Clemson at Florida State Lines
Top-25 teams clash this weekend as the No. 11 Florida State Seminoles visit the No. 21 Clemson Tigers in ACC action. The game gets started at 3:30 PM EST on Saturday with the betting odds listing Clemson as a 2-point favorite and the total being posted at 50.5 points. This pair has played 24 times since the the series began in 1970 with Florida State holding a 17-7 advantage despite the Tigers winning five of the last eight meetings.
Clemson is 3-0 after notching a big win last week over the defending-champion Auburn Tigers. Florida State was on a lot of experts short-list as possible national title contenders, however, the definitive game of their season was last week against the Oklahoma Sooners, who handled the Seminoles 23-13 on their home field.
Florida State’s offense has relied heavily on the pass to start the season, averaging 325.3 passing yards per game to just 96.3 yards per game on the ground. A major factor for this game is the health of starting quarterback E.J. Manuel, who is listed as probable after hurting his shoulder in the third quarter of last week’s game. Freshman Clint Trickett filled in about as well as could be expected given the circumstances, but it’s clear that the offense is more productive under Manuel. Keep an eye on his status before you consider taking Florida State in this game.
One thing not to be concerned about is the Seminoles’ defense, which ranks near the tops in the nation in most categories, even after playing one of the best offenses in football last week. FSU held the Sooners to just 310 total yards of offense, bringing their average yards allowed number to 195 per game, fifth-best in the nation.
Florida State’s excellent defense will get another huge test at Clemson against a team that averages a hefty 522.7 yards of offense per game. Coming into the season we thought the Tiger’s running game would be good (they haven’t disappointed, averaging 216.7 yards per game), but nobody predicted the excellent play of Clemson QB Tahj Boyd. Boyd has put up some incredible numbers in Clemson’s first three wins, completing 67.3% of his passes for 911 yards and ten touchdowns to just one interception.
There are some concerns on the defensive side of the ball for the Tigers, who have given up over 400 yards per game so far this year. They’ve been especially weak against the run, allowing 224.7 yards on 5.1 yards per rush.
Predictions
This is a huge game for both teams, not just in conference play, but it could determine to a large extent where each team will end up at the end of the year. There is some obvious concern about Manuel on Florida State’s. If he plays, and is close to 100%, the Seminoles have a great chance in this game because of their defense. However, if Manuel doesn’t go, or plays poorly with the injury, Clemson has a great chance to simply outscore FSU. I’m leaning toward taking Clemson right now, but would recommend laying off until we find out what’s going on with E.J. Manuel.
