Then we hear about fights breaking out between assistant coaches Chuck Amato and Jimbo Fisher, something they have both denied. To me, Fisher has been an underachiever since he got to Tallahassee, and there has been a little buyer's remorse there. The rushing attack hasn't worked consistently.

Realistically, though, there is a defensive problem with the 'Noles, who let the Yellow Jackets run wild for 401 yards, coming on the heels of the bloated 196 Boston College got. At this moment, FSU ranks 107th in total defense and 116th in pass efficiency defense, not to mention allowing 4.6 yards per rushing attempt.

We do commend Christian Ponder for keeping his head up. Ponder has been 67% accurate and has thrown just one interception in 217 attempts, and in this regard he has really created some separation between himself and Tar Heel quarterback TJ Yates (6 TD's, 7 INT's) and his very ordinary group of receivers (no, they haven't replaced Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate).

North Carolina is 117th nationally in total offense, which means only three teams have gained less on a per-game basis. The only game in which they have scored more than 12 points against a Division I foe was a 31-17 victory over East Carolina. That doesn't often get it done, especially against college football sports betting odds.

Of course, North Carolina makes up for some of that with its defense, which has allowed just 125 yards per game and one TD through the air. When you're playing against the likes of The Citadel and Georgia Southern, though, the stats can be a little deceiving.

The bottom line is that North Carolina doesn’t do enough on offense to put any distance between itself and its opponents. If you couple that with that fact that Ponder possesses the arm and the ability to improvise plays and make things happen, and that should be the difference here.

The Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of this FSU team suggests a mild upset is very possible, so we'll grab the points with the 'Noles, the 2.5-point underdog in the BetUS NCAA football odds.

JAY'S PLAY: FLORIDA STATE +2.5 **