This should be an exciting weekend in college football. Historically, when Florida State and Clemson meet, you can expect a great battle between two high-level programs.

That is NOT the case in 2026. Both teams are struggling to tread water, as Florida State is 3-4 and Clemson is 4-3. FSU's defense has been a massive struggle, while Clemson's offense looks archaic. If there was ever an example of a stoppable force meeting a movable object, you're about to witness it.

FSU's defense is probably entering this thinking they can get back on track against a bad offense, while Clemson's offense is looking to find ANY ounce of momentum, especially in the passing game.

Not helping matters is that Florida State's president, Richard McCollough, released a pitiful statement on Tuesday, but he did admit that what we're seeing is not acceptable, yet no action has been taken. He wants fans to keep showing up at Doak Campbell Stadium, but I find it highly unlikely.

If you're willing to watch this trainwreck, it'll be at 7 p.m. EST on the ACC Network. Here's what interests me about this game.

What Will Florida State's Offense Look Like Without Top 2 RBs?

Florida State suffered a massive blow in the loss to Miami, as star running back Ousmane Kromah suffered a dislocated and fractured foot/ankle, which will keep him out for the remainder of the season.

Then, back in September, running back Samuel Singleton Jr. suffered a significant knee injury against Alabama. Mike Norvell said they hope to get him back near the end of the season, but I would personally be surprised.

Mike Norvell builds his offense around the running game, and this is now a really shallow running back room.

Texas transfer Tre Wisner will presumably be the starter. They paid him a hefty amount to come over, but he hasn't really contributed thus far, rushing for 204 yards in 7 games with no touchdowns, though he does have 151 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.

He's now going to be the bell cow, because the only options behind him are true freshman Amari Thomas, who has four touches in the year, walk-on Zay Parks, who has 15 carries in his career, and walk-on Gavin Markey, who was a tight end a month ago.

So, does Mike Norvell pass the ball more and rely on Ashton Daniels? He played really well against Miami, but what are the chances he has back-to-back good games throwing the ball?

Stoppable Force vs. Movable Object

Both Florida State's defense and Clemson's offense are bad. Like, historically bad.

Clemson is only averaging 21.4 PPG, which is the lowest of the Dabo Swinney era. The previous low was 24 PPG in 2010, which was Swinney's second season.

It's shocking how bad their passing attack has been. They benched Christopher Vizzina after two games in favor of true freshman Tait Reynolds, who, in 7 games, has completed 120 of his 180 passes for just 1096 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. Even since he's been named a full-time starter, he's only cracked more than 160 passing yards twice.

That's with having talented wide receivers like Tyler Brown and Bryant Wesco Jr. Cornerback Quindarrius Jones has already been ruled out for Florida State, so Clemson is probably hoping to get it going against a defense that is allowing nearly 435 total yards per game.

FSU's defense has had its moments, especially against Virginia, where they somehow totaled 10 sacks. Clemson's offensive line has been horrific this year, allowing three sacks and 10 pressures per game. There is a chance that FSU's defense shows up to play against a struggling offense once again.

Or, maybe both sides are bad enough that it ends up looking halfway normal.

Does Either Fanbase Actually Want to Win This?

I know this is an exaggeration, but both fanbases are pretty fed up with the products they're watching.

Florida State is 10-21 since the start of 2024, accumulating just four conference wins in that timeframe. It's so far below FSU's standard, yet the administration keeps hoping that FSU can remain competitive, eke out a few more wins, and see if they can convince everyone Norvell is worth giving another year (he's not).

Dabo Swinney just hasn't caught on to the new era of college football, and it's costing him dearly. After making the college football playoff in 2024, they've gone just 11-9 since.

Norvell has really struggled against Clemson, going just 1-4 in his tenure. He has a losing record against all primary rivals, which is yet another reason to let him go, but it feels like a win for either team would be delaying the inevitable.

Florida State is probably closer to firing Norvell than Clemson is with Swinney, especially since he's won two national championships there, but it's frustrating for each fanbase for the teams to be as bad as they are.

Game Prediction

Realistically, Florida State should win this game. Clemson's offense is that bad. However, they still have talent on defense, including one of the best cornerbacks in the country in Ashton Hampton, and we're not quite sure what FSU's offense is going to look like without Ousmane Kromah.

FSU's president putting out a statement, even as weak as it was, saying that the football product isn't good enough could light a fire under them, but it could also cause a quicker crumble.

I'll take Clemson, even if I think FSU actually is a better team right now.

Clemson 21, Florida State 20

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