Jameis Winston has fond memories of his first meeting with a then-No. 3-ranked Clemson last year, where he played perhaps the best game of his college career to date.
This season though, Winston and the Noles have not been as impressive. Could the defending champions be ripe for the picking at home? Clemson will soon find out when it faces its main ACC Atlantic rivals in Tallahassee to battle it out for division supremacy.
Check out another interesting battle between two Top 25-ranked teams in our Auburn vs. Kansas State preview, and read on to learn which ACC power will gain the upper hand in the division.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Clemson Tigers vs. Florida State Seminoles Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee
When: Saturday, September 20, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Clemson Tigers (+20.5) at Florida State Seminoles (-20.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Clemson Tigers
After being gashed by Todd Gurley and Georgia in Week 1, Clemson took out their frustration at sorry South Carolina State. The Tigers scored 73 points and produced 735 total yards of offense in a 73-7 rout. But obviously, this will have close to no bearing on their matchup with the defending champions.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Or maybe it could. Quarterback Cole Stoudt should gain some of that confidence he lost in his disappointing 16-for-29, 144-yard debut against Georgia after a respectable 300-yard outing against the less ferocious Bulldogs of South Carolina State.
The Clemson running game, which was silenced to a mere two yards per carry in Week 1, also had a bounce-back game with 268 yards on 51 carries with four touchdowns. The Tigers could have similar success on the ground against a Florida State defense that allowed three rushing touchdowns in Week 1 against Oklahoma State (after allowing seven all of 2013) and 250 rushing yards to minnows Citadel.
But if Clemson has any hope of making this game competitive, its own defensive line needs to play out of its mind to put pressure on Jameis Winston. It definitely has the talent to do so with All-American Vic Beasley, who’s arguably the best pass rusher in the nation. Fellow senior Grady Jarrett will also be key in preventing the Noles from establishing the run.
Florida State’s offense hasn’t been the soul-crushing juggernaut it was last year. If Beasley and co. can get to Winston early, the Tigers could take the Noles out of their rhythm offensively.
Betting on the Florida State Seminoles
This time in 2013, the Noles won their opening two games by a combined 83 points. This year, though, the Noles have won their two games by just 31 points, including a subdued 37-12 home win to FCS school Citadel. After going an impressive 11-2 against the spread in 2013, the Noles have now failed to cover 18- and 56.5-point spreads to begin this season.
Perhaps the defending champions are looking at the big picture and don’t feel the need to expend any extra energy running up the score on a team that didn’t stand any chance of beating them. But with a division rival coming for a visit in Tallahassee, the Noles will not be lacking in motivation.
Jameis Winston hasn’t (yet) been as otherworldly as he was last season, but he has still been pretty good in his first two games. And “pretty good” for the Heisman-winning quarterback translates to a 70 percent pass completion and 9.3 yards per pass attempt, which is definitely good enough to beat most teams.
Even with Beasley and the Clemson line putting the pressure on him last season, Winston produced 444 yards and three touchdowns in what was the best game of his historic 2013 season on the road at Clemson. For this year’s matchup, Winston will still be protected by arguably the best offensive line in the country, one which should once again get the better of Clemson’s D-line.
It’ll take something pretty special to beat Florida State at home. The Seminoles are undefeated in their last 14 games in Tallahassee and are 9-1 all-time at home against Clemson.
Writer’s Prediction
Winston and the Noles step up the intensity in Tallahassee, which will be too much for the Tigers to take. Take Florida State (-20.5) to win and cover at home. Create a betting account now and get some great action on juicy conference rivalries.
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