Many believe that this is a season that belongs to the Florida State Seminoles in the ACC. However, if history is any indication, the Clemson Tigers are once again going to put up a big time fight to try to put a crimp in the style of the garnet and gold en route to an Atlantic Division triumph. This game might be for all of the marbles in the conference when it’s all said and done this year.

Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Picks & Info
Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Date: Saturday, September 24th
Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Location: Clemson Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Spread: Clemson Tigers +5

The Seminoles have really had very little luck playing in Death Valley, and this year really could be no exception. The question is going to be whether or not QB EJ Manuel, the new kid on the block, is going to be able to go into a hostile environment and win a game. There will be 82,000 packed into Clemson Memorial Stadium, and this is definitely the one game on the slate that every single player, coach, and fan clad in orange and purple wants to win. This will be the first road game of the year for the Seminoles, and it comes on the heels of what could be the biggest win that the program has had in quite some time if they can knock off the Oklahoma Sooners the week before, so this is most certainly a big time trap spot.

Florida State Seminoles vs. Clemson Tigers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Florida State 16 – Clemson 13
2009: Clemson 40 – Florida State 24
2008: Florida State 41 – Clemson 27
2007: Clemson 24 – Florida State 18
2006: Clemson 27 – Florida State 20
2005: Clemson 35 – Florida State 14
2004: Florida State 41 – Clemson 22
2003: Clemson 26 – Florida State 10
2002: Florida State 48 – Clemson 31
2001: Florida State 41 – Clemson 27
2000: Florida State 54 – Clemson 7
1999: Florida State 17 – Clemson 14
1998: Florida State 48 – Clemson 0
1997: Florida State 35 – Clemson 28
1996: Florida State 34 – Clemson 3

Clemson has never really had a dominating side in the ACC; in fact, it has never won the conference title since the Noles have joined the league. However, this is one field and one team that it has always played well at and against respectively. The Tigers have actually won five of the last eight meetings in this series and have covered six of the last eight, and they haven’t lost a game here in Death Valley against the garnet and gold since 2001. This will be the first big test for the no huddle, up tempo offense that new Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris is going to implement this year, and it should be a real test for new starting QB Tajh Boyd. Dual threat QBs have usually had decent success against FSU, especially in the past, and Boyd will hope to add to that level of success by pulling off another upset at home against it.

Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/5/11):
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Florida State Seminoles (-5) @ Clemson Tigers

It feels like the MAC is one of the toughest conferences in America to handicap on the NCAA football odds each and every season. This year, the favorite of the bunch is the Toledo Rockets (Current MAC Odds: 3.65 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook), but we’re really not all that sure that it’s justified. THe team went 7-1 last season in conference play, but in total, it was outscored by eight points. Nine starters are back from a defense that was one of the better ones in the MAC at 365.5 yards per game. However, we have a real question as to whether QB Austin Dantin is really going to be able to get the job done or not. The only godsend is that Northern Illinois is coming to the Glass Bowl this year, and the only other potentially difficult games are at home, save for the duel at Temple on October 1st.

Speaking of the Temple Owls (2011 MAC Lines: 6.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook)… What better way for new Head Coach Steve Adazio to take over his program than to win the MAC? Temple showed a lot of promise last year, and it was absolutely unjustly left out of a bowl game. This defense is legit, and the offense has some budding stars like RB Bernard Pierce that can do some real damage. Northern Illinois is dodged on the slate, and Toledo comes to the City of Brotherly Love, while the only tough game in the East Division is a home date with Ohio.

The team of the hour though, very well could be the Northern Illinois Huskies (Current MAC Odds: 4.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Losing Head Coach Jerry Kill could be a problem, but the return of QB Chandler Harnish and eight others on offense will inevitably make anyone’s trip to DeKalb a nightmare this season. Replacing RB Chad Spann might be difficult, but this is definitely a team with some unfinished business after making it to the MAC Championship Game last season after going 8-0, only to lose in the finale to Miami. As long as the roadie to Toledo turns out to be a good one, there should be no one else getting in NIU’s way this year on the road to Ford Field for the MAC Championship Game again.

2011 Odds To Win The MAC @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/23/11):
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Toledo Rockets 3.65 to 1
Northern Illinois Huskies 4.25 to 1
Ohio Bobcats 4.95 to 1
Temple Owls 6.25 to 1
Miami Redhawks 6.80 to 1
Western Michigan Broncos 7.50 to 1
Central Michigan Chippewas 22.50 to 1
Kent State Golden Flashes 23.50 to 1
Ball State Cardinals 36 to 1
Bowling Green Falcons 37 to 1
Buffalo Bulls 41 to 1
Eastern Michigan Eagles 42 to 1
Akron Zips 46 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The MAC East Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/23/11):
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Ohio Bobcats 2 to 1
Temple Owls 2.65 to 1
Miami Redhawks 3.10 to 1
Kent State Golden Flashes 9.50 to 1
Bowling Green Falcons 15 to 1
Buffalo Bulls 16 to 1
Akron Zips 18 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The MAC West Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/23/11):
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Toledo Rockets 1.75 to 1
Northern Illinois Huskies 2.10 to 1
Western Michigan Broncos 3.90 to 1
Central Michigan Chippewas 9 to 1
Ball State Cardinals 14 to 1
Eastern Michigan Eagles 16.50 to 1