Scott Stadium is set for a Friday night that could tilt the ACC narrative before October even arrives. Virginia fans are hoping that the eighth-ranked Florida State Seminoles (3-0), who enter the city undefeated and with the top scoring offense in the country, will fall into the trap in Charlottesville. With quarterback Chandler Morris completing 70.8% of his passes for 1,050 yards and 8 touchdowns, the Cavaliers (3-1) know they’ll need more than just a roaring crowd to hang with the Noles, but there’s at least a chance they can trade blows for long enough to make this game interesting.

But Virginia’s only defeat, a 34-31 slaughter against NC State after leading 24-14 at halftime, demonstrated how rough things can get. Their three wins have come against Stanford, William & Mary, and Coastal Carolina. On the flip side, Florida State doesn’t resemble the 6-6 team from last season. With quarterback Thomas Castellanos likely to make a comeback and an offense that averages more than 520 total yards per game, the Seminoles aren’t in the mood for mistakes, particularly when playing a team that had blown them in this stadium back in 2019.

When fans tune into ESPN for Friday night’s match in Charlottesville, they will see Bob Wischusen, who has been the New York Jets radio host since 2002 and has been calling games for ESPN since 2005. He’s been everywhere, whether it’s college basketball, major league golf, the NHL, or even the former Arena Football League. Wischusen began his career in New York sports media with MSG Networks and WFAN, calling everything from college football to the Knicks to the Rangers. Wischusen, a graduate of Boston College, has a steady voice that, simply by describing the situation, can make any game seem far greater.

Along with Wischusen in the booth is Louis Riddick, who infuses every broadcast with the toughness of an NFL safety and the intelligence of a front-office executive. Before signing with ESPN in 2013, Riddick spent more than ten years in personnel with Washington and Philadelphia following a seven-year playing career that included stints with the Falcons, Browns, and Raiders. Since then, he has established himself as one of the most reputable TV analysts, covering everything from the NFL Draft to Monday Night Football. Wischusen’s play-by-play rhythm complements Riddick’s sharp, insightful, and never-flinching honesty, which provides fans with the context and the call.

Analysts split on how close the ACC clash will be

David Pollack, the former ESPN analyst, dismissed the notion of Virginia hanging in on his show See Ball Get Ball, pointing out Florida State’s ridiculous scoring margins from their last two games. It’s not merely a warm-up; defeating Kent State and East Texas A&M by a combined score of 130 points is a complete slaughter. “I trust FSU,” Pollack said. “And maybe I shouldn’t because of last year, but there hasn’t been any hiccup. Florida State beat down ‘Bama. … Like, they haven’t been competitive.” He backed up his score prediction, saying, “I don’t think Virginia’s got the personnel that can beat Florida State. I think the speed is too one-sided.”

Greg McElroy, who is also on the FSU side, believes that it won’t be as biased. “An undefeated, Top 10 Florida State team, first true road test of the season, opportunity to kind of validate what was a dominant non-conference run,” McElroy explained. “And, for Virginia, it’s a chance to legitimize this high-powered offensive attack against a legit, top-ten team with national championship implications.”

Chandler Morris, the quarterback for UVA, is not a weak player, though, McElroy continued, “He’s already thrown for over 1,000 yards. Only one interception this year, too. He’s been pretty electric…I’m taking Florida State.”

The numbers tilt toward Florida State, as FSU enters a 7-point favorite over Virginia in ACC play. But Scott Stadium has seen its share of surprises. All that’s left is to see whether the Seminoles stay perfect or the Cavaliers carve out a season-defining upset.