Why would Clemson be picked over FSU? Experts point to QB comparison

Florida State returns every single player on offense and as many as seven starters on defense. Clemson returns eight starters on offense and only four on defense.

And the Seminoles and Tigers will play their much-anticipated ACC Atlantic Division showdown this season at Doak Campbell Stadium – in a series that has seen the home team win 12 of the last 14 meetings.

Yet when the ACC media predictions were released Monday morning, Clemson was not just the favorite to win the division and conference titles; the Tigers were the overwhelming pick. Of 191 media members who participated in the preseason poll during ACC Kickoff at Charlotte, N.C., 148 picked Clemson to win the division. Only 42 picked FSU, and one selected Louisville.

When it came to selecting the overall conference champion, 144 chose Clemson, 39 picked Florida State, seven tabbed North Carolina and one took Louisville.

So what gives?

In interviews with Warchant.com, two national college football reporters said the challenge with choosing Florida State over Clemson right now is the potential disparity at quarterback. Without saying which way they voted -- or whether the participated in the ACC poll at all -- Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples and USA Today’s George Schroeder both said they love Florida State’s overall mixture of talent and experience. They both also believe the Seminoles have a great chance of making the four-team College Football Playoff.

But like many others, they want to know more about Jimbo Fisher’s plans at quarterback, and they want to see how that plays out in the early weeks of the season.

“I’m not sure we’ll know until we see what Jimbo’s quarterback decision is and see Florida State against Ole Miss,” Staples said. “Now, I’m not giving Ole Miss much of a chance in that game. I think Florida State is pretty loaded top to bottom, and they (the Rebels) are going to have a hard time, losing what they lost, being able to compete against Florida State. But I want to see Florida State’s offense.

“I have a feeling if they get dynamic quarterback play, Dalvin Cook’s numbers may actually go down a little bit because he wouldn’t have to carry the whole offense. But if you’ve got Dalvin Cook and a dynamic passing game? We know their defense is going to be good.”

Said Schroeder: “I think they (the Seminoles) have a ton of talent. And if the quarterback position is what they want it to be, I think you’re looking at a playoff contender – without question. There’s no question about the depth of the talent on the roster.”

Schroeder said he has been trying to handicap the FSU-Clemson game all offseason, and he often finds himself “waffling” between the two teams. Staples feels much the same way, which is why he thinks the Oct. 29 showdown should be one of the most heavily anticipated games in college football’s regular season.