Florida State Seminoles vs. Clemson Tigers
Just a few days after being slotted in at No. 1 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, the Clemson Tigers will have a major ACC test on their hands as they welcome the Florida State Seminoles to Death Valley and Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook and quarterback Everett Golson have both been cleared for the huge conference matchup, but Jimbo Fisher has yet to say if Golson or Sean Maguire will start against Clemson. Deshaun Watson will lead the Tigers offense into battle while Shaq Lawson and the Tigers defense will look to remain one of the best units in the country.
Details for Saturday’s game are below:
Date: Saturday, November 7
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Clemson, SC
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
TV Info: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Here
Ticket information: For Clemson Tigers ticket info click here. For Florida State Seminoles ticket info click here.
Keys to Victory
This game will truly be a matchup of strength vs. strength as the bread and butter of the Seminoles attack is giving the ball to Dalvin Cook and letting one of the best running backs in the country go to work. However, Clemson’s defense has been their driving force for much of the season, particularly against a Clemson defense that ranks 11th in the nation against the run in terms of rushing yards per game over the course of their undefeated start to this season. How Cook and the Florida State offense is able to move the ball on the ground against that defense could go a long way toward pushing the Noles to victory.
How Deshaun Watson is able to throw the ball against this Florida State defense is going to be the big key in this matchup for Clemson. Watson has been the driving force of the Tigers offense to this point in the season, but he’s leading his team up against a Seminoles passing defense that has allowed a meager 184.1 yards per game while recording 18 sacks and six interceptions on the season. Watson is going to need to play mistake-free and also make some big plays against FSU to keep his team perfect.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Clemson Tigers -12
Moneyline: Clemson Tigers -470, Florida State Seminoles +375
O/U: 56
Prediction
No matter how many times Dabo Swinney says not to make it a narrative, it’s impossible to shake the notion of “Clemsoning,” particularly after they’ve just been named the top team in the nation. Against a talented Florida State team, I think the Tigers fall in a back-and-forth affair.
Final Score: Florida State Seminoles: 34, Clemson Tigers: 28