It’s no secret that the Clemson Tigers are at a bit of a crossroads.
Not too long ago there was an argument to be made that their program was at the level of Alabama (and now Georgia).
However, the tides have quickly turned for head coach Dabo Swinney who has faced some rough waters these past two seasons.
Their season-opening loss to the Duke Blue Devils raised a whole lot of alarms for Dabo and the program (although Duke is a pretty damn good team this year).
Regardless, all the mistakes and lack of discipline shown in that game made people wonder if Dabo and the program were beginning to lose their way.
With all of these questions and doubts, what better time to welcome in the surging Florida State Seminoles who have taken over Clemson’s spot as the ACC darlings.
The #4 ranked Seminoles are undefeated and feature a stacked roster led by Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Jordan Travis.
Needless to say, Dabo knows just how important the game will be, especially since it’s at home in front of their orange-clad raucous crowd.
“Hey, this is Clemson-Florida State.” Dabo said. “It doesn’t matter what the record is. It doesn’t matter who won last year, doesn’t matter what you’re ranked. This is a game where you better show up. You better show up and be ready.”
“This is the biggest game of the year because it’s the one we’re playing,” he continued. “And I know nobody wants to hear that, but that’s the fact.”
“If you don’t have that mindset when you’re on this side of the microphone, you’re not going to be very consistent or very good. You win this game, guess what? You go to Syracuse next and lay an egg. Well, nobody cares.”
Clemson’s recent dominance over Florida State includes a seven-game winning streak, with the Tigers securing a 34-28 victory in their last meeting.
However, the Seminoles have been on a hot streak since that loss, while Clemson has faced some setbacks. It’s Florida State who enters tomorrow rivalry showdown as (small) favorites.
Who do you think will win?
Has Florida State taken over Clemson’s spot as the top dog in the ACC?