This week's picks

Clemson vs. Florida State Prediction and Pick, Week 9 2026

College Football Charts
Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Clemson at Florida State

Week 9, Sat, Oct 31, 7:00 PM ET, Doak Campbell Stadium.

The numbers say: Florida State, 68% to win.

The game

KickoffSat, Oct 31, 7:00 PM ET
TVACC Network
WhereDoak Campbell Stadium
Weather76°, cloudy, wind 8 mph
LineFlorida State −6, total 49.5
Line movementOpened Clemson −1.5; moved 7.5 points toward Florida State. Total opened 51.5, down 2.
SeriesFlorida State leads 21–17
Last meetingClemson 24–10 in 2025
Florida State injuriesKromah (RB), out

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Florida State by 3.660%51
PRIMEFlorida State by 9.174%
EloFlorida State68%
The lineFlorida State −6, opened Clemson −1.549.5, opened 51.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 7:43 PM ET.

Who wins, Clemson or Florida State?

The numbers say: Florida State. 67% chance to win

Which matchups decide Clemson vs. Florida State?

All three ratings favor Florida State, by 3.6 to 9.1 points. Florida State's best matchup is its offensive line, 4th in line yards per carry, against Clemson's run-stopping front at 130th. Clemson's way back in is its pass rush, 6th in sack rate, against Florida State's pass protection at 110th. We left out the edges built on Kromah, who's out.

Clemson with the ball

Florida State with the ball

Who's out for Clemson and Florida State?

Clemson

Florida State

How Clemson and Florida State compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Clemson and Florida State are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Clemson's and Florida State's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Clemson and Florida State?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Florida State 1.1 points better (53rd to 55th). PRIME also has Florida State ahead, by 6.6. Elo, which only sees results, also has Florida State ahead (48th to 62nd).

ClemsonFlorida State
SP+ overall4.7 (55th)5.8 (53rd)
SP+ offense23.3 (96th)32.7 (32nd)
SP+ defense19.0 (24th)27.1 (76th)
SP+ special teams0.5 (4th)0.2 (42nd)
PRIME net0.0 (70th)6.6 (37th)
PRIME offense-6.29 (110th)7.22 (26th)
PRIME defense4.86 (27th)-1.53 (83rd)
PRIME SOS1.1 (37th)2.1 (24th)
PRIME SOR0.7 (49th)-0.1 (72nd)
Elo1532 (62nd)1609 (48th)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Clemson's offense ranks 126th in adjusted EPA per play, and the Florida State defense it faces ranks 103rd in EPA per play allowed. Florida State's offense ranks 31st against Clemson's 37th-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge. The biggest edge on the board is Florida State's offensive line in the run game: 4th in adjusted line yards per carry, against Clemson's 130th-ranked defense. That's a mismatch. Adjust for opponents and Florida State's defense climbs from 124th to 103rd in EPA per play allowed: it has done its work against good offenses.

ClemsonFlorida State
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.01 (126th)+0.17 (31st)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.08 (131st)+0.21 (51st)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.06 (75th)+0.14 (12th)
Success rate (adjusted)37.9% (120th)44.2% (38th)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)43.4% (123rd)47.0% (65th)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)28.8% (109th)33.0% (22nd)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.96 (29th)0.94 (52nd)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.88 (96th)3.25 (4th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.21 (43rd)1.19 (49th)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.06 (37th)+0.15 (103rd)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.07 (5th)+0.24 (95th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)+0.13 (117th)+0.09 (92nd)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)39.7% (37th)41.3% (64th)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.92 (37th)0.96 (114th)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)3.21 (130th)3.11 (115th)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)1.03 (41st)1.44 (131st)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Clemson or Florida State?

Clemson is better running (74th in EPA per rush) than throwing (132nd). Florida State's run defense ranks 112th, so that's an edge. Florida State is better running (22nd in EPA per rush) than throwing (39th). Clemson's run defense ranks 94th, so that's a mismatch.

ClemsonFlorida State
EPA per play−0.03 (127th)+0.22 (30th)
EPA per pass−0.05 (132nd)+0.32 (39th)
EPA per rush+0.09 (74th)+0.20 (22nd)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.12 (127th)+0.68 (17th)
EPA per play allowed+0.02 (33rd)+0.24 (124th)
EPA per pass allowed−0.03 (11th)+0.35 (117th)
EPA per rush allowed+0.12 (94th)+0.16 (112th)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.30 (41st)+0.91 (137th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Clemson or Florida State?

Clemson outscores FBS opponents by 0.1 a game, and Florida State by 3.7. Clemson's offense ranks 111th in scoring, and the Florida State defense it faces ranks 103rd in points allowed. Florida State's offense ranks 49th against Clemson's 51st-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge.

ClemsonFlorida State
Points scored21.4 (111th)31.6 (49th)
Points allowed21.3 (51st)27.9 (103rd)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Clemson's best matchup is its run game: its offense ranks 72nd in yards per carry, and Florida State's defense ranks 131st in yards per carry allowed. Florida State's best matchup is early downs: its offense ranks 44th in SUPLEX, and Clemson's defense ranks 110th in SUPLEX allowed. That's a mismatch.

ClemsonFlorida State
Pass yards / game201.5 (98th)236.4 (62nd)
Rush yards / game177.2 (57th)183.0 (49th)
Yards per play5.14 (126th)6.54 (40th)
Yards per carry5.11 (72nd)5.45 (47th)
Yards per attempt5.52 (129th)8.40 (42nd)
Completion %58.5% (91st)55.3% (110th)
Success rate37.1% (123rd)42.5% (81st)
Explosive play rate9.5% (121st)14.5% (26th)
3rd down conversion34.8% (104th)42.0% (60th)
Sack rate (taken)6.4% (89th)7.9% (110th)
INT rate (thrown)2.7% (89th)4.1% (125th)
SUPLEX45.3% (127th)58.8% (44th)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Clemson's defense is best placed to get home: it ranks 6th in sack rate, and Florida State's offense is bottom-40 at avoiding sacks (110th). That's a mismatch. Florida State's defense is best placed to get home: it ranks 37th in sack rate, and Clemson's offense is middle of the pack at avoiding sacks (89th).

ClemsonFlorida State
Pass yards allowed / game163.8 (13th)255.1 (116th)
Rush yards allowed / game116.3 (23rd)197.9 (121st)
Yards per play allowed5.20 (25th)6.97 (122nd)
Yards per carry allowed4.78 (68th)6.05 (131st)
Yards per attempt allowed6.22 (32nd)8.55 (111th)
Success rate allowed40.3% (56th)44.8% (100th)
Explosive plays allowed9.3% (22nd)13.9% (112th)
3rd downs allowed27.3% (7th)45.2% (116th)
Sack rate (generated)10.7% (6th)7.5% (37th)
INT rate (generated)1.9% (88th)1.9% (87th)
SUPLEX allowed60.3% (110th)62.8% (123rd)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

They split these evenly, 6 each. The biggest gap is stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line), where Florida State ranks 10th and Clemson 117th.

ClemsonFlorida State
Big Uglies: offensive line43.1 (118th)56.3 (23rd)
Big Uglies: defensive front48.4 (84th)45.0 (96th)
Line yards per carry2.81 (108th)3.40 (18th)
Line yards allowed per carry3.28 (122nd)3.32 (126th)
Second-level yards per carry1.06 (81st)1.17 (42nd)
Open-field yards per carry1.25 (64th)1.42 (44th)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)21.6% (117th)12.5% (10th)
Stuff rate (defense)16.0% (105th)14.8% (118th)
Power success (short yardage)71.0% (79th)65.5% (108th)
Power success allowed74.1% (89th)77.3% (107th)
Front-seven havoc allowed13.8% (136th)8.1% (40th)
Front-seven havoc10.6% (43rd)9.2% (77th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

Clemson is −0.6 in turnover margin a game and Florida State is −1.0. At about five points a turnover, that's roughly a 2-point edge for Clemson. Turnover margin rarely holds from one month to the next, so don't count on it.

ClemsonFlorida State
Interceptions thrown / game1.00 (105th)1.17 (126th)
Fumbles lost / game0.57 (74th)0.33 (41st)
Giveaways / game1.57 (107th)1.50 (101st)
Interceptions / game0.57 (85th)0.50 (99th)
Fumbles recovered / game0.43 (69th)0.00 (131st)
Takeaways / game1.00 (88th)0.50 (134th)
Turnover margin / game-0.6 (108th)-1.0 (126th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Clemson has the more talented roster (16th in the 247Sports talent composite; Florida State is 21st). But Florida State plays further above its talent: −2.8 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Clemson's −7.9.

ClemsonFlorida State
Talent composite862.9 (16th)800.2 (21st)
Blue-chip ratio49.4% (16th)36.0% (20th)
Players on roster119 (20th)106 (99th)
Rated by 247Sports85 (41st)86 (36th)
5-star players4 (11th)1 (24th)
4-star players38 (16th)30 (21st)
3-star players43 (116th)54 (95th)
Below 3-star0 (113th)1 (86th)
2026 transfers in11 (127th)23 (56th)
Transfer share12.9% (127th)26.7% (81st)
SP+ vs. talent-7.9 (115th)-2.8 (83rd)
Returning production41.4% (63rd)40.1% (66th)
Returning passing production14.1% (75th)12.5% (77th)
Returning rushing production-37.7% (132nd)28.2% (84th)
Returning receiving production71.2% (17th)65.2% (21st)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)20 (20th)16 (16th)
Recruiting rank, last four classes17.0 (17th)16.5 (15th)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Which roster costs more?

Clemson's roster is valued at $25.6M, Florida State's at $24.0M. Dollar for dollar, Florida State plays better: −3.4 points of SP+ above what its payroll predicts, to −5.8 for Clemson.

ClemsonFlorida State
Roster value$25.6M (23rd)$24.0M (27th)
Roster cost per win$6.4M (49th)$8.0M (58th)
Projected wins per $1M0.25 (46th)0.25 (44th)
SP+ vs. payroll-5.8 (59th)-3.4 (49th)

NIL roster value from The NIL Standard (power-conference teams plus Boise State and Oregon State). Ranks are out of 70 teams with a valuation.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Clemson is +0.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is roster (+1.0). Florida State is −0.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is schedule (−0.7).

ClemsonFlorida State
RECEIPTS (total)+0.5 (57th)-0.5 (89th)
Schedule RECEIPTS-0.2 (98th)-0.7 (124th)
Roster RECEIPTS+1.0 (17th)+0.7 (29th)
Coach RECEIPTS-0.6 (92nd)-0.1 (73rd)
Luck RECEIPTS+0.2 (54th)-0.3 (88th)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Clemson at Florida State: questions people ask

Clemson vs. Florida State prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Florida State, 67% chance to win. All three ratings favor the same team. Florida State's best matchup is its offensive line, 4th in line yards per carry, against Clemson's run-stopping front at 130th.

Where can I watch Clemson vs. Florida State, and what time is it?

Sat, Oct 31, 7:00 PM ET at Doak Campbell Stadium. It's on ACC Network.

What's the projected score of Clemson vs. Florida State?

SP+ projects Florida State 27–24. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Clemson at Florida State?

DraftKings has Florida State −6, total 49.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Clemson vs. Florida State series history?

Florida State leads 21–17. Last meeting: Clemson won 24–10 in 2025.

Who are the players to watch in Clemson vs. Florida State?

Clemson: Tait Reynolds (1,132 passing yards), Gideon Davidson (478 rushing yards) and Bryant Wesco Jr. (394 receiving yards). Florida State: Ashton Daniels (1,634 passing yards), Kromah (553 rushing yards) and Duce Robinson (388 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Clemson at Florida State?

Clemson's is Tait Reynolds (1,132 passing yards this season); Florida State's is Ashton Daniels (1,634 passing yards this season).

Who's out for Clemson at Florida State?

Florida State: Kromah (RB), out.

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Clemson and Florida State: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.