ron Franklin (play-by-play), Ed Cunningham (analyst) and Jack Arute (sideline)

Site: LP Field , Nashville, Tn.

Stadium Capacity: 68,798

Surface: Bermuda sod- natural grass

Head Coaches: Bobby Bowden (300-85-4 in 32nd year at FSU) and Rich Brooks (24-35 in fifth year as head coach at Kentucky).

Line: 10 points

FSU Bowl Game Record: FSU is 21-13-2 winning their last bowl game in 2006 44-27 over UCLA in Emerald Bowl.

Kentucky Bowl Game Record: Kentucky is 6-5 winning their last bowl game in 2006 28-20 over Clemson in Music City Bowl.

FSU-Kentucky Series Record: Kentucky leads series with FSU 3-1-1.

Stat that matters: If FSU loses to Kentucky, this would be the first time since 1975 and 1976 seasons that Noles have won 7 games or less for two consecutive years.

Key Stat: FSU is 2-3 in last five bowl games played.

Last time FSU played Kentucky: Florida State lost 26-24 to Kentucky in Lexingtion in 1965.

Game Day Weather: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 50s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

Key Players To Watch In Music City Bowl

Some Key Players To Watch In Music City Bowl:

For Kentucky:

Andre Woodson- Will the Wildcat offensive line be able to protect the 6’5” Woodson good enough for him to be able to throw downfield? The Wildcats rank last in the SEC in sacks allowed. If he has time, the Noles are in for a long day. The subplot here is the offensive line is coached by former Nole and FSU coach Jimmy Heggins.

Jacob Tamme- The Wildcats 6'5", 240 lb. Senior tight end does more than block. Tamme has 53 catches for 584 yards and 5 TDs. Noles cannot ignore him as a receiver.

Keenan Burton- Will senior wide receiver Burton, who is dealing with a knee injury, be able to play in his last game ?

Wesley Woodyard- Woodyard is the weakside linebacker for Kentucky. He ranks second in the SEC in tackles.

Rafael Little - Tailback Little will be the main man since tailback Derrick Locke is out. Key will be for Little to establish enough of a run game to open up the passing game.

For FSU:

Preston Parker- Will Parker be able to make some big plays either on the ground or catching the ball ? Parker will need to have a big game for the Noles to have a shot.

Rodney Hudson- Will Hudson who replaces Daron Rose be able to contain the Kentucky rush at his position at left tackle? Kentucky's defensive end Jeremy Jarmon is second in the SEC with 9 sacks so Hudson will have his hands full.

Alex Boston- Senior defensive end Alex Boston has had less than spectacular success at FSU. The bowl game gives him another opportunity to show his skills due to the suspensions of the starting defensive ends for the Noles.

Kenny Ingram- Safety Kenny Ingram will be playing at the strongside linebacker position.in place of Dekoda Watson. How effective will he be in a new position and in containing Kentucky's tight end Jacob Tamme?

Roger Williams- Senior safety Williams has been burned a lot this year. How will he handle the Wildcat receivers and will Mickey Andrews have a different pass coverage for the bowl game?

How FSU And Kentucky Matchup In National Stats

Rankings are based on 119 major college teams:

Scoring Offense: FSU: #90 Ky: #15

Rushing Offense: FSU: #96 Ky: #52

Passing Offense: FSU: #47 Ky: #24

Total Offense: FSU: #82 Ky: #25

Scoring Defense: FSU: #31 Ky: #80

Rushing Defense: FSU: #22 Ky: #92

Passing Defense: FSU: #73 Ky: #21

Total Defense: FSU: #36 Ky: #65

Sacks: FSU: #51 Ky: #67

Sacks Allowed: FSU: #52 Ky: #103

Third Down Conversions: FSU: #108 Ky: #7

Red Zone Conversions: FSU: #62 Ky: #40

Five ACC Bowl Games On Tap This Week

Monday ACC Bowls:

Humanitarian Bowl: Ga. Tech vs. Fresno State

Defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta will try to lead the Yellow Jackets to their second Humanitarian Bowl victory in five seasons when they meet Fresno State on Dec. 31 in Boise, Idaho. Tenuta replaces Chan Gailey, who earned six bowl invitations during his six-year tenure with the Yellow Jackets -- but went 0-6 against archrival Georgia.

Key Stats:

Georgia Tech is ranked 19th in the nation in rushing.

Fresno State is ranked 17th in nation in rushing yards.


Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Clemson vs.Auburn

Going into Monday night's Chick-fil-A bowl, Clemson and Auburn rank among the nation's top 10 defenses in points allowed. However, Auburn (8-4) ranked 101st in the nation in total offense this season. In an attempt to remedy that situation, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville hired a new offensive coordinator, Tony Franklin, who began installing a no-huddle spread attack in bowl practice.

Key Stats:

Clemson ranks #36 in nation in passing.

Auburn ranks #27 in nation in rushing defense.

Tuesday ACC Bowl:

Gator Bowl:Virginia vs.Texas Tech

The Cavaliers and top defensive end Chris Long will try to contain the spread offense of Texas Tech on New Year's Day when the schools play for the first time.

Key Stats:

Virginia is ranked #17 in nation in total defense.

Texas Tech is ranked #1 in nation in passing yards.

Thursday ACC Bowl:

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Kansas

The Hokies are,Atlantic Coast Conference champions again and set to meet No. 8 Kansas (11-1) in Thursday's Orange Bowl.

Key Stats:

Va. Tech is ranked #5 in nation in total defense.

Kansas is ranked #2 in the nation in points scored.