The X’s and O’s of the Orange Bowl predictions aren’t shared by many expert handicappers, but here at Bankroll Sports, we are giving up all of our insight and telling you all of the keys to the game for the Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Florida State Seminoles. The Orange Bowl picks are some of the hardest to make this year of all of the bowl games, so don’t miss out on all of our Northern Illinois vs. Florida State predictions!

2013 Orange Bowl: Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Florida State Seminoles
2013 Orange Bowl Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
2013 Orange Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, January 1st, 8:30 p.m. (ET)
2013 Orange Bowl On TV: ESPN

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Key #1: The Seminoles have to want to win this game
It’s tough to question whether a team wants to show up and play in a BCS bowl game, but even here, at the highest level of bowl games, you get teams that just fail to show up from time to time. The truth of the matter is that this is the only way that FSU is even getting remotely challenged. Yes, the team is banged up on defense, but we have seen the Noles sleepwalk through the season. NC State picked them off. Florida did, too. Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech came close. And why did that happen? It’s either because the Seminoles were severely overrated, or they just had a hard time getting motivated for games. Remember that the garnet and gold were the only team in America favored by at least a touchdown in each and every one of their games this year. If Head Coach Jimbo Fisher can’t get his boys up for this one though, it could end up being an embarrassing day for Florida State.

Orange Bowl Odds at BetRevolution Sportsbook
Northern Illinois Huskies +13.5
Florida State Seminoles -13.5
Over/Under 58.5
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Key #2: Jordan Lynch has to figure out how to get something going offensively
This really is the key for the Huskies in this one. For as inconsistent as Florida State’s offense has been this year, the defense has really consistently been pretty darn good. This is going to be the biggest challenge that the Huskies have ever seen defensively, and it is the biggest game of Lynch’s career. His stats speak for themselves; we don’t care what the level of competition is. If you throw for nearly 3,000 yards and rush for nearly 2,000 yards, even if it is in the MAC, you’ve still done something pretty remarkable. The question that we have for Lynch and the Huskies, though? Can you do it against an FBS team? Remember that the two worst offensive performances of the year for NIU came against the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Kansas Jayhawks. The argument could be made that that was all because it was early in the year, but the argument could also be made that the MAC really is just an overrated conference that has to right to stack up with the big boys. We’ll see the answer to that on New Year’s night.

Key #3: EJ Manuel has to go out with a bang
QB EJ Manuel is going to go down as one of the most efficient quarterbacks that Florida State has ever seen, but few are likely to ever remember him for all that much, aside from the fact that every loss the team suffers is considered to be on his back. Statistically speaking, this was the best year that Manuel has ever had, as he threw for 3,101 yards and 22 TDs against 10 picks and rushed for 284 yards and three more scores. More importantly, he stayed healthy all season long, which really helped matters as well. That being said, the senior is playing in his final game, and he doesn’t want to be remembered in Tallahassee as the man that lost to Florida and then lost the only BCS bowl game that the team has been at in quite some time. Manuel has thrown at least one pick in four straight games, and that just doesn’t cut it for a team that has such a remarkable defense. The offense has to at least do something for the Noles, and with RB Chris Thompson out of the fold and a running back by committee approach not always being the most effective, it could be up to Manuel’s arm to make the few big throws to win this game.

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There isn’t all that much of a doubt that the Florida State Seminoles and the Virginia Tech Hokies are two of the best three teams in the ACC this year. That being said, one of them will rule supreme in what could prove to be as crucial of a Thursday night NCAA football betting battle as we will see this year. All 12 members of the ACC are going to be watching this one, as this could change the entire course of the season in both the Atlantic Division and the Coastal Division. The Hokies will play host to the Seminoles in what could prove to be a preview of yet another ACC Championship Game in 2012.

Florida State Seminoles @ Virginia Tech Hokies Picks & Info
Florida State Seminoles @ Virginia Tech Hokies Date: Thursday, November 8th
Florida State Seminoles @ Virginia Tech Hokies Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Florida State Seminoles @ Virginia Tech Hokies Spread: Florida State Seminoles (-3)

Florida State’s offense is going to have to be the difference in this game. QB EJ Manuel could be well on his way to a Heisman Trophy type of a season, and with the national spotlight shining in this standalone game on the college football TV schedule, there is no doubt that this could be the game that makes or breaks his campaign. This also could be vital from the standpoint that it might be the only thing separating the garnet and gold and a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. Barring a setback at home against Clemson or on the road against South Florida, NC State, or Miami (and yes, we know that that is a heck of a lot of “ifs”), this will likely be the only challenge left on the slate for the Noles. The defense took some massive strides last year, and though it is hard to measure exactly how many starters are really back from last year’s team, there is no doubt that there are at least 15 that are going to be back that were in the regular defensive rotation.

Florida State Seminoles vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Virginia Tech 44 – Florida State 33 (ACC Championship Game)
2008: Florida State 30 – Virginia Tech 20
2007: Virginia Tech 40 – Florida State 21
2005: Florida State 27 – Virginia Tech 22 (ACC Championship Game)
2002: Florida State 30 – Virginia Tech 17 (Gator Bowl)
2000: Florida State 46 – Virginia Tech 29 (National Championship Game)

The Hokies could also reasonably be undefeated at this point too, though they have the unfortunate task of having to travel to Clemson and Miami in back to back weeks before this one kicks off, and it is hard to imagine many teams being able to get through that stretch of schedule without a blunder somewhere along the way. That being said, the V-Tech defense is going to have to be up to the challenge of containing the Seminoles. The Hokies really didn’t do a good job of that two years ago in the conference title game, but they did get their offense going full bore. The problem? QB Logan Thomas is now calling the shots and not QB Tyrod Taylor, and the rushing attack has really been diminished as well with RB David Thomas no longer in Blacksburg.

Florida State @ Florida State Free Picks^^: This is a tough call. Lane Stadium is used to hosting these Thursday nighters, and more often than not, the Hokies are the ones that come out on top in these situations. Florida State probably has the slightly better team, but we think that this game is going to mean more to V-Tech. Don’t be shocked if the Seminoles come back and win the war in the ACC Championship Game, where we expect these two teams to be meeting later in the campaign, but with the venue set in Blacksburg in primetime, we definitely want the field goal on our side.

^^Notice: The NCAA football picks & predictions listed on the sports betting blog are made by our staff writers early in the season and do not represent the Bankroll Sports expert handicapping team’s actual premium service releases. Click Here to receive our expert handicappers premium college football picks for the 2012 football season.

You can purchase our premium Florida State vs. Virginia Tech picks from our experts on 11/8/12

From the 1990s through right around 2000, the Florida State Seminoles and Florida Gators always knew that their rivalry game was going to be one for the ages. The road to the National Championship quite often went through one of these two teams, and sometimes both. Both know that they are going to have a chance to play in a BCS bowl game this year, and many think that the Seminoles could legitimately be National Championship contenders as well. This is going to be a heck of a battle in Tallahassee, and it is a game that you won’t want to miss. The whole state of Florida will be watching, as the men in blue and orange fight it out with the men in garnet and gold. Don’t miss our Florida @ Florida State picks for Rivalry Week on the college football betting odds.

Florida Gators @ Florida State Seminoles Picks & Info
Florida Gators @ Florida State Seminoles Date: Saturday, November 24th
Florida Gators @ Florida State Seminoles Location: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Florida Gators @ Florida State Seminoles Spread: Florida State Seminoles -6.5

Florida had as disastrous of a season as it could have had last year, and the end result was that the team just barely squeaked into a bowl game. The second year for Head Coach Will Muschamp could be a struggle as well, though we think that the squad is going to be able to do a lot more in the SEC this time around than it did last year against a horrifying schedule. The combination of QBs Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel will really have to pick it up from where they were last year, though the fact that the two sophomores are going to take over under center isn’t that much of a loss, considering how poorly QB Jeff Brantley played last year. The running back position, one of which was so deep at Florida for so many years, just isn’t that deep any longer with both RBs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps gone for the NFL. Instead, Muschamp is going to be relying on his defense to slow down the Noles. The 10 returning starters will make this team improved for sure, but we just don’t know if these 10 have it in them to be able to slow down the garnet and gold offense.

Florida Gators vs. Florida State Seminoles Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: Florida State 21 – Florida 7
2010: Florida State 31 – Florida 7
2009: Florida 37 – Florida State 10
2008: Florida 45 – Florida State 15
2007: Florida 45 – Florida State 12
2006: Florida 34 – Florida State 7
2005: Florida 34 – Florida State 7
2004: Florida 20 – Florida State 13
2003: Florida State 38 – Florida 34
2002: Florida State 31 – Florida 14
2001: Florida 37 – Florida State 13
2000: Florida State 30 – Florida 7
1999: Florida State 30 – Florida 23
1998: Florida State 23 – Florida 12
1997: Florida 32 – Florida State 29
1997: Florida 52 – Florida State 20 (Sugar Bowl)
1996: Florida State 24 – Florida 21
1995: Florida 35 – Florida State 24

Many think that this is the year that Florida State can really contend for the BCS National Championship this year, but we have heard of that a heck of a lot of late. FSU has been able to get to the top of the charts in the ACC, but this is the most experienced team that we have seen since Head Coach Bobby Bowden left the program. QB EJ Manuel is in his senior year, and he has an offensive line in front of him that has a lot of experience. The receivers and the running backs have a lot of potential, and the defense returns eight starters from a unit that, at times, was dominating last year. The entire front seven is back, and though the secondary took a big time shot with the dismissal of DB Greg Reid, and that is going to be difficult to overcome. With Florida running the football so much though, the front seven is going to be all that more important.

Florida @ Florida State Free Picks^^: Laying 6.5 is going to be a bit much, but we think that this number is only going to be going up, not down. We just don’t know if the Gators have the ability to come on the road and win a game against a National Championship contender. If Head Coach Jimbo Fisher can keep his team together and ready for the big time scene, this should be a game that should be won by at least 10.

^^Notice: The NCAA football picks & predictions listed on the sports betting blog are made by our staff writers early in the season and do not represent the Bankroll Sports expert handicapping team’s actual premium service releases. Click Here to receive our expert handicappers premium college football picks for the 2012 football season.

You can purchase our premium Florida vs. Florida State picks from our experts on 11/24/12

Last season, the Florida State Seminoles looked completely outclassed on the road against the Oklahoma Sooners. This year, with both teams starting off ranked in the Top 5 of the country, the Noles will look to exact some revenge for what might amount to be the start of a National Championship season for both.

Oklahoma @ Florida State Picks & Info
Oklahoma Sooners @ Florida State Game Date: Saturday, September 17, 2011
Oklahoma @ FSU Location: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Oklahoma @ Florida State Game Line: Florida State Seminoles +2

The Sooners have some high hopes this season after a few years of relative disappointment after the injuries and departure of QB Sam Bradford. However, it wasn’t the offense that was the problem last year. QB Landry Jones tore apart defenses to the tune of over 4,700 yards, and he very well could be in for even better numbers this year with more emphasis coming on the passing game. WR Ryan Broyles had a field day in this fixture last year, going for 124 yards and a score on a dozen receptions. The defense was an issue for the most part, but not against FSU. This unit held the Noles down to just 345 total yards, a true accomplishment after racking up 500 yards of offense.

Oklahoma Sooners vs. Florida State Seminoles Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Oklahoma 47 – Florida State 17
2001: Oklahoma 13 – Florida State 2 (National Championship Game)

FSU has never really had any luck against the Sooners, getting beaten twice relatively badly. Now, Head Coach Jimbo Fisher is going to hope that QB EJ Manuel has the goods to get the job done this year in what could amount to be the biggest game that the Garnet and Gold have had in quite some time. The defense picked up the slack over the back half of the season until the ACC Championship Game, and Fisher knows that this unit is going to be the key at home to stopping the Sooners’ mighty attack. Look for DB Greg Reid, who had a terrible game last year, to have a significantly better showing. He could be the difference maker in this one.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Florida State Seminoles Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/26/11):
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Oklahoma Sooners (-2) @ Florida State Seminoles

Many believe that this is a season that belongs to the Florida State Seminoles in the ACC. However, if history is any indication, the Clemson Tigers are once again going to put up a big time fight to try to put a crimp in the style of the garnet and gold en route to an Atlantic Division triumph. This game might be for all of the marbles in the conference when it’s all said and done this year.

Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Picks & Info
Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Date: Saturday, September 24th
Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Location: Clemson Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Spread: Clemson Tigers +5

The Seminoles have really had very little luck playing in Death Valley, and this year really could be no exception. The question is going to be whether or not QB EJ Manuel, the new kid on the block, is going to be able to go into a hostile environment and win a game. There will be 82,000 packed into Clemson Memorial Stadium, and this is definitely the one game on the slate that every single player, coach, and fan clad in orange and purple wants to win. This will be the first road game of the year for the Seminoles, and it comes on the heels of what could be the biggest win that the program has had in quite some time if they can knock off the Oklahoma Sooners the week before, so this is most certainly a big time trap spot.

Florida State Seminoles vs. Clemson Tigers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Florida State 16 – Clemson 13
2009: Clemson 40 – Florida State 24
2008: Florida State 41 – Clemson 27
2007: Clemson 24 – Florida State 18
2006: Clemson 27 – Florida State 20
2005: Clemson 35 – Florida State 14
2004: Florida State 41 – Clemson 22
2003: Clemson 26 – Florida State 10
2002: Florida State 48 – Clemson 31
2001: Florida State 41 – Clemson 27
2000: Florida State 54 – Clemson 7
1999: Florida State 17 – Clemson 14
1998: Florida State 48 – Clemson 0
1997: Florida State 35 – Clemson 28
1996: Florida State 34 – Clemson 3

Clemson has never really had a dominating side in the ACC; in fact, it has never won the conference title since the Noles have joined the league. However, this is one field and one team that it has always played well at and against respectively. The Tigers have actually won five of the last eight meetings in this series and have covered six of the last eight, and they haven’t lost a game here in Death Valley against the garnet and gold since 2001. This will be the first big test for the no huddle, up tempo offense that new Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris is going to implement this year, and it should be a real test for new starting QB Tajh Boyd. Dual threat QBs have usually had decent success against FSU, especially in the past, and Boyd will hope to add to that level of success by pulling off another upset at home against it.

Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/5/11):
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Florida State Seminoles (-5) @ Clemson Tigers

Even when the Florida State Seminoles and the Miami Hurricanes didn’t share the ACC together, their annual rivalry was always one to be remembered, and it was a game that had a ton of bowl game and National Championship implications. This year could be no exception, as both teams have their sights set on not just bragging rights in the Sunshine State, but in the ACC as well.

Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles Picks & Info
Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles Date: Saturday, November 12th, 2011
Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles Location: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles Spread: Florida State Seminoles -8

The Canes could be in some trouble in this duel if QB Jacory Harris doesn’t play better than he historically has in this series. Yes, he did manage to pull off the upset in Tallahassee two years ago on Labor Day night to kick off the season, but he really needs to get on his high horse this year to make sure that he can pick up the slack for an offense that really is lacking a lot of star power. This is going to be the first taste for Head Coach Al Golden in this series, and he could be in for quite a rude awakening, especially if he defense, which was ranked No. 21 in the country last year, struggles.

Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida State Seminoles Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Florida State 45 – Miami 17
2009: Miami 38 – Florida State 34
2008: Florida State 41 – Miami 39
2007: Miami 37 – Florida State 29
2006: Florida State 13 – Miami 10
2005: Florida State 10 – Miami 7
2004: Miami 16 – Florida State 10
2004 (Orange Bowl): Miami 16 – Florida State 14
2003: Miami 22 – Florida State 14
2002: Miami 28 – Florida State 27
2001: Miami 49 – Florida State 27
2000: Miami 27 – Florida State 24
1999: Florida State 31 – Miami 21
1998: Florida State 26 – Miami 14
1997: Florida State 47 – Miami 0
1996: Florida State 34 – Miami 16

The Noles have had to suffer a ton of catastrophic losses at the hands of the Hurricanes. Kickers have had nightmares about last second field goals in Tallahassee for well over a decade, and only recently, has Florida State really gotten its footing back in this series. Of course, there is only one win against the Canes at the Doak since 1999, and that was on Labor day 2005 in an ugly 10-7 win. Of course, Head Coach Jimbo Fisher made a great impression last year on this series, winning 45-17 down in South Beach. This one is a heck of a lot later in the season than it normally is, making the stakes even higher. However, this should be an advantage to FSU, knowing that QB EJ Manuel, assuming that he stays healthy, will have a ton of games under his belt and should be accustomed to being the man of the hour for the garnet and gold.

Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/20/11):
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Miami Hurricanes (+8) @ Florida State Seminoles

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The storylines between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Florida State Seminoles are very, very deep for the final game played in 2010 in the college football betting campaign. These two will lock horns in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome as the losers of the SEC and ACC Championship games respectively. But which team will recover and post a win to finish up the calendar year? We have the three keys to the game for your Chick-Fil-A Bowl picks.

Key #1: Christian Ponder needs to prove that he is healthy and ready to go against a stout defense
These Gamecocks were no joke this year defensively, as they held teams to just 356.5 yards and 22.9 points per game this year. However, if you can beat this team, you have to do so through the air. If your name wasn’t the Auburn Tigers, you only averaged about 70 yards per game on the ground against SC this year, which puts the onus on the FSU passing game. Ponder has missed some games this year due to some various ailments, but right now, he is fighting with a bursa sac injury that cost him the 2010 ACC Championship Game against the Virginia Tech Hokies. The senior has probably cost himself a lot of money in the NFL Draft this year, but he did throw for 20 TDs on the campaign and is absolutely a capable signal caller. Ponder does have some explosive receivers at his disposal as well, though none of his top four targets had even 600 total yards on the season. The ball is spread around to four different targets, led by WR Bert Reed, who had 55 grabs for 589 yards and a pair of scores.

Key #2: Mark Stoops has to find a game plan to get into the face of Stephen Garcia
Florida State Defensive Coordinator Mark Stoops has done a tremendous job this year getting his defense back in the saddle after a horrifying few seasons. This was the second best team in the ACC in terms of sacking the quarterback, and there were some fantastic games that this unit played up front. LB Mister Alexander is always terrorizing QBs, and he’s going to be tabbed with getting in the face of QB Stephen Garcia in this one. Garcia has been prone to throwing picks in his career, as he has 11 for the season in 315 pass attempts. The pressure needs to get into the South Carolina backfield in a hurry to keep the corners from having to guard the entire field against WR Alshon Jeffrey. It’s bad enough that Jeffrey can go and get a jump ball anywhere on the field. But to give him more than just a couple seconds to get open really just isn’t fair. Jeffrey caught 79 passes for 1,387 yards and nine TDs this year, and he is really one of the best ball catchers in the entire country. If FSU can’t stop him, it can’t stop this offense.

Key #3: Marcus Lattimore needs to be a workhorse
The Seminoles still have some problems stopping ground games at times, allowing 126.8 yards per game in 2010. Meanwhile, you won’t find a better freshman back in the game than Carolina’s RB Marcus Lattimore. Lattimore really made a name for himself this year against the Florida Gators, when he carried the ball 40 times for 212 yards and three TDs to help SC win the SEC East. The frosh wasn’t just a runner either. He had 26 catches for 364 yards and two TDs out of the backfield. However, when Garcia needs to get some of the pressure off of his shoulders, he turns around and hands the ball to No. 21. Lattimore had 248 carries this year for 1,198 yards and 17 scores, and he is likely to be the big time scorer on the day for the Gamecocks if they are going to beat the Chick-Fil-A Bowl odds.