When is Miami-FSU? Hold on

ESPN has until noon Sunday to select the time for Oct. 8 game.

Viewers will have to wait a few days to learn the time of Miami’s Oct. 8 showdown with Florida State.

E SPN declared what i s known in the TV industry as a six-day option for three games involving ACC teams, including the two in-state rivals.

In addition to UM-FSU, Virginia Tech-North Carolina and Notre Dame-North Carolina State kickoff times will be announced no later than noon Sunday.

No. 14 Miami (3-0) opens ACC play at Georgia Tech (3-1) at noon Saturday (ESPN2). The FSU game likely will be the third national TV appearance in a row for the Hur- ricanes, who beat Appalachian State 45-10 on Sept. 17 on ESPN.

No. 12 Florida State (3-1) hosts North Carolina (3-1) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN). After facing the Seminoles on Oct. 8, Miami hosts the Tar Heels on Oct. 15.

Virginia Tech (3-1), which welcomes Miami on Oct. 20, is off this week. Notre Dame (2-2), which hosts the Hurricanes on Oct. 29, visits Syracuse at noon (ESPN).

Elsewhere, Miami was ranked No. 6 in SB Nation’s advanced metrics (S&P+), a rating of a team’s offensive and defensive efficiency. FSU (13th), Virginia Tech (14th), UNC (30th), Pitt (36th) and N.C. State (40th) were also in the top 40.

According to the SB Nation projections — which change by the week — Miami is more than 50 percent likely to win all of its remaining games. FSU, Virginia Tech and N.C. State are the only games in which Miami has less than a 70 percent chance. If the teams played today, the S&P+ ratings would project Miami to beat FSU by 5.9 points, Virginia Tech (on the road) by 1.3 points and N.C. State (on the road) by 8.5 points.

Notre Dame, which was expected to be one of the toughest teams on Miami’s schedule, was 46th. The Irish, who have struggled d e f e n s i v e l y, r a n k 1 0 4 t h nationally in yards allowed per play.

Through t hre e g a mes, Miami ranks first nationally in yards per play allowed (3.10) and second in yards per play gained (8.29).

FIU coaching change no factor for Owls: Florida Atlantic (1-3) plays at Florida International (0-4), which just fired its coach, Saturday night, and Owls coach Charlie Partridge downplayed the Panthers’ change as having little effect on the outcome.

“We will go off the film. T h e y n a med a n i n t e r i m coach from inside so we will go with what we have got,” Partridge said, referring to the likelihood of little change with defensive coordinator Ron Cooper replacing Ron Turner.

Asked to describe the FAUFIU rivalry, Partridge said it means plenty to the players, coaches and everyone in the program.

“Anytime you have two schools that are this close together, the players know each other. The coaches know each other,” he said.

Florida Atlantic had a 14-0 lead after the first quarter of last Saturday’s eventual 31-27 loss to Ball State in a lightning-plagued game.

“It is really just fighting for consistency,” he said.