By Will Vandervort.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — This time last year Florida State went to Death Valley and dismantled a third-ranked Clemson team, 51-14, and used it as a catalyst in its run to the national championship.
Though the 22nd-ranked Tigers still have national championship aspirations despite their loss to Georgia in the season opener, they hope they can return the favor to the top-ranked Seminoles tonight at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., and use it as a springboard to an ACC Championship and maybe more.
It should help a little that Florida State, and Heisman Trophy, quarterback Jameis Winston will be suspended after he shouted profanity about a woman while standing on top of a table at the Florida State Student Union on Tuesday. In a joint letter from the acting school president and the athletic director, it was announced by FSU officials late Friday night that Winston will be forced to sit out the entire game for his actions, instead of only a half-game suspension which the school announced on Wednesday.
“It’s not something we want or we are indicative of and it’s not a good decision,” Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher said.
The Seminoles, who are still a two-score favorite, will instead start sophomore Sean Maguire in the 8 p.m. ABC telecast. Maguire has not started a game in his career and is just 16 of 26 for 144 yards with two touchdown and two interceptions in the little playing time he has received. He played in nine games last season and came in during the fourth quarter of FSU’s win over The Citadel two weeks ago.
“(Winston) is obviously a critical player for them, but you just look around the country, you see guys step up when they get their opportunities,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said.
The Tigers’ (1-1) opportunity is to perhaps grab control of the ACC’s Atlantic Division race. The winner of the Clemson-Florida State game has gone on to play for the ACC Championship every year since 2008.
But win or lose, Swinney says his team cannot afford to think that the 2014 season is either made or lost after the third game of the year.
“It’s a terrible mentality to have the mentality that your season is either over or made with one game and it is the third game of the year,” he said. “That’s a bad way to think because there are twelve games. (Commissioner John) Swofford is not going to show up and bring the ACC Championship Trophy to Tallahassee Saturday night. I’m pretty sure of that. He might be there, but he is not going to have the trophy with him.
“There is a lot of ball to be played. We are going to go down there to put our best foot forward and let it all hang out. The best team is going to win.”
Clemson players to a man say they are going to do all they can to make sure they are the best team on Saturday night.
“We just have to play good football,” Tigers’ free safety Jayron Kearse said. “We just have to worry about Clemson and not worry too much about what they do. If we get our job done, then we should be good.”
And that could have the Tigers doing something no one expects them to do on Saturday, exact some revenge on the Seminoles’ home field after the beatdown they took last year.
“Just looking through the media, that’s all they talk about is how they beat us 51-14 and things like that. That’s old, that’s behind us,” Kearse said. “We are just ready to go out and show the world what we can do on Saturday.”