Every weekend, we are starting to unravel more of the college football scroll for 2013. Little did we know that such a large fraction of that scroll would be taken up by the ACC. As one of two conferences with 3 or maybe 4 teams still in the hunt for the National Championship, the ACC is quickly becoming the biggest threat to end the SEC's dominance in college football. And this week, we get to find out who really is the 'Big Dog' in the ACC, with a colossal matchup between the #5 Florida State Seminoles and the #3 Clemson Tigers at Clemson.
The Tigers have, for the most part, been having a terrific season, and there is no doubt in my mind that they have a Top 10 caliber team. Obviously, their offensive attack centered around quarterback Tahj Boyd, wide receiver Sammy Watkins, and running back 'Hot Rod' McDowell is a juggernaut. Although, sometimes the offensive line and running back corp can sometimes get a little 'lost', it is all-in-all a very solid unit. Clemson's defense has made gigantic steps since giving up 70 points to the West Virginia Mountaineers 2 years ago in the Orange Bowl, especially with their defensive line. Defensive end Vic Beasley has become the best in the country at his position, as he leads this sack-hungry bunch.
For the 'Noles, 'Famous' Jameis Winston is torching the world of football. As a freshman this year, Winston has thrown for 1441 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions.
Take a moment to think about those numbers and how absolutely insane they are
...................................................................................................................................
Are you done thinking? Good. Now, although most of the hype is around Winston, there is an impressive supporting cast as well. Winston actually doesn't have a 'main' receiver to go to, but a wide array of targets. Kenny Shaw, Rashad Green, and Kelvin Benjamin all have similarly high receiving numbers, and tight end Nick O'Leary is an important red zone target. FSU also has 3 speedy running backs, including leading rusher Devonta Freeman, James Wilder Jr., and Karlos Williams. On the O-Line, the Seminoles boast of the best center in college football, Bryan Stork. Although there are a lot of big names on the offense, head coach Jimbo Fisher has all the gears turning at a terrific rate, making it the scariest attack in the nation. Florida State's defense is not too shabby either, with potential NFL players in defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, cornerback Lamarcus Joyner, and defensive end Dan Hicks.
And we now ask the question, "Is there actually very much separating Clemson and Florida State?
Yes, I say there is an ever-so slight edge to the latter, FSU. In this game, so much attention will be paid to the star quarterbacks, Winston and Boyd, that the defensive lines of both teams will seem to 'forget' about defending the run. Yes, what you can pull out of that sentence is that the running games will be what is the most critical key for both teams. Florida State's running back corp, I believe, has more depth than the Tigers. So, the 'Noles will emerge victorious, right?
There is one more twist to this story that might also turn into the deciding factor. This game is being played in 'Death Valley', Clemson, South Carolina. Memorial Stadium is going to be raucous, and the crowd might get under FSU's skin, just as it got under Clemson's skin last year when they played in Tallahassee.
So, who wins this game?
Your guess is as good as mine. Although, just for the fun of it, I say Florida State squeaks it out, 43-37. What do you think? Tell me in the comment section! For now, so long.
No comments:
Post a Comment