Staff Picks: Boston College at Florida State

The Boston College Eagles football team officially kicks off its season on Labor Day Night with a game against the No. 10 Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.

According to the ESPN Matchup Predictor, Florida State has an 82.4-percent chance to come out of the game with a victory, while Boston College has a 17.6-percent chance.

Below are the game predictions from the Boston College Eagles On SI staff.

Score Prediction: Florida State 28, Boston College 24.

Bonus Prediction: QB Thomas Castellanos tallies at least 300 yards.

Boston College is going to come out aggressive and compete until the clock hits 0:00, but Doak Campbell is one of the hardest stadiums to play in for a reason. Plus, the Seminoles have already played a game this year and have had the opportunity to fix what needs to be improved prior to the game. I believe the Eagles will be improved from 2023 and make it close, but Florida State will pull it out.

Score Prediction: Florida State 32, Boston College 24

Bonus Prediction: Jayden McGowan scores a touchdown of 20 yards or more.

FSU losing to Georgia Tech was really shocking, but there are enough reasons to think it was a fluke. New quarterback. The game was in a different country. So, I’m sure the Seminoles will come into tonight’s game motivated to prove they’re still one of the best teams in the country. But Boston College is better than many people think and with a group of experienced players that’s becoming rare in college football, an upset isn’t as crazy as it sounds. Thomas Castellanos will be the biggest key for the Eagles. If he’s running and throwing the ball successfully, the Eagles win. I think Castellanos will play well, but it won’t be enough to overcome a FSU team playing angry.

Score Prediction: 28-20 FSU

Bonus Prediction: The Eagles have a lead going into halftime.

Both teams come into this game with a completely different mindset. The Eagles are opening up the Bill O’Brien era while the Seminoles look to get back on track after an upset loss to Georgia Tech in Ireland.

Boston College is coming off a 7-6 season a year ago, the program’s first winning season since 2020. O’Brien also brings a wealth of coaching experience, and his offensive game plan is simple.

Georgia Tech torched FSU in the run game, and BC starting quarterback Thomas Castellanos rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last year. Florida State was exposed in week zero, and O’Brien will likely try to exploit that.

Boston College may not win that game, but they will cover the spread and put a scare into Florida State.