Florida State at Clemson the ACC Game of the Year?

The Tigers' Week 4 matchup against Florida State is generating a lot of hype. Are the Seminoles primed to supplant Clemson at the top of the ACC?

September 23rd could be a momentous day for two programs and one that fans of those respective teams look back on for possibly years to come. Josh Pate of 247Sports, one of college football's most prominent analysts, called it the "probable game of the year in the ACC" and debated whether that could be the biggest game in the entire country for Week 4 of the 2023 season.

The Florida State Seminoles are a team on the rise, looking to return to the former glory they once basked in. However, no matter how impressive they were to finish the season last fall - and no matter how much talent they've brought back for this current roster - Pate says that "Point blank, no one's taking Florida State seriously on the national stage until they beat Clemson." Pate preceded that statement by theorizing that, "This could be a coronation situation, not as a playoff situation, but as a reemergence situation." 

The Tigers have been the top dog in the conference for nearly a decade. That dominance has been largely unchallenged and it's not any fault of Clemson's. They likely would have competed to win the conference every year no matter where you put them. Now, during a stretch where Dabo Swinney and his team have seen their superiority slip just a tad, it just so happens to coincide with the rise of a team that once held the same spot Clemson has for so long. 

The fact that Death Valley will host this one is a huge check mark in favor of the Orange and White, but the motivation to grab the top spot after having been down for so long could mean the more motivated team that Saturday is Florida State. A late 4th quarter rally in the last matchup came up short for the Seminoles but this team seems to be one that smells blood in the water and the fear of most Clemson fans is that if a team is finally able to conquer the champs, will they become the new conference dynasty? As Josh Pate says, "You're not going to able to [make the playoffs] unless you go through the top dog in the conference and that top dog has been on top for a long time." 

More Clemson News:

• Garrett Riley Named Top Offensive Coordinator in College Football by PFF
• Will Shipley Looking to "Add Whole New Dimension" to Offense
• Clemson to Receive First Official Visit for 5-Star Linebacker This Summer

Follow Christian Goeckel for more Clemson Football coverage: @goeckelsports