College Football

How to watch Florida State vs. Clemson: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more

Here’s all the information you need in order to catch the game between Florida State and Clemson on Saturday night.

Oct 19, 2013, 1:00 PM UTC

Tyler Smith

Here it is, the game of the year in the ACC, and maybe the biggest game in the league’s history -- it’s a matchup between two undefeated, top-five teams. Clemson has taken care of business the way many expected prior to the start of the season, but Florida State’s presence in this spot may be a bit of a surprise. The Seminoles had a lot of key pieces to replace, but they’ve hardly looked worse for wear.

One reason for that is freshman quarterback Jameis Winston, who looked the part of a veteran from Game 1. Winston's counterpart in this contest, Tajh Boyd, is also having an outstanding year, setting up one of the most eagerly anticipated quarterback duels of the season.

The numbers

Rankings and records: Clemson is 6-0 (4-0) on the year, ranked third in the AP Top 25 and fourth in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. FSU is 5-0 (3-0) and ranked fifth in both major polls. Florida State holds an 18-8 edge in the all-time series.

Vegas: Florida State opened as a 3-point favorite.

Weather: The high in Clemson is expected to hit 71, and there is a 30 percent chance of rain.

Three names to know

Tajh Boyd -- Boyd’s 1,783 passing yards leads the ACC, and he’s completing 66.5 percent of his passes. He’s thrown 15 touchdowns against just two interceptions, and his passer rating ranks second only to ... Jameis Winston.

Jameis Winston -- Man, talk about a freshman debut: Winston leads all ACC quarterbacks in touchdown passes (17), completion percentage (73.2), passer rating (213.94) and yards per attempt (11.7). And the more plays he makes like this one, the more his legend grows:

He hasn’t played in an atmosphere like Clemson’s yet, though. Nothing even close.

Sammy Watkins -- After what was a bit of a down season in 2012 -- at least by the standards he set in 2011 -- Watkins is averaging a career-high 97 receiving yards per game, putting him well on pace to eclipse 1,000 yards this season. Watkins is tied for second in the ACC in receiving yardage (582) and tied for fourth in touchdown receptions (four).

Two things at stake

The outcome of this game last season ultimately determined the Atlantic Division champion (Florida State topped Clemson in Tallahassee), and so far it’s shaping up that way once again. But there is a much bigger prize, potentially, for the winner of this contest: a berth in the BCS National Championship Game. The fact that both teams rank in the top five of the two majors polls means they are both positioned to make a run at the national title, and the loser of this game is probably out of the running for good.