Another year goes by and things remain the same. The ACC Atlantic Division Championship will likely be decided by the winner of the Clemson vs. FSU game. The past 3 years, the games between these 2 have been close. The road team hasn't won since 2006 and FSU hasn't won in Death Valley since 2003. Could this year change the trend?
Clemson's Offense vs Florida State's Defense
Clemson will be facing one of the most talented defenses it will see all year. FSU has only given up 12 points per game and in their last outing they shut out a Maryland offense that was explosive until that point. They will be facing a different breed of offense Saturday in Death Valley. No FSU player has more than 2 sacks. And the only person with 2 sacks is DB Lemarcus Joyner. Not being able to get pressure on Tajh Boyd will be a huge downfall for the Florida State defense. The secondary has talented DBs but can they stop the amount of talent Clemson will bring in Sammy Watkins, Martavis Bryant, and company? That's a tall task. They will need to generate turnovers in order to be successful and Clemson protects the ball well. It will be critical for the Seminoles to stop the Tiger run game. If Rod McDowell and Zac Brooks are able to be affective, there will be no way for the Clemson offense to be stopped.
Clemson's Defense vs Florida State's Offense
Florida State has relied on an unfreshman like performance by freshman Jameis Winston up until this point. Winston has responded well to adversity and shown the poise of a senior QB. It does help that he has some amazing weapons at receiver in Rashad Greene and Kenny Shaw. Both can get open and make tough catches in coverage. Running backs Devonta Freeman, James Wilder, and Karlos Williams have given the 'Noles a good running attack. Winston will need this trio of running backs to play well and take the pressure off of himself. Spencer Shuey and Stephone Anthony will have a tough task but so far they have lead Clemson to slow down superstar Todd Gurley and made then NCAA rushing leader, Andre Williams, ineffective against them. Why should it change against FSU? Also, Winston is going to have to deal with the pressure of the Clemson Dline, most notably, defensive end Vic Beasley. Winston will make plays, but can he avoid mistakes in a hostile environment he has not been close to experiencing?
Special Teams
Punt coverage could be the difference on special teams. FSU has given up nearly 20 yards per return on punts. If the Tigers are able to get an opportunity, look for them to change the field or even score on a punt return. Also, FSU has Kenny Shaw returning punts who can reel off a big play at anytime. If either team is able to get 1 or 2 big returns, that could be enough momentum to win.
X-Factor
The X-Factor will be the crowd at Clemson and how FSU reacts to it. This crowd was loud and ready for the spotlight when their Tigers played Georgia to open the season. Clemson has already said that they want to be the loudest stadium ever this weekend and break the all time decibel record which was set just this past weekend by the Kansas City Chiefs' fans. Jameis Winston has never played in an environment anywhere close to the one like he will face Saturday in Death Valley. If he lets the crowd affect him just a little, it will be a huge advantage for Clemson.
Prediction
There will be a lot of scoring in Death Valley on Saturday night. Clemson nation will have the entire day of ESPN Gameday buildup to get hyped for this matchup of 2 top 5 teams. Tajh Boyd and company have played in the spotlight before and have proved they could win. FSU has not had that chance. Plus, Florida State has not won in Death Valley since 2001 and no away team has won in the series since 2006. That trend will be hard to change Saturday night. Clemson wins 37-31.
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