Sapakoff: The ACC football case for Florida State, and for Clemson

2023 ACC Kickoff Jordan Travis
Dabo Swinney, the primary spokesperson for ACC football since winning his way to what was once Bobby Bowden’s domain, took on the garnet and gold elephant in the room Thursday at the ACC Kickoff media event in Charlotte.
If Florida State gets consistently good at football again, he was asked, is that good for Clemson and for the ACC?
“I don’t know if it’s good for Clemson,” said the Clemson head coach who has led the Tigers to seven ACC Championships in the last eight seasons while the once-dominant Seminoles have mostly struggled.
“But it’s definitely good for the ACC — as many good teams as we can have. (Head coach) Mike (Norvell) has done an amazing job, he really has. You could kind of see it coming. Steady progress. They’ve done a great job in putting their roster together.”
It’s a fascinating contrast.
Florida State has built itself into a College Football Playoff contender with heavy transfer portal additions, including adding former South Carolina star tight end Jaheim Bell and Gamecocks’ 2022 tackles-for-loss leader Gilber Edmond.
Clemson dips into the portal only for grad transfer quarterbacks unlikely to play.
Florida State leads the series, 20-15.
But Clemson was won seven in a row.
Indeed, a Florida State even slightly reminiscent of the ridiculously elite Bowden era — 14 straight top five finishes in the final Associated Press poll — would be fun for the ACC. And for college football.
But it’s not a real rivalry with Clemson again until the Seminoles win a game in the series for the first time since 2014.
Florida State after finishing 10-3 in 2022 likely will get two shots at the Tigers in the ACC’s 2023 new no-division format: Sept. 23 at Clemson, Dec. 2 in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.
It’s better for ACC reputation if the Seminoles win one of those games.
It’s definitely better for Clemson’s chances of getting into the playoff for the seventh time in nine years if they don’t.
The case for Clemson
Cade Klubnik and Garrett Riley don’t have to be a superstar quarterback-offensive coordinator duo to boost Clemson back into national title contention. The two Texans just have to be more consistent than the departed D.J. Uiagalelei and Brandon Streeter were during Clemson’s 10-3 and 11-3 seasons of 2021 and 2022.
It will be interesting to see how Clemson and Florida State stack up when the ACC Kickoff media poll and preseason All-ACC teams are released on Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, respectively. ESPN’s David Hale on The Paul Finebaum Show this week said Florida State might have the more talented roster, but veteran analyst Phil Steele has Clemson at No. 2 in his preseason top 40 (behind Georgia) and Florida State No. 8.
The difference might be on defense where Steele’s position unit rankings have Clemson No. 1 nationally at defensive line, No. 2 at linebacker (behind Georgia) and No. 3 at defensive back (behind Penn State and Georgia). Florida State is No. 7 at defensive line, No. 14 at linebacker and No. 8 at defensive back.
Perhaps the key stat, something that won’t change with injuries or unforeseen rising stars: the Florida State-Clemson game this season — the first one, anyway — is at Death Valley.
The case for Florida State
There isn’t a more enthusiastic bunch in college football. Florida State leadership going into a juicy season opener against LSU in Orlando on Sept. 3 is both legit and player-driven.
Norvell, in his fourth season in Tallahassee, wore a Bobby Bowden logo on his necktie while making the ACC Kickoff rounds.
Senior quarterback Jordan Travis (3,214 yards passing with 24 touchdowns and 5 interceptions last year) repeats the Norvell drumbeat: “The confidence comes from the work.”
Florida State leads the nation with 87 percent of its 2022 production on offense and defense returning for 2023.
Add to that the 11 new players 247sports.com ranks as the No. 5 incoming transfer class.
To go with Edmond on defense, Norvell got standout Virginia cornerback Fentrell Cypress.
To go with Bell in the passing game, Travis gets to throw to former Michigan State wideout Keon Coleman.
Part of why EJ Manuel, the ACC Network analyst and former Florida State and NFL quarterback, says the Seminoles have more than the best offense in the ACC.
“This is a scary offense,” he said.
While Clemson won the 2022 game in Tallahassee, the Tigers had to hold on to an onside kick to preserve a 34-28 victory after Travis mounted a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives.
“It just shows how they don’t quit,” Swinney said.
Swinney pointed out that “regardless if we’re 4-4 or 8-0 that (Florida State) game means a lot to a lot of people.”
True. But it hasn’t meant much nationally for most of the last decade.
Or even regionally.
A real rivalry is renewed this season only if Florida State wins one of its two games against Clemson.
Follow Gene Sapakoff on Twitter @sapakoff
Clemson vs. FSU, lately
Florida State leads its football series with Clemson, 20-15. But Clemson has won seven straight:
2015 at Clemson — Clemson, 23-13
2016 at FSU — Clemson, 37-34
2017 at Clemson — Clemson, 31-14
2018 at FSU — Clemson, 59-10
2019 at Clemson — Clemson, 45-14
2021 at Clemson — Clemson, 30-20
2022 at FSU — Clemson, 34-28
Clemson vs. FSU, lately
Florida State leads its football series with Clemson, 20-15. But Clemson has won seven straight:
2015 at Clemson — Clemson, 23-13
2016 at FSU — Clemson, 37-34
2017 at Clemson — Clemson, 31-14
2018 at FSU — Clemson, 59-10
2019 at Clemson — Clemson, 45-14
2021 at Clemson — Clemson, 30-20
2022 at FSU — Clemson, 34-28