National CFB Writer Makes Prediction for ’23 ACC Champ
By: Staff Report August 21, 2023

On Monday, ESPN released picks and predictions for each major conference entering the new college football season.

Longtime college football reporter Mark Schlabach gave his picks and predictions for the ACC heading into the 2023 campaign, predicting highly touted Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods to be named freshman of the year in the conference and tabbing first-year Tiger offensive coordinator Garrett Riley as the coordinator who will be a head coach.

Schlabach also pegged Clemson’s showdown vs. Florida State at Death Valley on Sept. 23 as the game of the year in the ACC and gave his thoughts on who he thinks will be crowned conference champion.

Schlabach sees the Tigers beating the Seminoles, but only once, and he’s picking Florida State to win the ACC in 2023.

“With quarterback Jordan Travis returning, along with another boatload of key transfers, Florida State believes it finally has enough firepower to topple Clemson,” Schlabach wrote. “But the Seminoles have to play at Death Valley on Sept. 23. The Tigers should be better on offense with Riley calling plays and quarterback Cade Klubnik getting a full offseason of work in the offense. The Tigers are again going to be tough to block, especially if Woods is as good as advertised. Clemson will win the regular-season meeting, but Florida State will win the rematch — and end an eight-game losing streak to the Tigers — in the ACC championship game. The SEC still won’t call with an invitation to join.”

If Schlabach’s prediction comes true, it would be FSU’s first ACC title since 2014 and just the second time since then that Clemson isn’t the ACC champion (2021).

Clemson has won seven straight games in its series with Florida State, dating to 2015. The Tigers are coming off an 11-3 (9-0 ACC) season in 2022, while the Seminoles (10-3, 5-3) won their final six games last season to reach 10 wins for the first time since 2016.

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