Florida State at Brigham Young College Football Betting Preview

The Florida State Seminoles come into this one as 8.5-point underdogs at Bodog. (AP Images)"]

No. 7 BYU is at its highest ranking since 1996, but a loss Saturday night to the Seminoles will end the Cougars' national title hopes and probably their BCS bowl hopes – that's the life of a team outside a BCS conference.

FSU, an 8.5-point underdog at Bodog Sportsbook, needs this win to re-establish itself and return to the polls after its season-opening loss to Miami. But BYU has won 18 consecutive home games, and this is its home opener.

The Cougars have allowed just 427 total yards this season (and 16 points), so don't expect FSU to have much success running the ball. The Seminoles averaged close to 180 yards on the ground last year but are at just 94 yards per game in 2009. That's a surprise, considering every starter on the offensive line returned from last year. And expect BYU to blitz FSU quarterback Christian Ponder often, as he has been the team's best offensive player in averaging 309 yards passing per game. Of course, that Cougar blitz is what separated the shoulder of Heisman winner Sam Bradford in that season-opening upset of Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, FSU's pass defense has been horrid in allowing one yard shy of 600 – and one of the Seminoles' games was against I-AA Jacksonville State. Thus BYU QB Max Hall (71.4 percent completions, 638 yards passing, four TDs) could have a big night. Hall has thrown for at least 300 yards in half of his career starts and has thrown at least two touchdown passes in 75 percent of them; he had seven TD passes in a game in the Cougars' third game a year ago (against UCLA).

On the injury front, starting Cougars RB Harvey Unga will play on Saturday after sitting out the opener and seeing limited time last week with a hamstring injury. Unga is a huge part of the offense, having rushed for 2,359 yards in the past two seasons to go along with 86 receptions and 32 total touchdowns. Coach Bronco Mendenhall says: "Whether he will be 100 percent or not, I am not certain."

BYU has won nine consecutive games decided by seven points or fewer but is just 2-6 against ranked foes under Mendenhall.

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