Clemson/Florida State: For a National Title spot?

By Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
http://highheatnet.blogspot.com/2012/09/clemsonflorida-state-for-national-title.html

This Saturday night's ACC contest between Clemson and Florida State has become nothing short of the conference's biggest game of the year. What some may not realize is that not only is it the biggest game for the ACC, but may be the most important for the national title picture so far.

Last Saturday the ACC saw one of it's major players in the title picture fall, as Virginia Tech's sloppy play cost them a game against a putrid Pittsburgh team, who already lost to an unknown Youngstown State and been blown out to Cincinnati. With Tech out of the race, #10 Clemson will visit #4 Florida State in a game that may ultimately catapult the winner into the National Title game. With plenty of teams undefeated, it may be hard to tell who will be there at the end still standing, but for both Clemson and Florida State the road may be easier.

After Saturday's contest against Clemson, Florida State will have only ONE game remaining against a top 25 team (November 24th vs #14 Florida). Although the rankings of a team may not matter much earlier, this is significantly easier then an LSU or Oregon. LSU still has four games against top 25 opponents, including a November 3rd match up vs #1 Alabama. Oregon has two left against the nation's finest, as they are still set to play #9 Stanford and Matt Barkley's #13 USC Trojans. The road to being undefeated is at the winner of Saturday's contest fingertips.

Clemson will be coming off three straight wins, with Quarterback Tajh Boyd playing some of the best football in his young career. Boyd has over 700 yards in the air to go with six touchdowns and one interception. On the other end, Florida State is going about business per usual, sporting a 3-0 record and owning the nation's top defense. The Seminoles defense has only given up three points total in three games played (Field Goal to Murray State). The offense has also been something on the positive end, as they are the nation's second best offense (58.7 ppg). Florida State is hitting on every cylinder coming into this match up.

With Florida State's national championship hopes being tarnished last year by Clemson, the Seminoles will likely be all business Saturday. Even though college football is only in it's fourth week, the stakes could not be higher when these two ACC power houses collide.