FSU football: ACC media picks Clemson over Noles to win conference

FSU football has had opportunities to dethrone the Clemson Tigers in the last two years. They led on the road late in the game in 2021 and stormed back from a large deficit in 2022, only to come up short each time.

However, some folks have seen the production FSU brings back on offense and defense, coupled with some key additions from the transfer portal, and think FSU has a real shot to beat Clemson in 2023.

The Noles haven’t defeated the Tigers since the 2014 game when Sean Maguire replaced a suspended Jameis Winston to win in overtime.

I suppose some media won’t believe it will happen until it does:

However, Clemson has undergone and continues to undergo transition on and off the field. They will have an inexperienced quarterback with a new offensive coordinator, and a defensive coaching staff in their second year, attempting to fill the shoes left by Brent Venables.

FSU has a ton of continuity on the coaching staff and on its roster. The transfers have a ton of experience and rank among the top transfer classes nationally. The two teams meet in the fourth game of the season, it’s on the road, but I believe FSU has the advantage with their returning experience and production.

However, the key isn’t necessarily that game, but the potential second game if they meet in the ACC Championship. Clemson will have more reps in the offense and will likely have a better grasp on what they’re trying to do.

Will it be enough to overtake the Noles in either game? Based on the progression of the last two years and how those games have gone, I think this is the year FSU finally gets over that hump.

It’s hard to beat a team twice when the talent is nearly equal, but that experience and production with FSU is hard to ignore.

This may be good for FSU players, as it could incite a little chip on their shoulders going into the season.