At this point, I have no idea what we're supposed to expect from Florida State and that's precisely why I'm backing Pittsburgh at home. The Seminoles have endured a miserable season, fired Mike Norvell, and appear to have largely packed it in. Granted, they managed to beat Boston College following the coaching change, but one victory doesn't suddenly make Florida State a trustworthy proposition. I understand though that Pittsburgh hasn't exactly been flawless either.
The Panthers lost to Boston College by six points, a result that could influence the market given Florida State's victory over that same opponent. Pittsburgh also suffered a four-point defeat against North Carolina when the Panthers were ranked, along with a blowout loss at Miami who FSU also took to overtime. I understand why the Noles may look more shiny here but Pittsburgh is still 6-3 and I have considerably more confidence in the Panthers playing at home than I do in a Florida State team whose motivation and consistency remain questionable. The Seminoles have enough talent to make this interesting, but talent hasn't been their problem. It's been getting reliable performances out of a team whose season has unravelled. Pittsburgh doesn't need to produce anything spectacular here. The Panthers simply need to take care of business against an opponent that has given us little reason to trust it. I'll spot the points with the Panthers.
Florida State vs Pitt prediction: Pittsburgh -3.5 (-104) available at time of publishing. Playable to that number.
