Commentary

FSU vs. Clemson: Tale of the tape

Originally Published: September 21, 2012

Clemson and Florida State are the ACC's only hope of having a team in the national championship race. Can we gain any insight into who has the edge Saturday night by examining the differences and similarities between the two schools? Probably not, but it's fun to try, anyway.

Tale of the tape: Clemson vs. Florida State

	Clemson	Florida State
Location	Clemson, S.C.	Tallahassee, Fla.
Enrollment	19,453	41,710
First year of football	1896	1947
AP Ranking	10	4
All-time series record	8-17	17-8
National championships	1	2
Last national championship	1981	1999
ACC titles	14	12
Last ACC title	2011	2005
All-time weeks ranked in AP top 10	82	315
All-time record vs. AP top-10 teams	13-44	43-53-3
Head coach's full name	William Christopher Swinney	John James Fisher
Last win over a top-10 team	40-37 OT vs. No. 10 Miami, 2009	54-28 vs. No. 7 BYU, 2009
Points per game	39.7	58.7
Its mascot will maim you by way of …	Tiger mauling	Chief Osceola's spear
Best tradition	Howard's Rock	Chief Osceola and Renegade
Most obscure tradition	Clemson blue cheese	FSU Flying High Circus
Best postgame tradition	Esso Club	Sod cemetery
Best game-day cheer	Tiger Rag	War Chant
Hot assistant	Offensive coordinator Chad Morris	Defensive coordinator Mark Stoops
Best name	DE Malliciah Goodman	DE Tank Carradine
Best NFL prospect	WR Sammy Watkins	DE Bjoern Woerner
Most famous former coach	Danny Ford	Bobby Bowden
Best NFL player	Brian Dawkins	Deion Sanders
Biggest NFL bust	Terrence Flagler	Jamal Reynolds
NFL first-round picks	22	36
Most famous former player	Terry Kinard	Charlie Ward
Most famous player nickname	William "The Refrigerator" Perry	"Neon Deion" Sanders
Most famous former student (Hollywood version)	Dolph Lundgren (Ivan Drago)	Burt Reynolds (Bandit)
Most famous former student (music version)	Lee Brice	Jim Morrison
Worst football moment	70-33 loss to West Virginia in 2012 Orange Bowl	Wide Right vs. Miami
Most famous rivalry moment	2003 Bowden Bowl	1988 Puntrooskie
Don't mention	Tommy Bowden	Jeff Bowden
Most famous currency	$2 bill stamped with a tiger paw	Foot Locker shopping spree
Recruiting hot spot	Grayson, Ga.	Miami
Recruiting coup	Robert Nkemdiche	Mario Edwards
Why it will make the ACC proud	It will sign a top-10 recruiting class	It will play in the BCS National Championship
Why it will let the ACC down	It will lose to South Carolina	It will go one-and-done in the NCAA men's basketball tournament
SEC nemesis	South Carolina	Florida
Most despised coach	Steve Spurrier	Steve Spurrier