This is a picture of Jeff we found via Google Image search.
It’s the best picture we could find. The next best one was of Corey Clark.
OK, so what if Clemson-Florida State isn’t the signature game of the season that it used to be. It’s still a matchup of quite possibly the two most talented rosters in the ACC, and plenty of these guys will be suiting up on Sundays soon enough. Plus, FSU has been playing better of late, so we checked in with our pal Jeff Cameron of ESPN Tallahassee to talk about where the Seminoles stand and if they’ve got a shot of pulling the upset.
Q. Last year’s team obviously had it’s on-field issues but seemed as much as anything a failure of culture. This year, the personnel problems are obvious, but how would you say Willie has managed the locker room?
A. Coach Taggart inherited both personnel issues and a fractured locker room upon his arrival in Tallahassee. It’s a lot to overcome in a Coach’s first season but if there is an area that has improved appreciably it is within the culture of the program. When you speak with Coach Taggart it is apparent that this is an aspect of program building that Willie takes very seriously and has largely succeeded in fostering during his first season.
Q. The FSU D-line is really good, but the comparisons to Clemson’s unit seem a bit overstated to me. What’s your take?
A. Marvin Wilson would not start for Clemson right now. Marvin Wilson will likely be a first-round pick in future. Brian Burns might start for Clemson but there isn’t another guy on FSU’s front that would. Clemson has an embarrassment of riches along the defensive line that is rightly the envy of every team in the ACC and moreover, the country.
Q. We’ve talked about the timeline of turning around an offensive line. What’s the bigger picture timeline for Willie? Does it feel like each year you’re not catching up to Clemson, you’re falling behind?
A. Things change quickly in college football because you only get kids for four years.
Q. You can bring on any four people for a radio show, dead or alive. Who you interviewing?
A. Isaac Newton, Jane Goodall, Edward S. Curtis, James Baldwin, (Bonus: Eunice Kennedy Shriver)
Q. Does FSU stand a chance, and if so, what has to happen?
A. They have a chance. Not a great chance mind you but if the defensive line can neutralize Clemson’s running game and force a Freshman QB to beat them on the road who knows how he’ll respond? Trevor Lawrence is obviously a special player but if it’s close in the second half all of the pressure is on Clemson and perhaps the weight of that causes Freshman mistakes. At the end of the day, FSU will need help in the way of turnovers and big plays on special teams to pull off the upset as I just can’t envision the offense being able to block Clemson consistently enough to sustain drives.
Our picks…
by David M. Hale 