Florida State vs. Clemson 2015 odds: Tigers double-digit favorite vs. Seminoles

The Seminoles dominated from start to finish, running away with a 51-14 victory en route to the final BCS National Championship before college football switched to a playoff system in 2014. “As long as we do our job, we’ll get to where we want to be”. I promise you we will have the biggest poll party you’ve ever seen if we are in the (top four of the) poll on that day. Watson completed 23 of 30 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns in Clemson’s 56-41 win at NC State.

“That was a tough one”.

If we learned anything from the first College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, it was this: You can’t pin the selection committee down on any one, single criterion. Here we see the experience level for players on each unit. “It was a heck of a game, though – heck of an environment”.

Clemson might be undefeated but it hasn’t been smooth sailing. Florida State recovers and the game goes to overtime.

As the numbers do not count us out yet, I will never lose hope in my Florida State Seminoles. “We didn’t come here to play patsy. We missed a couple of kicks, and obviously that had something to do with it”.

The Odds: Clemson is a 12.5 point favorite against Florida State. Rudolph had four catches and 172 yards and two touchdowns by halftime, including a highlight reel-worthy 75-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter that sparked the FSU offense and featured several broken tackles and an assertive stiff arm. Targets that could be particularly worrisome over the middle, where FSU is weakest especially without Smith and Trey Marshall at the star, are tight end Jordan Leggett (17 rec, six TDs) and slot Hunter Renfrow (15 rec, two TDs).

It only got worse from there.

Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd turned the ball over on a fumble on the Tigers’ next possession, then later was intercepted twice.

The Tigers were outgained 565-326 and converted just 5-of-15 third down opportunities.

Video Description: (courtesy – IPTAY SAB) The Tigers are now #1 in the College Football Playoff Rankings, and theres a familiar foe rolling into Death Valley.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson has led the charge and kept the Tigers offense moving.

“I make him look me in the eyes and I say, ‘Hey, man, I love you”. How Florida State handles itself in chances inside the 20 yard line can and will define this game.

“We didn’t let it crush us”, Venables said. They are starting take care of the ball better, while special teams is certainly an Achilles heel going in, in a few aspects (FG kicking with Greg Huegel has been solid though). Florida State is just 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games on grass, 1-4 ATS in its last 5 road games and 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games against a team with a winning record.

But Florida State’s defensive players feel they have a similar talent in freshman Deondre Francois, a dual-threat quarterback who is redshirting in 2015, but was wearing Watson’s No. 4 in practices this week as the Seminoles (7-1, 5-1 ACC) get set for Saturday’s game at the CFP No. 1 Tigers (8-0, 5-0).

And this time, Mac Lain believes, the outcome will be different. “I’m able to play fast and not even think and just react”.