Week 8: Miami at Florida State

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Once a matchup of college football’s premier programs, this clash isn’t the glamor game that it used to be. Miami and Florida State, which have combined to play in eight national championship games since 1993, will square off as unranked teams for the first time since Sept. 24, 1977.

Does that remove any of the luster from this contest?

“Not for the teams,” said Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, whose team is coming off a 24-21 loss at Wake Forest last week. “Maybe from outsiders, but I would think your fans and boosters are still as excited as they ever were. But out there, national interest naturally would not be as high as it was back when we were both one and two.”

The Seminoles and Hurricanes aren’t the programs they once were — in part because they can’t score points in bunches as they once did. Both teams are struggling with new offenses in 2007 — Florida State under coordinator Jimbo Fisher and Miami under coordinator Patrick Nix. The Seminoles rank 93rd in total offense (342.7 yards per game) out of the 119 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and the Hurricanes are right behind them at No. 95 (339.1 ypg).

Florida State has been unable to run the ball effectively with tailback Antone Smith, ranking No. 102 nationally with 108.3 rushing yards per game, and quarterbacks Xavier Lee and Drew Weatherford have been erratic. Lee will start for the third consecutive week, and he no doubt will try to find junior wide receiver Greg Carr (17 catches for 355 yards and two touchdowns in the last three games) deep down the field.

While the Seminoles haven’t been able to run well enough to control the ball — and thus — the clock, Miami’s problems have come through the air. The Hurricanes have a trio of capable tailbacks in Graig Cooper, Javarris James and Shawnbrey McNeal, but their passing attack ranks No. 97 nationally (181.4 ypg). Quarterback Kyle Wright has been ineffective during Miami’s two-game losing streak, throwing four interceptions in a 33-27 loss at North Carolina and passing for just 56 yards in a 17-14 loss to Georgia Tech last week.

Defensively, the picture is brighter for Florida State and Miami. Both teams are similarly strong, although not spectacular like they used to be. The Seminoles have yielded 318.0 yards per game, good for 24th nationally, and the Hurricanes are right behind them at No. 25 (318.6 ypg).

With the teams fielding similarly effective defenses and equally inept offenses, this game figures to follow the recent trend that Florida State and Miami have established in games against each other. Seven of their last eight meetings have been decided by just one score, and neither team has scored more than 22 points in any of the last five meetings.

After losing six games in a row to the Hurricanes, the Seminoles have recorded two consecutive wins in the series. They have the home-field advantage and two extra days to prepare because their loss at Wake Forest was on Thursday, so they get the edge in this one.

Florida State by 3