For 229 days, the college football world has waited for the ever-changing sport to return, and no team is more eager to return to the proving grounds than No. 10 Florida State. Georgia Tech and Florida State open the 2024 season on Saturday in Dublin, Ireland, in what will be the ninth college football game played in the country. THE ODDS Florida State is the unanimous favorite by 10.5 points at major sportsbooks. That includes BetMGM, where 54% of spread line bets have been on the Seminoles since the open at -13.5. FSU’s spread line, which received 68% of all bets, was the most popular bet at the bookmaker among Week 0 games. Meanwhile, BetRivers reported the Seminoles’ -560 moneyline on an outright win was the second most popular bet, with 16.6% of total bets. That’s only behind the 22.3 percent betting on the under at 57.5 total points scored when Delaware State visits Hawaii. The 55.5-point over/under between FSU and Georgia Tech at BetMGM has seen fairly split results, with 58 percent of bets going over while the under has brought in 54 percent of the money. THE SERIES The Seminoles have dominated the series by a 13-4 margin in regular ACC matchups (2-0 in ACC title games). Georgia Tech is playing internationally for the second time. The Yellow Jackets beat Boston College 17-14 in the inaugural Aer Lingus Classic in 2016. “This is a great opportunity for Georgia Tech,” coach Brent Key said. “It will be great for people to see the GT on a worldwide stage.” THE UIAGALELEI ERA BEGINS As bridesmaids of the College Football Playoff in December, the Seminoles return the depth of the 13-1 conference championship-winning team. Florida State returns 73 players, including nine All-ACC members, an unprecedented number in today’s transfer portal-dominated landscape. In the backfield, the Seminoles are led by Lawrance Toafili, a fifth-year senior who rushed for 463 yards in 2023 while backing up Trey Benson. Toafili was the MVP of the ACC Championship Game last year and begins the season as Florida State’s best returner in rushing and all-purpose yards. The offense returns a core of nine Seminoles receiving passes who combined for 86 receptions for 1,195 yards and five touchdowns. Although the unit lost Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson and Jaheim Bell to the NFL Draft, two veteran players on the Mackey Award watch list, tight end Kyle Morlock (19 receptions, 255 yards in 2023) and Ja’Khi Douglas (14-243), appear to solidify the group. Perhaps the most important player on Florida State’s roster is five-year transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. He takes over from Jordan Travis, the 2023 ACC Player of the Year whose season ended with a knee injury that changed the Seminoles’ fortunes. Travis was selected in the fifth round by the Jets in April. After an inconsistent career at Clemson from 2020-22, Uiagalelei had more success at Oregon State in 2023, where he threw for 2,638 yards and scored 27 total touchdowns. The veteran quarterback is back in the ACC for one final round and is considered a key player in the Seminoles’ quest to make their first College Football Playoff appearance in a decade. “DJ has played in a lot of football games,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “He’s seen it all. He’s had ups and downs. I couldn’t be happier with what I’ve seen since he got here in January. He’s playing with a lot of confidence. I’m excited to see him play the way he’s prepared. If he does that, I think he could have a very special season.” Ahead of Uiagalelei, Florida State returns all-conference offensive linemen Darius Washington and Maurice Smith. Florida State was unable to make the playoffs last season in part because of injuries at the quarterback position. But the Seminoles have gone 23-4 the past two seasons and don’t need a motivational speech before they take the field in 2024. TECH ON THE UP Georgia Tech enters the season with its first winning season since 2018 and first bowl win since 2016. Key expects renewed success with the program. Dual-threat quarterback Haynes King, who threw for 2,842 yards and 27 touchdowns and added 737 rushing yards and 10 runs on the ground in 2023, is back at center for the Yellow Jackets. “When I say (Haynes) has all the skills and talent to be the best quarterback in the country, I mean it,” Key said. “We’re very happy for him.” Last year’s top rusher, Jamal Haynes (1,059 yards, seven touchdowns), also returns for Tech. Florida State’s offense is getting a lot of attention. The Seminoles have some young players on the other side of the ball, but defensive back Azareye’h Thomas said the group’s attitude paves the way for positives. Key has turned around a team that ranked 97th in the country in points allowed last year. Duke defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci has moved to Atlanta. Under Santucci, the Blue Devils allowed just 19 points per game, a best in the ACC. “That’s why I was hired,” Santucci said. “Stopping people, getting turnovers … getting the ball back to the offense and not letting them score touchdowns. That’s not pressure. That’s our job.” THEY SAID IT “They’re fast, fast, fast. Our defense has to pay attention. That starts in the meeting room. We watch film so it’s easy when we go out to practice.” – Georgia Tech defensive lineman Azareye’h Thomas on facing the FSU offense. – Field Level Media