FSU Seminoles

Going against 6-foot-6 Kelvin Benjamin in practice, it helps to have a plan.

The key, Nick Waisome said, is getting inside his arms, keeping him away from the ball. The outcome -- well, that's not always perfect.

"It's a coin toss," Waisome said.

Murray State won't provide Waisome with quite as tough a matchup Saturday, but that doesn't mean Waisome won't be tested in his first career start. Then again, he's also expecting to win more than half those battles, too.

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Jimbo Fisher said the ban on Twitter remains in effect for Florida State players, but he hopes the team is ready to move on from the controversy this summer surrounding tweets from defensive back Tyler Hunter that encouraged violence against police officers.

Hunter, who has not spoken publicly since Fisher's Twitter ban went into effect last month, issued a statement through the school apologizing for his actions.

"It was a terrible mistake and something I wish I could take back," Hunter said in the statement. "I never meant to be hurtful and disrespectful to police officers and the families of fallen officers."

In July, Hunter complained on Twitter about treatment by police following a traffic stop, using lines from a rap song that included a call to "kill cops."

Hunter's tweets were not the only ones to stir controversy, though his were the most overt. Fisher shut down the use of Twitter completely among players, but Hunter received additional punishment after leaders of the Florida Fraternal Order of Police raised concerns with the university.

As part of Hunter's punishment, he performed several ride-alongs with local police.

"I've appreciated the time the Florida State police officers have spent with me educating me about their jobs and the jobs of other officers," Hunter said in the statement. "I've learned about the risks they take daily for our safety, the sacrifices they make and know it's not an easy job. Nothing should have caused me to quote or use words like that."

Fisher said he imposed strict disciplinary restrictions on Hunter since the incident, and he said he has been pleased with how the sophomore has responded.

"He's been very, very disciplined, never any issues anymore," Fisher said. "I think he realizes he made a critical mistake that's not indicative of who he is as a person. But he knows he was wrong -- and majorly wrong. He's really done a nice job of trying to change his image and what he's trying to be about."

Hunter is expected to be Florida State's nickel-defense cornerback this season, and Fisher said the sophomore will be available for Saturday's game against Murray State.

"He'll be playing, he'll be ready to roll," Fisher said. "He's gotten a greater appreciation for what those folks do and how wrong he was, and he understands that."

It's been three years since Bobby Bowden was on the sideline for the first Saturday in September, but he's no less a fixture in the college football landscape. Bowden remains a prominent figure in the sport, and football remains a prominent part of his life.

So as Florida State and the rest of the nation gets set for another season -- and on the eve of Bowden's induction into the FSU Hall of Fame -- NoleNation sat down with the legendary coach for his take on what's in store for the Seminoles, the ACC and the rest of college football in 2012.

NoleNation: I'm sure it's a lot different for you these days, but do you still get excited for the start of a new college football season?

Bobby Bowden: I really do. Now that I've retired -- when you're coaching you don't have time to watch other people, you only watch yourself. Now I'm able to watch everybody, and I really enjoy it, and I'm very excited about this football season.

NN: Now that you're not coaching, what is a typical Saturday in the fall like for you?

Bowden: During football season, No. 1, if I have an early golf game, I'm not going to miss it. I get done around 12. But a Saturday for me, I get up early, we have a standard tee-off time on Saturday morning, so you're going to play golf. Then I come home and I sit down and start watching football games. I watch all day, probably up until 12 at night. I have to vote. I vote for the Legends Poll, a bunch of head coaches that don't coach anymore -- probably 20 of us. So I try to watch everybody I can so I can vote in that poll.

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With all 12 teams playing in Week 1, including two conference games, there will be plenty to watch in the ACC, from Friday through Labor Day. Here are 10 things to keep an eye on, in no particular order:

1. NC State’s secondary vs. Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray. The Pack will be without starting cornerback C.J. Wilson, who has an “eligibility issue,” according to coach Tom O’Brien, but All-American David Amerson returns to help the Pack against Bray. Despite missing five games last season with a fractured thumb, Bray threw for 1,983 yards and 17 touchdowns.

2. Clemson in the trenches. Much of the focus leading up to the Auburn game has been on how Clemson will survive without suspended leading receiver Sammy Watkins, but more important is how Clemson will fare up front, on both the offensive and defensive lines. Depth on the offensive line remains a concern, and overall, Clemson had to replace six starters up front from last season.

3. True freshmen in College Park and Chestnut Hill. Maryland and Miami both will be depending heavily on true freshmen in their season openers. The Terps will have true freshman Perry Hills starting at quarterback, are likely to use two freshman running backs and will use receiver Stefon Diggs in several roles. Miami has more than a dozen freshmen in its two-deep.

4. Special teams in Blacksburg. Georgia Tech’s group was abysmal last season, but the Jackets hired special-teams coach Dave Walkosky, the first special-teams coach Paul Johnson has hired during his tenure in Atlanta. The Hokies are trying to get Beamerball back, but questions in the kicking game persisted through summer camp.

5. Jeremiah Attaochu vs. Logan Thomas, Part 2. In this game last season, Attaochu was about to complete a third-down sack of Thomas but couldn’t bring the lumberjack down. Attaochu let his frustration and adrenaline get the better of him, and took a swing at Thomas, drawing a personal foul. The two have been friendly since, but getting pressure on Thomas will be key in this game.

6. Florida State’s offensive line. If there is one reason not to snooze on the Murray State game, this is it. The Seminoles showed a lot of progress up front this offseason, but they must continue it if FSU is going to live up to the expectations this season.

7. ACC vs. SEC. The ACC hasn't had a winning record against the SEC since it went 5-4 in 2003. The ACC could help itself change that this weekend with a 2-0 start against the SEC with victories by NC State and Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff.

8. North Carolina’s tempo. We finally get to see the “Fed Spread” in Chapel Hill, as UNC will unveil its new up-tempo spread offense under first-year coach Larry Fedora. How many more plays will the Tar Heels be able to run, and how well will they execute them? Bottom line: How fast can this team score? Time of possession could be deceiving.

9. Duke’s backups. The Blue Devils will be missing about a dozen injured scholarship players against Florida International, including receiver Blair Holliday, tight end Braxton Deaver, defensive tackle Jamal Bruce, safety Jordon Byas and linebacker Kelby Brown.

10. Virginia’s revamped secondary. UVa has no seniors in its secondary after having three senior starters last season. Only three other schools (Florida State, LSU and North Texas) have a senior-less secondary. More specifically, there are no upper-classmen at the cornerback position. Sophomore Demetrious Nicholson is now the elder statesman of the group.

For all the buzz surrounding Ronald Darby or the expectations for five-star recruits Mario Edwards Jr. and Eddie Goldman, the only freshman guaranteed a starting job for Florida State this year is punter Cason Beatty.

And while Beatty has largely been secluded with the other specialists throughout the bulk of fall camp, his role this season could be significant.

Beatty replaces All-American punter Shawn Powell, and he'll have his work cut out for him to live up to that lofty precedent.

Powell led the nation with a 47-yard average a year ago -- nearly five yards per punt better than the next closest competitor in the ACC.

Jimbo Fisher isn't exactly expecting those results in Year 1 for Beatty, but thus far he's been impressed with what he's seen.

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Ah, it’s that time of year again. The time when you guys get to point and laugh when I am wrong, when you’re shocked into silence when I’m right, and when 12 fan bases are convinced I always pick against their team.

I heart predictions, don’t you?

As usual, my goal this year is to beat the guys over there in SEC land with a better picks percentage, but they’ve got a real tough job picking LSU and Alabama every week. Over here in ACC land, we’ve got a real conference race going on, and the unpredictability is a fabulous excuse for erroneous picks. Speaking of the SEC, I’m going to go out on a limb -- walk a plank, actually -- and say the ACC leaves Atlanta 2-0.

Undefeated … you know, just like my picks? Here we go, 2012 …

Miami 17, Boston College 14: The Eagles will give it everything they’ve got in a hard-fought game, but they’ll come up short late in the fourth quarter. Miami’s speed will be too much for a defense that will sorely miss tackling machine Luke Kuechly.

Clemson 34, Auburn 31: This has a high-scoring, last-play-of-the-game feel to it, and I’m willing to give Clemson the benefit of the doubt. Losing Sammy Watkins is going to hurt, yes, but the Tigers have enough surrounding talent that they’ll be able to compensate for his loss with a group effort.

Florida State 66, Murray State 10: Somehow I get the feeling Jimbo Fisher won’t call off the dogs in this one until later in the game. This will be a good chance for the offensive line to get the kinks and jitters out, and for the Seminoles to adjust to life without Greg Reid.

Maryland 24, William & Mary 14: Even with true freshman Perry Hills making his debut at quarterback, this is a home game the Terps should still win. It might get uncomfortably close at times, but Maryland has been embarrassed enough already not to let it happen again in the opener.

NC State 28, Tennessee 24: The Volunteers desperately need this victory, and it should be another down-to-the-wire game, but the Wolfpack will have the edge up front, and quarterback Mike Glennon will make enough plays down the stretch to be the difference.

Wake Forest 24, Liberty 10: This should be a ho-hum game for the Deacs, as long as they’re not looking ahead to next week’s game against North Carolina.

Florida International 34, Duke 31: The Blue Devils beat FIU on the road last year, but Duke’s injuries have accumulated over the past two months and will be a factor on both sides of the ball.

Virginia Tech 31, Georgia Tech 20: Did I mention this game is in Lane Stadium? Virginia Tech will come out fired up by its home-field advantage and force a fumble or a turnover that gives the Hokies the momentum early. The Hokies have questions on offense, yes, but it’s going to be Bud Foster’s defense that is the difference in this game.

North Carolina 38, Elon 10: Larry Fedora’s offense will work just fine in Week 1, but don’t expect to see the full repertoire against Elon. This will be a chance for the Tar Heels to work on the execution of new schemes on both offense and defense at game speed, and give them some game film to make corrections and adjustments before the Wake Forest game.

Virginia 24, Richmond 21: The Spiders, coached by quarterback Michael Rocco’s uncle, will keep things interesting against the Hoos. The familiarity between the coaching staffs will make this game better than it should be, as UVa coach Mike London was formerly the Richmond coach, and it is his alma mater.

Nick Waisome knows he'll be an inviting target this season.

On the opposite side is Xavier Rhodes, a future first-round pick in the NFL. Waisome, meanwhile, has made exactly one tackle in his college career.

So when the games begin Saturday, odds are, teams will be throwing Waisome's direction, and he's not shying away from the challenge.

"Bring it on," he said.

It's safe to say Florida State's sophomore cornerback, who edged out freshman Ronald Darby for the chance to replace the departed Greg Reid in the starting lineup, won't be lacking in confidence this season.

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