We do not need to continue the debate over who the Florida State quarterback should be. Head coach Bobby Bowden has lost his starter...again.

Third-stringer Fabian Walker, who has thrown eight passes in his eighteen-play college career, will be the man. People are thinking, "Good luck, Fabian," and some mean it. They would be the Seminole coaches and players.

Game Plan: No. 14 Florida State

Offense: Offensive line, how do you wish to be remembered? The Bobby Bowden "non-audible" theory will be required. Just run the play. Gardner, Boldin, Maddox and Washington, make big plays all night! Defense: The Dockett loss is big. Pope and Boulware: leadership and TFL from both of you! You have allowed 24 points in the second half in the last five games. Shutout in the second stanza! Opponent yards per catch are too much at 13.3. No yards after the catch. Special Teams: Leon Washington, get at least one big return for a score. Remember your tradition. Block one punt or kick. Execute the Bowden "Special" to perfection when it is called! Players: The talk of your unworthiness only helps you if it aids in your preparatory concentration. You must match Georgia's mental toughness.It is their best weapon. FSU always wins bowl games. Coaches: The C-QB exchange must be drilled with the two youngsters until it is perfect. The B.B. audible system means just run the play that is called. Simplicity! You have the best bowl record ever. Do it again.

Chris Rix has joined Adrian McPherson in the persona non grata file at Bobby's office. His offense -- oversleeping a final exam -- was not offensive enough to be permanently booted (no pun intended), but he did receive rather direct instructions to head on home until he could work out some personal issues.

Working out personal issues is something every football player does on a regular basis so as to be a responsible team member. Most players accomplish this without missing even one exam, much less a final and a freebie makeup.

One of the best football coaches I have worked with is Don Lindsey. He started his career as a graduate assistant under Bear Bryant at Alabama, became the defensive coordinator at Southern Cal with John Robinson, then joined Lou Holtz at Arkansas. He later coached at Georgia Tech and Alabama with me.

Among Don's many gifts is a remarkable intuitive feel for football. He knows what is about to happen and I have never seen anything quite like it. I have stood with him on the sideline, watched him survey the field, call a player over and say something like, "Get in there, call nickel coverage. You take the tight end. He will run a diagonal, and the quarterback will throw the ball to him. Tackle him."

Very seldom was he wrong, and I frequently asked him about it. He would shake his head and get a little smile.

"I don't know, Bill. I guess the Good Lord just kind of shows me. I see things on the football field before they happen."

One of Don's "feelings" is an observation about quarterbacks. He played the position in college, and feels strongly that you never want to face the backup quarterback. When he hit me with that we had one of our rare disagreements.

"Are you crazy? I'd rather play against the second stringer than the starter!" I responded.

"Think about it," he said. "What has happened when starting quarterbacks have gone down? Think about what you have seen."

I did, and had what psychologists call an "aha" experience.

Good football teams that lose their starting quarterbacks have a surprising rate of success with backups. With concessions for the obvious differences in each of these situations with that of Fabian Walker, consider the following facts:

In 1957, sophomore Francis Tarkenton inserted himself into the Georgia lineup against his coach's wishes. He drove the team to a touchdown, waved the extra point team off the field, went for two, and converted it. A Hall of Famer was born.

In 1962, Georgia Tech starter Stan Gann was slightly injured and coach Bobby Dodd sent sophomore Billy Lothridge onto the field. Lothridge remained, and two seasons later was runner-up to Roger Staubach for the Heisman Trophy.

In 1965, John Unitas and Gary Cuozzo of the Baltimore Colts were both injured. A guy named Ed Brown was brought in off the streets to play quarterback, and Baltimore fought its way into the playoffs by beating the Rams in Los Angeles. Brown was declared ineligible by the league for the playoffs, so running back Tom Matte was named to play quarterback, a position he had played in college.

Matte performed brilliantly in one of the most famous of all NFL playoff games, a 13-10 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers. I was on the Packers at the time, and upon being traded to Baltimore was greeted by Matte with the words, "Hi Curry, you have my ring on your finger."

I did not give it to him, but admitted he had terrified us all.

In 1983, backup quarterback John Dewberry stormed into my office at Georgia Tech, where I was head coach. He loudly proclaimed that he was not only the best quarterback we had, but that he was the only quarterback on the team. He got his shot and led us out of the doldrums to Top 20 status.

Game Plan: No. 3 Georgia

Offense: This FSU defense has become a real Mickey Andrews version in the second half of games and the season. David Greene, precision and rhythm will be the order of the day. O-line and Musa Smith, 3.6 yards per carry will not get it done in this one. Defense: Pollack and Sullivan, these guys average 4.8 yards per carry. You must stop them to get to the young QB. Bailey and Gilbert, this will be a sideline-to-sideline night. No missed tackles! Make them drive the ball. No big plays, you win. Special Teams: Returners Jones and Gibson: field position! Bennett, your uncanny accuracy (10-of-12) from the 40-49 will be important. Prepare for trickery with constant reminders on each special team. Players: Your attitude, preparation and leadership will be the difference. You should win this game. The talk hinders your concentration, so ignore it. FSU will be formidable. Finish the Drill. This has been your mantra! Coaches: You know what you are up against. Communicate it! Get the young QB rattled early with changeups, but do not risk a big play. This is your staff's second chance to win a bowl, and you face the master bowl coach. Great opportunity!

This season, Texas A&M replaced its starting quarterback during the game against No. 1 Oklahoma. Freshman Reggie McNeal stepped in and threw four touchdown passes as the Aggies torched the Sooners 30-26 in one of the season's most shocking upsets.

Finally, and most importantly, Tennessee lost its starter midway through the 1985 season. Backup Daryl Dickey took the reins and led the Vols to national prominence by losing none of his starts and leading a shocking upset of highly-ranked Miami in the Sugar Bowl.

Where is Daryl Dickey today? He is Fabian Walker's position coach. Watch out Bulldogs, because this guy knows what he is doing and has talent on his side.

Walker is not some kid that just arrived out of the sandy plains of South Georgia. The Americus, Ga., native is the same age as the senior class on his team. His academic status required a circuitous route to college that led through junior college.

In high school he set state records for passing that still stand: 8,281 yards and 81 touchdowns, while playing in a very good football league.

Combine Walker's ability, maturity, position coach and supporting cast with the Lindsey Theory of QB Relativity. Consider Bobby Bowden's uncanny ability to win bowl games, add the fact that Bobby doesn't like audibles anyway (really), and you have the formula for a major upset.

One brief word on the supporting cast: this is one of FSU's best offensive lines if backup center David Castillo can do an adequate job of replacing the injured Antoine Mirambeau; the backs and receivers are all potential game-breakers --Talman Gardner, Anquan Boldin, Nick Maddox and Leon Washington can all fly.

Of the innumerable new starting quarterbacks for Bowden at FSU, only three have lost their debuts. Perhaps none has faced this level of pressure, but that is an impressive statistic nonetheless.

Of all the people on the face of the earth, none knows more about Bowden's grit and FSU's offense than Georgia coach Mark Richt. He has consistently screamed into the media onslaught that his team is facing big trouble, but has been drowned out by the naïve and dangerous wailing of the Bulldog Nation.

"We need a worthy opponent!" they shout. Be careful what you wish for, Bulldog fans. Your team won five games by seven points or less. The Seminoles lost by six inches "wide left" against the defending national champs and manhandled the Florida team that beat you in Jacksonville.

The defense of coordinator Mickey Andrews has relinquished 24 total points in the second halves of the last five games combined. Yes, that's 24 total points.

Bobby Bowden never loses bowl games, and every word you say will be posted in the Seminoles' locker room so as to aid their preparation. Buckle up for some football because you are going to get your wish.

Most of this analysis has revolved for obvious reasons around Florida State's quarterback dynamics, but the Georgia team has had a great year and knows how to win. The pivotal point in its season was in Tuscaloosa, when they ran the ball down Alabama's throats in the waning moments to set up Billy Bennett's game winning field goal. The Bulldogs were painfully close to a trip to Arizona.

Bennett, punter Jonathan Kilgo, and returners Sean Jones and Fred Gibson give Georgia the edge in hidden yardage. Surprisingly, FSU has the advantage in the all important turnover margin at +13 to Georgia's +6.

The game within the game will have three critical dimensions.

Will Fabian Walker be poised enough to maintain order? If he can there will be a tremendous football game.

Second, can young Mark Richt get his team's attention on the subject of Seminole bowl tradition? If he can, the Dawgs should win.

Finally, can anyone figure out when wily old Daddy Bowden is going to unleash some of his patented trickery? The answer is no, and that is why a team is never out of a game as long as the ancient maestro is on the sideline.

ESPN college football analyst Bill Curry coached for 17 years in the college ranks. His Game Plans for marquee matchups appear each week during the college football season.