Clemson came into this season considered a national title contender with 16 returning starters, which was second in the nation only to Arizona State, per Cody Nagel of CBS Sports. It was a forgone conclusion that they would waltz through the ACC and return to the College Football Playoff. Florida State, on the other hand, coming off one of the worst years in school history, was just supposed to angle for a bowl game.
Then they beat Alabama to start the season, and expectations hit a fever pitch. After a couple of wins over lifeless teams, the Miami game provided a reality check and provided data points that showed Florida State may have had too much dip on their chip, and sent the fans back into frustration and panic mode.
Somehow, this game has arrived with both teams combined 3-8 in ACC play. FSU, at least, is coming off a dominating 42-7 win against Wake Forest, while the Tigers gave up 46 points in Death Valley to Duke. In the win, FSU held Wake Forest to 2.5 yards per carry, and they did what they do best: play from ahead. Meanwhile, Clemson’s 560 yards of total offense were not enough against Duke.
To add insult to injury, Dabo Swinney was reprimanded and the school was fined $10,000 by the ACC offices for Dabo’s complaint about the game officials. There was a scene on the sideline Saturday where it seemed the players tuned Dabo out, which just made him more demonstrative. Is the end already here for the Tigers? Clemson’s wins are against Troy of the Sunbelt with whom they fell behind 16-0, but most chalked that up to a hangover from the opening loss to LSU. Their other two wins are against North Carolina and Boston College, who have 1 combined conference win and are a combined 4-13 overall.
This game means everything. For Mike Norvell , the plan is to get unscathed and employed from week-to-week. Losing to this version of Clemson would add to a list of awful losses that are becoming the definition of his tenure. Dabo Swinney, on the other hand, stubborn in his ways, daring Clemson to fire him could get his wish if this game gets ugly. A win by the Seminoles pushes Clemson to the brink of missing a bowl. A loss for FSU brings the pitchforks back out of the closet.
What was a matchup of prestige is now a game with pride on the line. Who wants it more? To call these teams desperate would be an understatement. The pressure lies squarely on the Tigers, considering the hype they began the season with. Florida State just won its first ACC game since last September in dominant fashion and should be riding high. Emphasis should be. Last season, Clemson came into Tallahassee and showed mercy to the Seminoles in a 29-13 victory, which looked more like a 38-7 win. Now in Death Valley, the Noles have no mercy to give.