The suspension of Florida State quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston has obviously become the central talking point in this Saturday night’s game.
Clemson Tigers @ Florida State Seminoles
Saturday, September 20th – 8:10 PM ET
Odds: Florida State -10 (Updated as of Saturday morning from -14.5)
Why The Tigers Will Cover
They get to play Florida State without its best player for a half. Clemson has to be very happy to see that Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston will not play in this game due to a public outburst with sexually-themed content earlier this week. Many people are surprised he was given a suspension, but it’s now part of the controversial career the quarterback has endured since he came to the Florida State campus. Clemson now has the opportunity to take control of the game in ways it probably couldn’t have done if Winston had been playing.
If everything falls apart for the Seminoles under backup quarterback Sean Maguire, Florida State could face a deficit it might not be able to overcome. The Seminoles could be in serious trouble in Maguire doesn’t click with the rest of the pieces on offense. Clemson will likely stack the box to prevent FSU from beating them with the run and to bring heavy pressure to Maguire, who has only attempted 26 career passes. Coach Jimbo Fisher has said he’ll stick his young quarterback to the same gameplan, not relegating him to “game manager” status against one of the nation’s most talented defenses.
Why The Seminoles Will Cover
They beat Clemson by 37 points a year ago, and that was on the road against the Tigers. In addition to those facts, Florida State won by 37 even though it didn’t rush for over 130 yards. The Seminoles were playing one of Clemson’s best teams from the past few years, with Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins, two very athletic players that the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference found it hard to contain. Florida State was so good last year against Clemson, and now the Seminoles play a Clemson team that’s much, much weaker compared to the 2013 version. This is why Florida State is not only still a huge betting favorite; this is why the Seminoles are more than capable of covering the number and living up to the hype. Clemson, in order to cover the spread, will probably need to take a lead of at least 14 points to the locker room. Once Jameis Winston enters the game in the second half, Florida State’s offense should take off and score a bunch against Clemson. If this game is merely tied or perhaps decided by three or four points at halftime, Florida State should swing into gear and blow out the Tigers in the second half.
Outlook
If Jameis Winston had been playing the full game, Florida State would have been in position to crush Clemson. With Winston missing it, though, the Seminoles could struggle. They’ll overcome their problems enough to win the game, but they won’t cover, not with this spread.
Pick: Clemson +10
