Clemson Tigers vs. Florida State Seminoles Predictions: Insider Picks and Analysis

Here are the All Clemson staff predictions as the Clemson Tigers head to Florida State to face the Seminoles on Saturday.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik during a post game interview after the game with NC State at Memorial Stadium Saturday, Sep 21, 2024 in Clemson, South Carolina, USA. / Ken Ruinard - staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 15 Clemson Tigers head to Tallahassee to face the Florida State Seminoles in their first true road game of the season on Saturday.

The Tigers (3-1, 2-0 in ACC) are coming off a big win over Stanford on Saturday and they have now won three games in a row. They enter this contest as one of several teams that are undefeated in ACC action. The longer they can go without a blemish, the better case they can build for reaching the ACC title game and the College Football Playoff.

Florida State (1-4, 0-3) is without quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who is out with a finger injury. That robs Clemson fans of a reunion with their former quarterback, who transferred after the 2022 season to make way for current starter Cade Klubnik. Brock Glenn is expected to start for the Seminoles.

It’s a night game at Doak Campbell Stadium, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. eastern and ESPN broadcasting the game. The records don’t matter. It’s a rivalry and anything can happen.

So who wins? Here is the All Clemson staff’s predictions for the game.

Jon Conahan, Staff Writer

Clemson 31, Florida State 10

While Florida State has struggled this year, it’s important for Clemson to understand the Seminoles are still one of the elite programs in college football. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney should have his guys ready to go, as this could be their toughest task remaining in the regular season. Still, the Tigers should walk away with an easy win against a Seminoles team that’s proven to be below-average this season.

Matthew Postins, Staff Writer

Clemson 31, Florida State 21

Clemson’s offense will struggle in its first game away from home in a month — but not nearly how it did when it faced Georgia. The Tigers have evolved as a team and have too many weapons for Florida State to account for. Glenn will start slow and then give FSU a bit of juice in the second half. But the Tigers’ defense is going to exhaust him all evening.

Brad Wakai, Staff Writer

Clemson 28, Florida State 13

Clemson has been red-hot since their Week 1 loss to Georgia, looking much closer to the team that everyone expected entering the year. That will continue against a Florida State team that was the ACC preseason favorite before things immediately went off the rails. It will be harder for the Tigers to score this week, but they still have a comfortable win on the road.