Tag: Clemson vs. Florida State

ESPN’s College GameDay crew makes their picks for Clemson vs. Florida State

The College Gameday crew made their picks for Clemson vs. Florida State.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers are just moments away from kickoff against Florida State, with ESPN’s College Gameday crew making their picks for the huge matchup.

The Seminoles entered the game the favorites and the GameDay crew seems to agree. Here is a look at each members choice for the rivalry matchup.

Vince Vaughn: Florida State

Desmond Howard: Florida State

Pat McAfee: Clemson

Lee Corso: Florida State

Kirk Herbstreit: Florida State

McAfee is the only one riding with the Tigers in this one, with guest Vince Vaughn picking the Seminoles.

Clemson to be without top wide receiver Antonio Williams against Florida State

Clemson will be without their top wide receiver in a crucial matchup against the Seminoles.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football team will be without their top wide receiver in a key matchup against Florida State. 

Star sophomore wide receiver Antonio Williams was announced out for the matchup, suffering an injury during the game against Florida Atlantic that he was not able to recover from in time for this game. It is a massive loss for the Tigers; Williams is a key part of this offense. 

In three games of action this season, Williams has totaled 15 catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers’ wide receiver room will need to step up in a big way Saturday without Williams as Cade Klubnik and the offense look to make a statement against the Seminoles. 

5 reasons Clemson pulls off a massive win over Florida State in Week 4

Here are five reasons Dabo Swinney and the Tigers can produce a statement win over Florida State on Saturday.

Clemson vs. Florida State hasn’t felt this big in years, and the Tigers will need to play a near-perfect brand of football on Saturday to walk out of Clemson Memorial Stadium with a win over the Seminoles. 

There are no doubts that No.4 Florida State is a talented team and head into Death Valley with something to prove. From what we’ve seen out of expert predictions and Vegas betting lines, this matchup is expected to be a close one that could go either way. 

With the various possibilities, there are multiple reasons that Clemson can pull off a massive win over Florida State and shake the ACC up once again. Here is a look at my five reasons Clemson upsets FSU. 

USA TODAY Sports six college football experts are split on Clemson vs. Florida State

Of six USA TODAY Sports college football experts asked, three are on Clemson, and three are on Florida State.

Heading into the Dabo Swinney and Clemson’s biggest matchup of the 2023 season yet, we have been looking into various expert predictions as the seemingly consensus expectation is that this matchup will be a tight battle in Death Valley. 

After Week 1, many would expect the Seminoles to enter this matchup as heavy favorites, but that isn’t the case. The betting lines have this matchup very close, and the media seems to be following suit. With the mix of opinions, the anticipation for this game is steadily building. 

USA TODAY Sports recently released their college football picks for Week 4, with six experts making their picks for every top 25 matchup this week. Of the six experts making picks, Scooby Axson, Jace Evans, and Paul Myerberg chose Clemson, and Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus, and Dan Wolken chose Florida State. 

Of the six experts, Axson, who chose Clemson, currently has the best record with 64 right and 7 wrong this season. A bonus for the Clemson, the current record leader, is riding with Swinney and the Tigers. 

Week 4 is one of the best slates of college football you’ll see, and it kicks off with Clemson vs. Florida State in Death Valley. A great way to start a Saturday of college football, right? 

We are just 24 hours from kickoff. 

Athlon Sports predicts Clemson will fall to Florida State in a strong effort from the Tigers

Athlon Sports predicts a close matchup on Saturday, with Clemson putting in a strong effort in defeat.

We are a day away from the game many of us had marked on our calendars heading into this season: Clemson vs. Florida State. 

As we approach one of the biggest games of the 2023 season, outlets begin releasing their predictions for Clemson’s matchup with Florida State. There has been a solid mix of varying opinions on how this game will turn out, with some seeing Clemson earning an upset win and others seeing the Seminoles picking up a big win on the road. 

The consistent thing we’ve seen in these predictions, is a close game. The latest prediction we checked out from Steven Lassan of Athlon Sports, with Lassan predicting a close win for FSU.

The matchup of Florida State’s offense against Clemson’s defense is one of the weekend’s must-see battles, but the other side (Florida State’s defense against Clemson’s offense) is just as crucial. The difference here could be a turnover or a big play. After losing to Duke, the Tigers can’t afford to go 0-2 in ACC play. Clemson fights for four quarters in a strong effort, but Florida State finds a way to win late.

The matchup between both offense and defense is intriguing here. Florida State has a high-powered offense running into a stout Clemson defense that has looked better by the week. Will the Seminoles struggle on offense, or does Jordan Travis have enough weapons around him to wear the Tigers’ defense down?

On the other side of things, Clemson’s offense has a high ceiling but will have to play a near-perfect game and game plan to keep up the scoring with Florida State’s offense. They have the tools to do it, but the Seminoles have the defensive talent to make it a long day for Cade Klubnik and the offense.

There are a lot of different outcomes for this game, but most expect a close competition between two of the ACC’s best.

Our staff score predictions for Clemson vs. Florida State

Our staff score predictions for Clemson’s massive Week 4 matchup with Florida State.

Of all the games on Clemson’s schedule heading into the 2023 college football season, this is the one we’ve had circled on our calendars. 

This matchup was one of the most heavily discussed in the preseason, and while it isn’t a ranked matchup like most would have expected, the importance of this game remains obvious, and expectations are a close outcome. Clemson vs. Florida State hasn’t felt this important in years, with both programs with strong needs for a victory on Saturday. 

As we do every week, the staff gathered and made score predictions for Saturday’s matchup noon matchup against No.4 Florida State. Here is a look at what we are thinking heading into the highly anticipated Week 4 game.

College Football News predicts an upset win for Clemson over Florida State in Week 4

An upset on the way? Many see the Tigers taking down the Seminoles on Saturday.

The opinions on Dabo Swinney and Clemson have varied through the three weeks of the 2023 college football season. Still, more often than not, the mainstream media hasn’t been too friendly to the Tigers. 

Even so, things have shifted in Week 4 as more outlets than expected expect an upset this Saturday. While Clemson may be unranked in the AP Poll, multiple sources expect an upset against No.4 Florida State in Death Valley. 

College Football News was the latest to predict a win for the Tigers, who see Swinney’s team pulling off a close 26-23 win over the Seminoles. Here is some of what writer Pete Fiutak had to say about the matchup. 

You know what you’re getting with Clemson, but it all comes down to whether or not it can take advantage of its opportunities. Florida State is better, but give this one to the Clemson defense and running game that will grind out a tough home win in the first of two meetings.

While Fiutak does believe the Seminoles are the better team heading into Saturday, it is what Clemson has to offer at home that keeps him invested in the Tigers. If Clemson takes advantage of their run game and the defense comes to play, there is no reason they can’t win this game.

Will Shipley and Phil Mafah will be heavily involved in this game script, as the Tigers’ rushing attack is the strongest point of the offense. The key is taking advantage of the opportunities they’re given, which this team has struggled with.

Expectations are for a close game, but one Clemson can win.

Clemson’s Defensive X-Factor for Week 4 vs. FSU

This freshman has been impressive through three games this season and has an opportunity to make some noise in a huge matchup.

Like our Offensive X-Factor for this matchup, this choice is nearly identical to the reasoning we had last week, but this time it is a different player.

Pass rush is something that the Clemson defense will have to produce to be successful against Florida State. Jordan Travis is one of the country’s best quarterbacks, and for the Tigers’ defense to slow him down, they will need to create pressure and set the edge so he doesn’t beat them with his feet. 

One of the key pieces to the Tigers finding this success is our Defensive X-Factor, freshman defensive end T.J. Parker. While much of the preseason hype revolved around defensive tackle Peter Woods, Parker has been the Tigers’ most impressive freshman this season.

Watching this freshman, it feels like he’s everywhere on the field. He plays with a high motor and has a tendency to find the ball. He recorded the first sack of his career last week against Florida Atlantic. I’m expecting this young pass rusher to keep this good momentum going into one of Clemson’s biggest matchups of the season.

Watch out for T.J. Parker in Week 4. 

Clemson’s Offensive X-Factor for Week 4 vs. Florida State

Clemson’s offensive X-Factor against Florida State is the same as it was against Florida Atlantic, and that’s for a reason.

Heading into Clemson’s matchup with Florida State, the Tigers’ offense has flashed signs of greatness but has failed to put together a complete game through three performances. 

This week against No.4 Florida State, the Tigers’ offense will need to play a complete game from top to bottom. Suppose everyone on the offense, from the offensive line to Cade Klubnik under center, is doing their part. In that case, Clemson has a real opportunity to upset the Seminoles and make a statement in the College Football Playoff race. 

What I believed we needed to see last week, we didn’t see. Rather, we saw this offensive star player frustrated and in a seemingly heated exchange with his running back coach.

For Clemson’s offense to have a chance against Florida State, they need to treat Will Shipley like the star he is in their backfield. Through three games, Shipley has 36 carries for 225 yards and 11 receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown. 

So, through three games, Clemson’s best offensive player, who is averaging 6.3 yards per carry, doesn’t have a rushing touchdown. If the workload we’ve seen Shipley get through three games continues in Week 4, this offense could be in trouble. 

Will Shipley, our offensive x-factor against Florida State, must be given opportunities to make plays. Treat him like the star offensive player he is before he’s gone. It is getting tiresome watching a player of his caliber be wasted. 

Clemson vs. Florida State is a key game in the College Football playoff race

Clemson and Florida State’s Week 4 matchup is a big one as a key game early in the College Football Playoff race.

Week 4 is one of the best slates of college football you’ll see, and Clemson’s matchup with Florida State is set to kick off an excellent day of football on Saturday. 

It is still early in the season, but every game matters for programs such as these. A loss can define a season, and the College Football Playoff will only see four teams compete for the national championship this season. Clemson can’t afford another loss, and Florida State has to prove that they can reclaim the ACC in a run to the playoff. 

No matter how you look at it, this matchup is a key one for the CFP race. According to 247Sports, it is one of the seven games in Week 4 that will jumpstart the College Football Playoff race.

For Clemson, it is about proving to everyone that the Tigers are going nowhere. They must prove they can still win the big games and launch themselves back into the CFP picture. 

This doesn’t feel like the same Clemson team, and everyone has noticed. But that conversation will dissipate quickly if Clemson wins this game as a home underdog. The Tigers are either right back in the CFB Playoff mix or there will be looming questions about the program’s future. There really isn’t an in-between.

On the other side of things, it’s pretty obvious what this matchup means to the Seminoles. The ACC has been Clemson’s conference for years, and FSU has something to prove. They need to show everyone that they can make it past Clemson.

Florida State hasn’t won this game since 2014, which corresponds with the last time it won the ACC. Clemson has owned the ACC in the years since. Florida State won’t truly be “back” until they topple the Tigers.

A lot is riding on this game for both sides, making things that much more exciting. Clemson needs to prove something, and so does Florida State.

Who is going to make a statement on Saturday?