The TCI staff of Ed McGranahan, Hale McGranahan, Will Vandervort, William Qualkinbush and Robert MacRae go Around the Horn to answer some of the questions surrounding Clemson athletics and college football.

How will the rain impact Clemson’s game against Florida State?

Robert MacRae – The forecast for rain is not helpful to Clemson.  The Tigers have a much better passing game than the Noles.  If the rain comes and is heavy it will impact Clemson’s ability to use the Air Force and they will once again have to depend on the Navy.  The Tigers can still win this way, but would likely put more points on the board if they can use all their weapons.  For Florida State the key to the game will be Cook’s ability to run regardless of the weather so it helps the Noles if we have another downpoor.

William Qualkinbush – The weather could affect both teams in that a consistent driving rain could ground both offenses, and that makes this game interesting. Wayne Gallman will certainly get his yards, but the health of Dalvin Cook is one of the major storylines this week. Cook has a bad hamstring, so his availability will likely be determined on a play-by-play basis. Slick conditions could put more strain on that bad hamstring trying to plant and cut, but running the ball more often than not might also prove beneficial for the Seminoles if Cook is able to withstand that bit of adversity. Basically, the impact of the rain is that Cook’s health becomes an even bigger factor than it already was.

Will Vandervort: I don’t think it will. Both teams have to play in the same elements. You saw how Clemson shut down Notre Dame’s running game, I think they can and will do the same to FSU. The biggest question is which quarterback has the better game running the ball. With that said, I like Clemson’s chances with Deshaun Watson.

Ed McGranahan – Based purely on what we saw in the Notre Dame game, I don’t believe the conditions can be worse and both teams handle them well. Clemson may tend to call a conservative offensive game, but as I expected Venables is a mudder and the defense handled the muck. If Cook comes up lame, I want the right to revise my prediction, but if he’s healthy it could be another old-school smash-mouth show.

Hale McGranahan – For Clemson, my biggest concern is stopping Dalvin Cook in the passing game. Stopping him that way on a dry field is tough enough. That’s already a built-in advantage for Florida State. When it’s wet and slippery, it’s probably even harder for a linebacker trying tackle him out in space. Because of that, I believe Cook will end up with more receiving yards than rushing yards. Plus, if you’re Jimbo Fisher, you’re probably not all that excited about having your QB, whomever that may be, throwing the ball downfield in the rain at Clemson’s secondary. I don’t see Florida State having a ton of success throwing the ball downfield either. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cook leads the Noles in all receiving categories.