The transition from EJ Manuel to Jameis Winston couldn’t have went smoother,  the freshman quarterback has gone above and beyond pre-season expectations through the first three games of the season.

Florida State has put 157 points on the board so far with Winston completing a ridiculous 78.1% of his pass.  The young signal caller has looked every bit the part with whispers of a Heisman campaign gaining momentum.  However,  a successful college team needs more than a solid quarterback, it needs balance,  and that’s exactly what makes the Seminoles favorites to win the ACC.

Florida State has a deadly rushing attack with a string of players capable of carrying the load.  Seniors Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. are the standouts.  Freeman – who is the scat back of the two - has 273 yards on the season at a 9.8 average and two touchdowns while Wilder Jr. has 159 yards at a 6.6 average and two touchdowns thanks to powerful,  downhill running.  Then there is Karlos Williams,  a former safety-turned-running back who switched to offense after the season opener.  The junior has 193 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries and is yet to see a first-half snap.  With Williams’ role expanding the Seminoles can keep fresh legs on the field at all times.  Throw in Winston’s threat on the ground – he has two rushing touchdowns in three games – and you have an offense that can adapt and attack opponents with a diverse range of game plans.

Compare that to Clemson,  the Tigers have just one rushing touchdown on the season – backup D.J. Howard went scored from 19 yards against South Carolina State.  Senior Roderick McDowell is the starting tailback and he has 243 yards and no touchdowns on his 44 touches of the football.  Teams are able to key in on Tajh Boyd – 90 yards on the ground at an average of 2.8 – and force him to make all his plays with his arm,  something he is more than talented enough to do,  but it won’t win games forever.

The two sides meet at Memorial Stadium,  Clemson on October 19th in what will be one of the most highly anticipated meetings on the college calendar.