No. 5 Florida State is on track for a spot in the College Football Playoff if it can win at rival Florida this Saturday and then beat Louisville in the ACC title game, but the Seminoles will have to do both without star QB Jordan Travis and that has hugely affected the spread this week against the Gators, who are also down their QB.

FSU Seminoles vs. Florida Gators Game Information

12 consecutive weeks in the top-5!#NoleFamily | #KeepCLIMBing pic.twitter.com/4jH6waQLrd

— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) November 19, 2023

• When: Saturday, November 25, 2023, 7:00 PM ET
• Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: The Franchise 107.7 FM (FSU) // KSL 1160 AM (Florida)
• Live Stream: WatchESPN
• College Football Odds: FSU (-6.5) // Florida (+6.5)

Why Bet on the FSU Seminoles?

Florida State (11-0) comes off a 58-13 win over cupcake North Alabama but boy was it costly as star QB Jordan Travis was knocked out early with what proved to be a season-ending injury as Travis has played his last down of college football – he confirmed that on social media Monday. Travis’ left leg was placed in an air cast and he was carted off the field late in the first quarter following a run up the middle. Specific details about Travis’ injury or possible surgery have not been announced by Travis or Florida State.

Travis, who grew up in West Palm Beach as a Seminoles fan, transferred to Florida State in 2019 after beginning his career at Louisville. He emerged as the starting quarterback midway through the 2021 season after nearly walking away from the game. Travis finished his FSU career with 8,715 passing yards, 66 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He is the program’s all-time leader in offensive yards and is among the top 5 on FSU’s all-time stats in most major categories, from completions to touchdown passes and wins by a quarterback.

“Jordan will be talked about forever in this program,” coach Mike Norvell said during his weekly news conference Monday. “It’s not necessarily going to be just about his playing ability. It’s going to be about who he is.”

Tate Rodemaker, who has spent the past two seasons as Travis’ backup, entered Saturday’s game and threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns as the Seminoles scored 58 unanswered points. He will start going forward.

“He’s been preparing all season,” Norvell said of Rodemaker. “A few weeks ago in my office, we had a one-on-one just talking about being prepared in case the moment ever called for you. Tate does a great job in his preparation. Our guys have a lot of confidence in Tate because they watch him practice every day. They know the talent, they know the ability. He never seemed rattled in the moment. He was prepared and ready, and I thought he did a wonderful job and played really well.”

The win over North Alabama extended the Seminoles’ winning streak to 17 games, the longest active streak in the ACC and 3rd-longest active streak in the country. . During its streak, which is also tied for the 2nd-longest in program history and 3rd-longest ever by an ACC program, Florida State has outscored its opponents 694-295.

Receiver Keon Coleman has been named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award presented to the nation’s top receiver. Coleman, a junior transfer from Michigan State, leads Florida State with 45 catches, 615 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns. His 11 touchdown catches lead the ACC, are seventh nationally and the most for a Seminole since Kelvin Benjamin tied a school record with 15 in 2013. Three finalists will be announced November 28 with the winner presented during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN December 8.

Why Bet on the Florida Gators?

Florida (5-6) comes off a 33-31 loss to Missouri and this will be the Gators’ finale unless they win to get bowl eligible. Starting QB Graham Mertz injured his collarbone and is done for the year. Through 11 games this fall, Mertz was very efficient with a career-best 72.9% completion rate. That led to career-highs across the board with 2,903 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only three interceptions in his first season at Florida after four at Wisconsin. He also rushed for four more scores for a total of 24 on the year.

Sophomore Max Brown will make his first start this week. Brown showed poise in relief of Mertz on Saturday against Missouri, finishing the game 4 of 5 passing for 56 yards with 42 yards rushing to lead UF to 10 straight points on a touchdown drive and late field goal drive.

“He’s a baller,” Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall said. “I think he’s one of those guys, I don’t think the lights get too bright for him. He’s ready at all times. I’m super proud of the way he performed. And I’m looking forward to obviously being a part of that with him.”

Florida State beat Florida 45-38 last season in Tallahassee, and overall has won six of the last nine meetings between the two schools. Florida and FSU matchup for the 67th time in the 36th all-time meeting between the two teams in Gainesville. The all-time series dates back to 1958 with the Gators owning a 37-27-2 lead.

FSU vs. Florida Betting Trends

• FSU is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games played in November.
• Seminoles are 10-0 SU in their last 10 games.
• The total went over in 10 of Florida State’s last 14 games.
• Florida is 4-8 ATS in their last 12 games.
• Gators are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games.
• The total went over in 4 of Miami’s last 6 games played in week 12.

FSU vs. Florida Expert Betting Predictions

FSU takes the win.