When Florida State coaches and players went to bed for a few hours following their ACC Championship triumph over Louisville, they felt their next game would come in the national semifinals.
Instead, shafted by a CFP selection committee that didn’t feel it was one of the country’s top four teams without injured starting QB Jordan Travis, they’ll play heavily favored Georgia in Miami Gardens at the Orange Bowl.
The Bulldogs were No. 1 in the CFP rankings until getting clipped by Alabama in the SEC Championship and also felt they belonged among the top four, so neither team can honestly say it is happy to be here. Certainly, there are worse places to be to open a new year than South Florida, but a lack of motivation is a concern on both sides.
On the Florida State (13-0 SU, 8-5 ATS) side, it remains to be seen whether it can overcome a host of defections in addition to its dejection effectively enough to cover a double-digit spread. Georgia (12-1, 4-8-1) has its own concerns in terms of opt-outs and also hasn’t been cut-throat when heavily favored, covering just three of 11 double-digit spreads all season.
Handicapping Georgia vs. Florida State odds and props is contingent on knowing exactly who is in and who is out for this Orange Bowl, and given how close to the vest coaches guard player availability despite these just being exhibition games, you have to do some serious digging in a lot of these cases.
Fortunately, some news has trickled out, so we’ll get you up to speed.
Georgia vs. Florida State odds: Point spread, moneyline, total
Here are live college football betting odds for Georgia vs. Florida State:
Georgia betting news: Smart expects healthy players who traveled to play in Orange Bowl
There are roughly 20 Bulldogs who won’t be with the team as the school looks to improve to 46-2 over the past three-plus seasons. Kirby Smart will have to replace a number of key players on both sides of the ball.
On offense, tackle Amarius Mims won’t return after being injured in the SEC Championship game. Brock Bowers, arguably the nation’s top tight end, was banged up for most of the season and is concentrating on preparing for the next level.
Defensive players who have suffered through injuries are unlikely to go, but safety Javon Bullard says he wants to finish what he started despite not yet making a decision on whether he’ll return or go pro. Corner Kamari Lassiter is among the players in limbo, but Smart expects everyone that traveled to Miami and is healthy enough to play to participate. It’s important to see if star DT Nazir Stackhouse is ultimately in the mix, since he’s a game-changer among the front seven.
QB Carson Beck announced he’d be returning for his senior year, so there’s no mystery about who will be running the Dawgs’ offense. WR Ladd McConkey emerged as a top target when healthy and should be Beck’s go-to guy, while backs Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards are both likely to be in the lineup.
Georgia hasn’t lost consecutive games since the end of the 2018 season, when it fell to ‘Bama in a tight SEC Championship game and proceeded to lose a one-score game as a double-digit favorite against Texas in the Sugar Bowl.
The Bulldogs have only lost one game when favored by eight or more points since that setback against the Longhorns (South Carolina, 2019), coming in with a 52-1 SU record in such contests.
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Florida State betting news: Massive defections, opt-outs have ‘Noles in decimated state
Ideally, FSU players would’ve taken a few weeks to recover from the sting of being slighted, dusted themselves off and collectively returned as a unit resolved to finish off an unbeaten season with an Orange Bowl win. Unfortunately, that’s just not where we are in college football in 2023.
Even though there’s a chance that the Seminoles close the season as the only undefeated team in the country, many key members of Mike Norvell’s team decided they couldn’t get up for this bowl game.
Some transferred for bigger roles. Some have opted to concentrate on their pro futures. Losing Travis to a gruesome leg injury against North Alabama in the team’s final home game ended up killing FSU’s season.
Backup Tate Rodemaker, concussed against Florida in the regular-season finale, has transferred since the ‘Noles have quite publicly flirted with other quarterbacks available in the transfer portal. Having sat behind Travis for years, Rodemaker will look for a new home to secure his next opportunity.
Top receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson have eyes on the NFL, as does star RB Trey Benson and TE Jaheim Bell. Backup RB Lawrence Toafili, who scored a crucial touchdown in the ACC Championship, is out due to injury. A couple of other backs have transferred.
Among the Seminoles’ formidable defense, standout tackle Fabien Lovett, feared pass rusher Jared Verse, safety Akeem Dent and corners Renardo Green and Jarrian Jones have all turned the page, concentrating on the NFL Draft.
Brock Glenn, who struggled against Louisville, will make the second start of his freshman season under center. Caziah Holmes will start at tailback, although converted WR Ja’Khi Douglas is expected to get his share of carries.
Kentron Poitier should be the go-to receiver due to his experience, starting alongside fellow veteran Darion Williamson. Talented freshmen Destyn Hill and Hykeem Williams will be asked to step up and help fill Coleman and Wilson’s massive shoes. FSU’s offensive line returns mostly intact, which is the only plus on that side of the ball.
DT Brandon Fiske, DE Patrick Payton, LBs Kalen DeLoach and Tatem Bethune, and standout safety Kevin Knowles are among the top defensive players who will suit up. The Seminoles still have enough talent to play with the Dawgs, but depth is virtually non-existent and players being pressed into larger roles will need to adapt on the fly against a program that has dominated college football over the past few years.
More college football bowls: Peach Bowl odds | Arizona Bowl odds | Rose Bowl TD scorer props | Sugar Bowl TD scorer props
Players opting out of the Orange Bowl
Here's a list of Georgia players not playing in the Orange Bowl because of transfer or opting out:
- TE Brock Bowers
- OT Amarius Mims
- C Sedrick Van Pran
- LB Xavian Sorey
- DE Marvin Jones Jr.
- CB Nyland Green
- CB AJ Harris
- DL Jonathan Jefferson
- WR Mekhi Mews
- WR Jackson Meeks
Here's a list of Florida State players not playing in the Orange Bowl because of transfer or opting out:
- WR Keon Coleman
- WR Johnny Wilson
- RB Trey Benson
- QB Tate Rodemaker
- TE Jaheim Bell
- OT Bless Harris
- NT Fabien Lovett
- S Akeem Dent
- DE Jared Verse
- RB Rodney Hill
- TE Markeston Douglas
- OL Daughtry Richardson
- QB AJ Duffy
Orange Bowl: Georgia vs. Florida State props
Take a look at winning margin (4-way) props for Georgia vs. Florida State at FanDuel.
- Georgia by 1-13 points (+220)
- Georgia by 14+ points (-180)
- Florida State by 1-13 points (+900)
- Florida State by 14+ points (+4500)
Other game-specific Orange Bowl props at FanDuel
- FSU to score in each quarter (+800)
- 1+ Pass TDs to be scored in each quarter (+850)
- Each team to score 2+ TDs and 2+ FGs (+1300)
- Each team to score 1+ TDs and 1+ FGs in each half (+4500)
- Both teams to score every quarter (+2000)
- Each team to score 1+ TDs in every quarter (+6500)
Georgia vs. Florida State prediction ATS
This game will test Georgia’s killer instinct, because it is coming off a loss where starting slow ultimately cost it a chance to compete for a third consecutive national title. Smart has a huge edge on Norvell in both depth and talent, so this is really about his own team being able to shake off the disappointment of not playing for the big prize despite going into Championship Saturday in control of their destiny.
Given all the attrition and defections at FSU, Glenn hasn’t even had an opportunity to practice against a group talented enough to prepare him for what he’s going to face against the Bulldogs, who are far superior to the Louisville team that rattled him to open December.
There’s some danger in a backdoor cover, but if Georgia comes out ready to play, there’s a good chance this one is out of reach from a spread standpoint when the fourth quarter rolls around.
Pick: Georgia
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