After battling through injuries and adversity against Miami in Week 7, Florida State must now return to the playing field against the Clemson Tigers. Week 7 was exhausting for everyone, between the gritty battle on the field, the two ridiculous calls, and the season-ending injury to star running back Ousmane Kromah. Even with a bye in Week 8, the tension from the previous weeks feels like it is lingering, and the Seminoles now need to get back into the win column.
Florida State's first opponent after the bye week will be Clemson, a team sitting in a very similar position with little success on the field despite very high expectations. Coach Mike Norvell is going to be sticking around Tallahassee for a bit longer, and losing to Clemson directly after that announcement became public would be an awful look.
Norvell may not have secured the win in Coral Gables, but taking Miami into double overtime appears to have been enough to win back the trust of the public. After previously hosting Virginia this season as underdogs, Florida State is a home favorite for the first time since hosting Central Arkansas earlier in the year.
Early Florida State vs. Clemson Week 9 odds, spread, and total
Odds are provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- Florida State -220
- Clemson +180
Spread
- Florida State -6.5 (-102)
- Clemson +6.5 (-120)
Total
- 50.5 (over -110/under -110)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change
Early Florida State vs. Clemson Week 9 odds reactions
After giving Miami a run for its money, Florida State is now considered to be a comfortable favorite over Clemson in Tallahassee. The Seminoles should be favorites at home games with the crowd that the team can bring in, but, notably, Florida State is a heavier moneyline favorite than normal.
The last time Florida State played at home this season, Virginia was considered to be the favorite despite being the visiting team. The Seminoles impressed with a dominant win, but now the team needs to same result on the field with the public backing them this time. There is enough evidence to suggest this can be a strong team, but consistency has been the problem the Seminoles cannot shake.
Clemson is not coming into the game as the hottest team either, which could factor into the support for Florida State. The Tigers are 4-3, and with no real solution at quarterback, the team does not look like one that can muster up enough offense to beat opponents. Clemson has scored 29 points in the last two ACC games against Virginia Tech and Miami after posting 52 in the first two conference games.
The Tigers averaged 4.6 yards per play during the 41-13 loss to Miami, with quarterback Tait Reynolds turning the ball over twice. The offense managed to move the ball against a solid Virginia Tech defense, but the team still only put together a 16-point performance, which will not be enough to defeat Florida State.
Losing to Miami definitely stings, but the reality is that the ACC as a whole is not that great this season outside of the Hurricanes, SMU, and Wake Forest. Florida State could definitely take advantage of that moving forward with similar performances on offense to the one that brought the team into double overtime.
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