Making the case for why FSU is a must-win game for Clemson in 2023
Clemson has played plenty of big games during the regular season under Dabo Swinney. You don’t win two national titles and reach the College Football Playoff six straight years without several marquee showdowns.
With that said, Saturday’s game against Florida State is one of the biggest regular season games of Swinney’s coaching career.
If Clemson beats the Seminoles this weekend, it changes everything. The Tigers would go from unranked to in the top 20, and Swinney’s team will be right back in the ACC title picture. The schedule this season is difficult, but a win over FSU is certain to boost morale and give Clemson some much-needed confidence heading into the middle of the season.
The Tigers get Notre Dame and North Carolina at home, and if Clemson runs the table, it could find itself back in the College Football Playoff picture.
With a young quarterback in Cade Klubnik, a rising star in the coaching industry in Garrett Riley and some young weapons on offense like Tyler Brown and Antonio Williams, there would be a ton of positivity around the program.
However, a loss Saturday also changes everything, and it could lead to a long season for the Tigers.
Swinney spoke with his team in the preseason about this year’s senior class having one final chance to win a national title.
“This is your last shot. Every class since 2013 has won a national championship. Y’all are on the clock,” Swinney said in August. “This is it — 15 for 15 — why not?”
If Clemson loses to Florida State to fall to 2-2 (0-2), those national title dreams are over, and a shot at an ACC Championship is likely gone, too.
Being 0-2 in the ACC, with a trip to the Carrier Dome up next, isn’t a spot Clemson wants to be in. The season could go downhill in a hurry with remaining games at Miami, at NC State, vs. Notre Dame, vs. North Carolina and at South Carolina.
Swinney is one of the best motivators in college football. But with a loss this weekend, Clemson’s College Football Playoff hopes would be dashed by the end of the September. It would be a challenge to keep positivity going with veterans who came back to do something special.
A loss could also hurt Clemson in recruiting as other programs are already selling recruits on the idea of Clemson being a program that is headed in the wrong direction. That narrative would certainly heat up is Clemson is 2-2 (0-2) with wins over Charleston Southern and FAU through the first four weeks of the season.
No matter how Saturday’s game plays out, there is still a lot of football left to be played in the 2023 season. With that said, there is a lot riding on Saturday’s game, and it will play a large role in determining if this season is a success or disappointment.