Clemson v. Florida State

It's hard to remember now, but there was a time when Clemson was considered the big football power in the ACC. Until FSU came on board, Clemson was pretty much the only member of the ACC that took football very seriously, and they tended to be the dominant force in the conference.

Of course that all changed once FSU came to town. The Noles beat Clemson the first 11 times they met them in conference play, winning every game in the series from 1992 through 2002. Since then, Florida State has not been nearly such a force in the game, and Clemson has more than held its own. In fact, Clemson has won the last four times that the two teams met at Clemson -- FSU hasn't won there since 2001. Still, the Noles lead the all-time series 17-7.

These teams have met twice in UCFC play. On January 1, 1988, Clemson took the UCFC from Penn State, and kept it until FSU beat them (in what was then a non-conference game) 24-21. On October 23, 1999, FSU held the title -- and was on its way to the national championship -- when it beat Clemson 17-14.

Clemson (3-0) is ranked number 21 in the country by AP, while FSU (2-1) is ranked number 11. The Noles are coming off of a 23-13 loss at home to Number 1 Oklahoma. Clemson is favored today by 2 1/2 to 3 points, but personally I think the Noles are going to get it done today. Of course, I am rooting for Clemson -- if the Tigers win today, then the next UCFC game will be played in Blacksburg, Virginia, very close to the UCFC's East Coast Headquarters.