Tailgate Debate: How can Clemson capitalize on Jameis Winston's absence?

With Jameis Winston suspended for the entirety of Saturday's game, Clemson has a chance to snap Florida State's winning streak and control its own destiny in the ACC. How do they do that? We look at some of the biggest questions heading into today's games

Yomtov: Good morning Dan. Only one game today between ranked teams, but it's the annual showdown between No. 1 Florida State and No. 24 Clemson. This year's game hasn't been as hyped as the past two meetings, considering both teams were in the top 10 in 2012 and top five in 2013. That being said, Jameis Winston's suspension adds infinitely more intrigue to a matchup that has essentially become the ACC Atlantic title game.

Florida State is still favored in this one, but what does Clemson need to in order to take advantage of Winston's absence and put itself in position to hand the Seminoles their first loss in nearly two years?

Uthman: In short, figure out a way to keep pressure on the quarterback, regardless of who is taking snaps for the Seminoles.

You are right that this matchup does not have the sizzle of the past two: Clemson's not unbeaten, and Florida State dominated in 2012 and 2013. But here's a matchup that does have sizzle: The country's best offensive line facing the country's best defensive line. Two of FSU's offensive linemen, Tre' Jackson and Cam Erving, were on preseason all-America lists everywhere, as was Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley. Ends Corey Crawford and Shaq Lawson and tackles Grady Jarrett and Josh Watson are just the top end of a Clemson group that has so much depth, it doesn't have to worry about getting tired pressuring the pocket.

That said, I expect Florida State to look at what Georgia did to the Tigers and establish the run early. One, that helps first-time starter Sean McGuire get comfortable at quarterback, and two, it appears to be the most effective way to beat the Tigers thus far in 2014. McGuire has talent – he was rated just 11 spots behind Winston at their position coming out of high school – so an effective ground game will let McGuire focus on making the smart and safe passes from the beginning.

Jesse, no loss is a good one, but East Carolina is 2-1 with that one loss being one of the better ones of the season. The Pirates appear to be one of the best teams in any Group of Five conference. Do you expect to be able to draw any conclusions about the Pirates or North Carolina from their game today, and is East Carolina in danger of a letdown similar to the one Virginia Tech experienced against ECU last week?

Yomtov: I'm glad you brought this game up. ECU's win at Virginia Tech last week was obviously impressive, but the Hokies have been so prone to home letdowns over the years that it was hardly surprising. If the Pirates manage to beat UNC today, that's a better win in my book. That being said, I'm not on the Playoff committee...

East Carolina is 3-1 against the ACC in the past two years and the team is really putting everyone on notice. The Pirates won this game 55-31 in Chapel Hill last season, and a similar result seems possibly. Shane Carden has been one of the most impressive players in the country and he's primed for another big game against a shaky North Carolina secondary. The Tar Heels have given up 265 yards per game through the air, 92nd in the country.

North Carolina has looked a bit lackadaisical on defense and the Pirates' uptempo offense could (and should) capitalize on that. The role of the favorite may be a new one for East Carolina, but I don't see a letdown happening.

One of the more intriguing games this week is in Provo, where Virginia takes on No. 23 BYU. The Cavaliers got a big win last week against Louisville and nearly stunned UCLA in the opener. Virginia beat BYU last season, one of only two wins 2013. I've got two questions for you here. After bottoming out last season, do you think the early returns in 2014 are a sign that the Cavaliers are finally getting it together under fifth-year head coach Mike London? Secondly, does Virginia have the ability to stop early Heisman candidate Taysom Hill?

Uthman: A former coach who I respect asked me earlier this week why Virginia would schedule this game, the implication that it's almost a no-win situation, and that Virginia's ACC schedule is difficult enough for a staff that might be coaching for its jobs this season.

In reality, this game presents an opportunity for Virginia, and it could easily be argued that BYU is playing under more pressure than Virginia this week; the reason being, BYU is 3-0 and looks like it has a shot at going unbeaten in the regular season. BYU has something to protect, while Virginia has something to shoot for.

Now, can Virginia do it? Yes, if it finally, finally gets the level of play out of its quarterbacks that it so greatly needs. For a player of his size, Greyson Lambert gets too many passes deflected at the line of scrimmage, and for some reason just hasn't shown the ability to consistently make the throws need to sustain drives. Every Virginia fan is tired for the quarterback turnstile, but Lambert just hasn't shown enough to keep it from spinning.

But to answer your question after all of that: Virginia's defense is one of the ACC's best. From that standpoint, the Cavaliers are getting it together. Virginia's special teams is drastically improved from the past two seasons and sealed the team's first ACC victory in 672 days last week. So the Cavaliers are getting it together in that respect, too. But Taysom Hill and the BYU offense give Virginia's defense a new look, one that makes preparation difficult. This game is not one Virginia can expect to win with its defense. The offense really needs to show something for four quarters, and if it does, I think you will see some carryover into ACC play and into London's job security.

OK, let's go to a game that has the potential to be revelatory this week: Mississippi State at No. 8 LSU. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze thinks the entirety of the SEC West belongs in the top 25, and four of the top seven teams in our College Football Computer Composite are in the SEC West. Mississippi State isn't one of those four, but it has been getting a lot of cred this week for being ready to knock off the Tigers in Death Valley. Is that legit?

Yomtov: It's fairly legit. I don't think Mississippi State will win this game, but it's a team that can spring an upset or two and make some noise in the SEC West. LSU knows first-hand how terrifying Dak Prescott is when he tucks the ball, having let him run for 103 yards last season. He's been touted as a dark-horse Heisman candidate for good reason, but his impressive start to the season has been against a week non-conference slate.

This game is going to come down to the fight in the trenches. LSU is averaging just 4.3 yards per carry, and that needs to get better if the Tigers are going to continue to try running the ball as much as they have (57 carries per game).

We should expect an entertaining affair in Baton Rouge.