This week's game between No. 1 Clemson and No. 16 Florida State won't just have a huge impact on the Atlantic Coast Conference; it could wind up shaping the entire College Football Playoff in 2015.
How to watch Florida State vs. Clemson on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
A win over No. 16 Florida State would cement No. 1 Clemson’s status as the top team in the country, but the Seminoles will be looking for an upset win to put them back in the College Football Playoff discussion.
The two storied programs will square off with the top spot in the ACC Coastal Division on the line Saturday afternoon, and there is no shortage of storylines for the league’s biggest regular season game of the year. The top ranked Tigers will be out to prove that “Clemsoning” is no longer a curse that haunts their South Carolina campus. Dabo Swinney’s team has won 42 games in the last four seasons but can’t seem to erase the stigma that suggests they aren’t an elite football program. The College Football Playoff selection committee threw their support behind the team when they placed the Tigers at No. 1 in their first rankings of the year, but there’s still a long road between Clemson and the postseason.
The next step on that journey is to face a 7-1 Florida State team that is looking for the catalyst that puts them back in the national title hunt. The Seminoles had climbed all the way to ninth in the AP Top 25 before a loss to 3-6 Georgia Tech reset their progress. A win on Saturday, paired with late-season victories over #10 Florida and an ACC Championship Game crown, could be enough to send FSU back to the College Football Playoff.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Radio: Clemson, Florida State
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Clemson is favored by 12 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Shakin the Southland (for Clemson fans) and Tomahawk Nation (for Florida State fans).
Three big things to know
1. The ACC Atlantic title won’t be decided on Saturday, but the winning team will come pretty close to locking it up. Clemson is a perfect 5-0 in conference play while the Seminoles are 5-1. Florida State can clinch a spot in the ACC Championship by beating Clemson and then taking down a North Carolina State team that’s just 1-3 against league opponents so far. The Tigers, on the other hand, can take a de facto two-game lead in the division with a victory and would only have to beat 1-3 Syracuse or 1-5 Wake Forest in November to punch their ticket to Charlotte.
2. The Clemson offense has been absolute lightning lately. In their past two games, the Tigers have scored 114 points in road wins over Miami and NC State. On Saturday, they’ll face a Florida State defense that hasn’t given up more than 24 points in a game this season. The Seminoles rank 13th in the country when it comes to scoring defense. Something’s got to give in Death Valley this weekend.
3. Will QB Everett Golson and RB Dalvin Cook start for Florida State? The Seminoles' two biggest offensive weapons are questionable for Saturday's game, but both practiced on Monday. Head coach Jimbo Fisher has been non-commital about their playing time, it appears that Cook is primed for a return to the lineup after missing last week's game against Syracuse. Golson's status is less certain after he sustained a head injury against Georgia Tech on October 24th. He hasn't played since then, but backup Sean Maguire (348 passing yards, three touchdowns against Syracuse) has filled in admirably since then.
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