Battle of Top 10 ACC Teams has not happened often

CU Athletic Communications · Sunday, September 16 2012

Battle of Top 10 ACC Teams

The Clemson vs. Florida State game next Saturday will be a battle of top 10 teams. Florida State is ranked fourth in both polls, while Clemson is ninth by USA Today and 10th by Associated Press.

This will be the ninth game in ACC history that has been a battle of top 10 teams according to the Associated Press poll. It will be the third involving Clemson. Twelve years ago, a 10th ranked Clemson traveled to a fourth ranked Florida State and the Seminoles came away with a 54-7 victory. Both teams have the same AP ranking entering this game.

Clemson and North Carolina played the first battle of top 10 ACC teams in 1981. Clemson, ranked second, defeated North Carolina, ranked 10th, in Chapel Hill by a 10-8 score. Clemson went on to win the National Championship.

The last time a pair of top 10 ACC teams faced off was in 2007 when second ranked Boston College defeated eighth-ranked Virginia Tech behind Matt Ryan, 14-10.

A look to the results of the previous seven matchups of top 10 ACC teams shows that the higher ranked team entering the game has won five of the eight. The home team has won four of the eight.

Florida State has been involved in five of the previous seven matchups of top 10 ACC teams. The Seminoles have a 4-1 record in those games.

Matchups of top 10 ACC Teams (Associated Press)

Year Matchup Result

1981 Clemson (2) at North Carolina (8) Clemson, 10-8

1997 Florida State (3) at North Carolina (5) FSU, 20-3

1999 Georgia Tech (10) at Florida State (1) FSU, 41-35

2000 Clemson (10) at Florida State (4) FSU, 54-7

2004 Florida State (4) at Miami (5) Miami, 16-10 (OT)

2004 Virginia (6) at Florida State (7) FSU, 36-3

2005 Miami (5) at Virginia Tech (3) Miami, 27-7

2007 Boston College (2) at Virginia Tech (8) BC, 14-10

2012 Clemson (10) at Florida State (4)