Florida State will have some time to get up to speed in its first season post-Jameis Winston, and the Seminoles figure to need that prep time before navigating a tough four-week run later this fall.
The ACC on Thursday released a 2015 football schedule that includes two games at NFL stadiums and one at an MLB ballpark, but most of the attention figures to focus on a midseason run that will test the three-time defending champion Seminoles.
That stretch begins Oct. 17, when Louisville comes to Tallahassee, and includes games at Georgia Tech the following Saturday, at home against Syracuse on Halloween, and at Clemson on Nov. 7.
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There is no obvious replacement on hand for Winston, who could be the top pick in this spring's NFL draft. But Jimbo Fisher's team will get to warm up with an opener against Texas State on Sept. 5 and South Florida the next week before opening conference play at Boston College on Friday, Sept.18.
Other ACC teams will face more challenging foes out of the gate. Louisville opens against Auburn at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Sept. 5, two days after North Carolina meets South Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on the opening night of the season. Virginia Tech caps the opening weekend by hosting Ohio State on Monday night, Sept. 7, in a rematch of the national champion Buckeyes' lone loss from 2014.
Louisville appears to have the toughest opening stretch, with the Cardinals set to host Houston the week after that Auburn matchup and then host Clemson on Thursday night, Sept. 17.
The most unique setting for any ACC game figures to be the Nov. 21 Boston College-Notre Dame game at Fenway Park, but of course everyone will be gunning for the Dec. 5 ACC Championship Game at the Panthers' stadium in Charlotte.
Visit here for the full ACC schedule.