This team is better than last year with one exception -- Sebastian Janikowski is gone. With the history of this game, Bobby Bowden may be having nightmares already. At FSU, players like DE David Warren have to wait their turn to become a household name and consensus All-American. Warren is but one of the leaders on a defense who makes life miserable for runners and quarterbacks. Outside linebacker Tommy Polley leads a corps that can run and pack a wallop upon greeting opposing ball carriers. Strong safety Derrick Gibson plays the inside receiver on most offensive sets and supports the run quickly.

Game Plan: No. 2 Florida State

Offense: With Weinke let the good times roll. . .protect him. Screen passes keep the rush under control. Find weakest defender and throw at him. Defense: Play for pass on first down. Pursuit check for reverse and unusual plays. Stop the run on first down. . .2.0 average. Kicking: No mistakes in protection, no blocked kicks. Punter handle all snaps without error. Players: Be ready for Miami speed. Keep penalties to minimum -- less than eight. Hang onto the ball. Coaches: Stay positive if Outzen must play. Throw early in goal line situations. Get tight end more involved in pass game.

Mickey Andrews has the 4-3 defensive scheme down and the players know how adjustments are made almost as fast as the coaches. Up front, the tackles must strip the center and two guards from getting to the middle linebacker thus allowing him to roam from sideline to sideline to make tackles. One problem (if you can call it that) is their team speed is so good they often over run plays and can give up a big play like LaMont Jordan's long run last week. Cutback running can hurt them. Do not try to outrun them with wide plays -- it is a waste of time!

It is man-to-man war in the secondary, and the 'Noles defensive backs want the challenge of covering Santana Moss and his cohorts on Saturday. Look for plenty of fade routes from both teams as the corners play tight bump and run.

Chris Weinke is having a Heisman Trophy year except for this sophomore kid in Virginia. Weinke's status for the game with his foot ailment is the major story; without him Bobby Bowden must play a different kind of game. The game plan will be cautious and he will turn it over to the defense to win. With Weinke at the helm, all engines are at full throttle and this offense looks unstoppable. Travis Minor and Jeff Chaney are a great pair of runners who have everything -- speed, elusiveness, and toughness. Minor is also the second leading receiver on the team which means defenses must hold for him. FSU has always been a great screen team and Minor runs it beautifully behind his blockers.

If there are four wide receivers in the country who can match this group, I am not sure where they are. Marvin Minnis, Robert Morgan, Anquan Boldin and Attrews Bell are all used in the various three- and four-receiver sets employed by Mark Richt, the offensive coordinator. Weinke has remarkable touch and accuracy; he hits his receivers in full stride to allow them a chance to run away from defenders.

While the running game has been under some suspicion early in the year, Bowden has pronounced it healthy and ready to offer its reliability for big games like Saturday. This is the one area that still must be proven versus a strong run defense like Miami. Minor and Chaney get all the attention, but Florida State turns to William McCray for the tough yards close to the goal line; he has scored four touchdowns to date.

Bowden is likely to pull out something new in the kicking game to take some of the pressure off his kicker and punter; he also knows the odds are against you when kicking to Santana Moss. Look for directional kicking to keep the ball away.