No. 24 FSU Ready For Wake Forest

Bring on the big boys.

With a couple of easy wins tucked away against lower-division opponents, Florida State hopes it is ready for folks its own size.

The Seminoles next challenge is a big one. No. 18 Wake Forest visits Saturday in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for teams with 2-0 records.

The Demon Deacons have defeated Baylor and Mississippi. Florida State has defeated Western Carolina and Chattanooga, both members of the smaller Football Championship Subdivision.

"I think we're going to qualify for the I-AA playoff," Florida State coach Bobby Bowden chuckled after the Seminoles routed Chattanooga 46-7 Saturday, a week after posting the school's largest victory margin with a 69-0 rout of Western Carolina.

The wins were good enough to get the Seminoles back into The Associated Press weekly poll at No. 24 and keep Bowden tied with Penn State's Joe Paterno at 375 wins - the most among major college coaches.

And the Seminoles regain the services of defensive tackle Budd Thacker, who is coming off an academic suspension, and junior receiver Preston Parker, who returns after sitting out a two-game suspension as a result of pleading guilty to misdemeanor firearms and marijuana charges during the offseason.

However, the Seminoles still will be without another half-dozen key players who will be sitting out their final game as part of a suspension for academic misconduct in 2007.

Wake Forest had the weekend off, giving Coach Jim Grobe some extra preparation time for the game.

"They can spend two weeks concentrating on what we're doing, but maybe you lose a little something when you're not playing," Bowden said Sunday.

Hours after his Seminoles dismantled their second lower-division opponent in as many weeks, Bowden conceded he's peeked ahead to a veteran Demon Deacons team that has won the past two meetings between the schools.

"They're a good solid football team that doesn't beat themselves," Bowden said. "They're the ones who are going to be fighting us off this weekend. I'm anxious to play that ballgame."

The easy tuneups gave Bowden time to review offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher's decision to replace veteran starting quarterback Drew Weatherford with a pair of previously untested sophomores.

Christian Ponder has completed 24 of 39 for 376 yards and six TDs while D'Vontrey Richardson is 14-for-20 for 174 yards and two TDs, and 108 yards and three TDs rushing.