The chatter
Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher just can’t stop talking about the SEC.
It’s a big week for the Seminoles. They have only a few days to prepare for Georgia Tech’s unique offense in Saturday’s ACC Championship game. And FSU quarterback Jameis Winston had his long-delayed student conduct meeting Tuesday.
So maybe it was a diversion tactic when Fisher went on a rant Monday against the SEC, which reeled off seven BCS championships in a row before the dominating streak was snapped by FSU last year.
“It’s amazing how you can brainwash somebody,” Fisher said. “If you’re not careful in this country, you won’t think for yourself. If you listen to news all the time, they’ll tell you what to think, how to think and why you do things. That’s why you have to make your own mind up, trust your own eyes and do it.”
Fisher was especially gloating about the ACC’s 4-0 record vs. SEC teams last weekend. That included his team’s yet-another-comeback win for the Seminoles, edging unranked Florida in the final minutes.
“I’ll say this as much as anybody: I’ve been in both leagues. … Top to bottom, I mean, I think we stack up. … The top teams in both leagues are very similar,” said Fisher, who coached 13 years as an assistant at Auburn and LSU.
A school best
Tech’s best rushing offense seasons:
Year; Games; Yards; Per game
2014; 12; 4,006; 333.8
1975; 11; 3,637; 329.7
2010; 13; 4,203; 323.3
2011; 13; 4,114; 316.5
2012; 14; 4,357; 311.2
And how to stop it
Although FSU coach Jimbo Fisher believes that defensive coordinator Charles Kelly’s knowledge of the option, and specifically Tech’s option from his time on Paul Johnson’s staff, will benefit FSU this week, he said much more will go into actually stopping the offense.
”Everyone wants this magical defense you’re going to run against Georgia Tech,” Fisher said. “There isn’t one. You got to take on a blocker and beat him. You got to be sound in what you do and make tackles.”
Latest line
3 1/2 The line opened at 4 in favor of Florida State.
Rankings
Tech’s rankings this season:
Week;AP; CFP;
Oct. 5; 22; -;
Nov. 2; -; 24;
Nov. 9; 24; 22;
Nov. 16; 17; 18;
Nov. 23; 16; 16;
Nov. 30; 12; 11;
By the numbers
2-1 Paul Johnson's record against FSU as coach at Tech (winning 31-28 in 2008, and 49-44 in 2009 and losing 21-15 in the 2012 ACC title game).
He said it
“I wasn’t a fan of either Georgia Tech or Georgia. Growing up as a kid, I was a Miami fan and University of Florida fan. It was either one.” — Rashad Greene of FSU, who is from Albany but went to high school in Broward County, Fla., at St. Thomas Aquinas
