FSU football predictions: Who do experts pick to win Clemson vs. Florida State game?
Florida State's showdown with Clemson might be the biggest ACC game of the season until the championship game. And it wouldn't be too surprising to see the Seminoles and Tigers meet again in December with the College Football Playoff at stake.
Saturday's game at Death Valley has been circled by college football fans since before the season started, though the game has lost a little bit of that preseason shine. No. 3 FSU dazzled over the first few weeks of the season that included a dismantling of then-No. 5 LSU. But last week, the Seminoles barely survived a trip to Boston College and Heisman hopeful quarterback Jordan Travis missed some time with an injury. He did finish the game, and coach Mike Norvell said he isn't worried about his star QB's health.
On the other hand, Clemson started the year with a shocking 28-7 loss to Duke. Coach Dabo Swinney's team shook off the season-opening loss by winning the following two games by a combined 134-31 score, though they didn't exactly face steep competition (FCS team Charleston Southern and Florida Atlantic from the American). Quarterback Cade Klubnik threw seven touchdowns against just one interception in those two wins.
The Tigers have had the advantage in the rivalry though, winning seven straight games against the 'Noles. FSU's last win over Clemson came in an overtime thriller in 2014. That year, Jameis Winston led Florida State into the first-ever College Football Playoff.
Live updates: The latest from No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 23 Clemson
So who will win on Saturday: Florida State or Clemson? Here's what some college football experts are predicting:
Chris Hummer, 247 Sports: Clemson 28-27
"I picked Florida State to win the ACC in the preseason, so I shouldn’t hesitate with this game. But I have a difficult time picking against Clemson at home. The Tigers win in Death Valley. They’re 7-1 in their last eight games against AP Top 10 teams and have won 41 of their last 42 overall.
"This game is going to come down to Cade Klubnik and Clemson’s wide receivers. There are points to be had against FSU’s secondary. Boston College showed that last week. But do the Tigers have the offensive pieces needed to make those plays? I think they do just enough. Plus, there’s just better value with Clemson and the points."
Bill Bender, Sporting News: Clemson 31-24
"Jordan Travis rallied Florida State in the fourth quarter in last year's 34-28 loss last season, and this is a chance to break the Tigers' seven-game win streak in the series. Clemson has limited opposing quarterbacks to a 52.1% completion percentage, so Travis will have to be at his best with his receivers. On the other side, Cade Klubnik has a 38.2% completion percentage under pressure. Can the Tigers keep him clean against the Seminoles' pass rush? This could be one of those patented Clemson upsets complete with an emotional Dabo Swinney speech afterward."
FSU vs. Clemson predictions: Here's who Pat McAfee, Lee Corso and the College GameDay crew picked
Bruce Feldman, The Athletic: FSU 28-17
"The Noles might’ve gotten caught looking ahead to this one and narrowly got out of BC with a win. I think FSU has a big edge in the passing game and will handle a tough road environment."
J.D. Pickell, On3: FSU wins
"At the end of the day, I think Florida State answers the call. From the Clemson side of things, I still need to see it. ... This defensive front for Clemson, if they're able to take away those pass-catchers for Florida State and push it back to the front seven, then they have a shot.
"... But I worry about them matching up against the explosiveness of Florida State, and I worry about Clemson being able to answer scores."
Ralph Russo, Associated Press: FSU 28-24
"Clemson's loss to Duke to open the season deprived us of another ranked vs. ranked game, but this one is still thick with intrigue. The Seminoles are trying to retake the Atlantic Coast Conference from the Tigers, who have won the league seven of the last eight seasons.
"It is also something of a referendum on the transfer portal with FSU coming in with a portal-powered lineup and Dabo Swinney still building Clemson almost exclusively through recruiting."
Our FSU vs. Clemson prediction: Can Florida State maintain control of the ACC vs. Clemson? Here's our prediction.
Brad Crawford, 247 Sports: FSU 31-28
"Smart money likely sides with Clemson since this game is at home and the Tigers are playing with their backs against the wall with a loss in the ACC already. Add the fact that FSU is marked as a top 5 unbeaten and everything is setting up for a Clemson 'upset' in Death Valley. However, we don't know how this Garrett Riley offense is going to look against an elite pass rush and the Tigers haven't faced an opponent yet as potent as the Seminoles offensively. I'll lay the points here."
Bruce Feldman, The Athletic: FSU 27-24
"FSU is the better team, but the Seminoles threw a wrinkle in my prediction by barely escaping Boston College with a W. It gave me pause. But I’m still haunted by the Tigers’ offensive performance against Duke. They’ve looked better the last two weeks against inferior competition, but this will be the most athletic defense they’ve seen to date."
Kris Johnson, Sporting News: Clemson to cover
"Clemson is one loss away from elimination in the College Football Playoff. Travis vs. Klubnik and the passing games are a wash for us, but the Tigers rate the edge on the ground and on defense. Take Clemson in a close ACC contest that goes down to the wire."
College Football News: FSU wins
College Football Power Index prediction model, SI.com: FSU wins
"The computers are siding with the Seminoles, who have the 57.3 percent chance to win outright in this road clash, according to the models that pick winners by simulating games 20,000 times."
The Athletic staff: FSU wins
Three of the four Athletic betting experts picked Florida State: Dan Santaromita, Ari Wasserman and Chris Vannini. Only Austin Mock picked Clemson to pull the upset.
FSU-Clemson spread
BetMGM favors the Seminoles by 2.5 points. The moneyline is -130 with the over/under at 55.5 points.
FanDuel has FSU as a 1.5-point favorite, and DraftKings has Florida State FSU as a 2-point favorite.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida State vs. Clemson predictions: College football expert picks
