Here are five reasons the Tigers will defeat the Seminoles in 2016.
1. Florida St. has two quarterbacks
The cliché goes if you have two quarterbacks you have none. FSU had this this problem last year with Everett Golson and Sean Maguire. Ultimately, Jimbo Fisher gave the job to Sean Maguire later on in the season, but watching Florida St. last year they struggled on the offensive side. With close games at Boston College, Wake Forest, and Miami teams in which Clemson beat by three possessions or more. The Seminoles lost a close game to Georgia Tech another team Clemson beat by three possessions or more. Although all these games were with Everett Golson at quarterback Sean Maguire only scored 13 points against Clemson. He only threw for 164 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The Peach Bowl against Houston he was abysmal, throwing four interceptions in a 38-24 loss. Sean Maguire is not a great quarterback and the coaching staff already knows what they are going to get from him. The firepower that Clemson has on offense they will score a lot of points, it will take more than a game manager to beat them. If he is the starter October 29th and if he isn’t getting it done early, Jimbo Fisher may yank him for Deondre Francois. The four star dual threat quarterback could be the answer for the Seminoles or he could wilt under the pressure. The magnitude of the game and the way Brent Venables loves to disguise coverages and blitz may be too much for the freshman.
2. Too Much Cook
Dalvin Cook is the key ingredient to Florida State’s offense, the problem is Florida State relies on him too much. Cook carried the ball 229 times last season, but if they struggle in the passing game expect those numbers to take a leap. The 2016 Heisman Trophy candidate will receive a bulk of the carries and he will have to carry the offense which will keep Florida State from developing a balanced attack. Dalvin had some durability issues last year which caused him to miss a game. During several games, he had to come out and nurse his hamstring issues with his durability issues they will need a complimentary back. The junior running back had 194 yards on 21 attempts last year against Clemson how much more can he do?
3. Florida State’s Schedule
With opponents like Ole Miss, Louisville, North Carolina, and Miami, the Seminoles have tough opponents to face before they meet Clemson. Deshaun Watson is a Heisman Trophy finalist who can beat you from the pocket and with his legs. He is the first quarterback in FBS history to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards. Chad Kelly is one of the best quarterbacks in college football with a similar play style like Watson’s. If Chad Kelly has success against Florida St. throwing and running the ball than you better believe Deshaun Watson will. Another guy who is a threat running and throwing the ball is Louisville’s own Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson is becoming a household name, and he will make Louisville a tough matchup for any team. If he has success inside and outside the pocket then the quarterback for Clemson will be shooting a lot of arrows Oct. 29th. Brad Kaaya, the quarterback for Miami, is one of the best passers in college football. He had a great game against Florida State last year throwing 3 touchdowns and passing over 400 yards. If he picks apart the Seminoles defense again, then Florida St. might have a loss before they meet Clemson.
4. Bye Week
Both teams will have a bye week before they face each other, so each team will have time to analyze the opposition. Clemson plays its best football coming off a bye week, in the Dabo Swinney era Clemson has been 19-7 coming off of a bye week (including Bowl games and season openers). That is a 73% win percentage and he has beaten teams like Notre Dame, LSU, Ohio St, Oklahoma (2X), Georgia, and Auburn. Dabo Swinney will have his Tigers ready and refreshed.
5. High Stakes
The higher the stakes the better he plays and of course, I’m speaking of none other than Deshaun Watson. This young man has ice in his veins and the moment is never too big for him. Over the past two years, he has only lost one game that he has started and finished. His only loss was in the National Championship, where he torched Alabama for 405 passing yards and 4 touchdowns and 73 rushing yards. If Florida St. plans on beating Clemson, they will have to slow him down and that is no easy task for anyone.
