This was supposed to be a big deal.
It was supposed to be a giant national showdown, and it maybe a preview of the ACC Championship between two powerhouses. Florida State isn’t keeping up its end of the bargain.
The Noles need to change around their season with something splashy after the ugly 1-4 start. Three of the next four games are on the road.
Clemson has been fantastic ever since starting the season-opening loss to Georgia, destroying Appalachian State, NC State, and Stanford. It’s not exactly smooth sailing the rest of the way, but it’s ACC title game or bust.
Sep 21, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson wide receiver Adam Randall (8) runs down the hill before a game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Memorial Stadium.
© Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images
Clemson vs Florida State Preview
Clemson vs Florida State How to Watch
Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
Venue: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
How to Watch: ESPN
Florida State (1-4), Clemson (3-1)
- Week 6 Schedule, Predictions
- 5 Biggest College Football Surprises
- 5 Biggest Disappointments
- Bowl Projections | CFN 1-134 Rankings
- College Football Playoff Projections: Week 6
Predicting the Rest of the Season
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | SEC
Why Clemson Will Win
Florida State isn’t good.
Psychoanalyze this all you want, but the team just isn’t playing well.
The offense is bad on third downs, the defense is worse, the passing game isn’t clicking at all, the ground game is among the nation’s worst, the O overall is averaging just 278 yards per game, there are too many turnovers, the blocking isn’t strong, the tackling isn’t there, and other than all of that the Seminoles are doing just fine.
Meanwhile, after getting shut down cold by Georgia, Clemson has been unstoppable. The offense has rolled at will with 165 points over the last three games - averaging 55 per outing - starting with a line that’s giving everyone time to work.
So …
Why Florida State Will Win
The pressure is totally off.
No one’s expecting anything from the Noles. The game isn’t being promoted all that much by ESPN, it’s not being discussed, and there’s no real reason for Clemson to even show up.
No, Florida State isn’t good, but it is talented. There are pieces there to be better fast, but the team needs some sort of a positive spark.
The SMU game was its own problem, but for the most part the Seminoles have been in games. They just can’t get that one drive, that one stop, that one moment to take over.
It starts by blasting away. FINALLY try getting that ground game going against a Clemson defense that got hammered on a bit by Stanford and gave up three rushing scores to NC State.
Clemson vs Florida State: Who Will Win
Florida State will come up with a great first quarter.
Starting quarterback Brock Glenn will be okay, the defense will be inspired, and for about 20 minutes it’ll fell like something is different. The crowd will be jacked, FSU will have a lead, and then …
It’ll all start to fall apart. Clemson will get comfortable, the FSU offense will go on a few empty drives, and then everything will flip.
Clemson vs Florida State Prediction, Betting Lines
Clemson 31, Florida State 16
Line: Clemson -14.5, o/u: 46.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5
Clemson vs Florida State Must See Rating: 3
Week 6 CFN Expert Picks
Houston at TCU | Michigan St at Oregon
Syracuse at UNLV | UCLA at Penn State
Missouri at Texas A&M | SMU at Louisville
Iowa at Ohio State | Auburn at Georgia
Ole Miss at So Carolina | Rutgers at Neb
Clemson at Florida St | Tenn at Arkansas
Michigan at Washington | Miami at Cal
Texas Tech at Arizona
