Clemson has not had much luck against Florida State over the past few years, a high hurdle that coach Dabo Swinney knows he must clear.

He may have gotten a little help in their matchup Saturday night. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston will sit out the first half for yelling obscenities on campus, opening the game right up for Clemson to steal.

The week did not exactly start with many people believing the Tigers could pull the upset. They have lost three of their last four games against Florida State -- including an embarrassing 51-14 loss at home last season -- and were a 20-point underdog on Tuesday.

While it is easy to infer that the punishment is a slap at Clemson -- hey, look, we can beat you with our backup quarterback! -- Florida State would have presumably made the same call no matter who was on the schedule this weekend.

It just so happens to be the biggest game of the season for both teams. The winner of this game has gone on to play for the ACC championship the last five seasons, bumping up not only league title stakes but College Football Playoff stakes as well.

While every team wants to get credit for beating its opponent at full strength, Clemson has to take advantage of the opportunity that awaits. That means its supremely hyped defense needs to seize the moment.

All eyes must be on a veteran defensive line that saw its players take 3,079 combined snaps last season. Vic Beasley has had a quiet start to the season. It's time for him to make some noise. The same goes for Grady Jarrett and all the rest. So far, Clemson has 19 tackles for loss on the season -- but only five in the opener against Georgia. The game against the Bulldogs was a mixed bag for the defense. While the Tigers started off well, they fell apart in the second half and allowed Todd Gurley to have a field day.

While the offense did not make enough first downs to help keep the defense off the field, defensive coordinator Brent Venables has said he was disappointed with the fourth quarter. Clemson had 13 missed tackles in the final 16 minutes of that game as players got tired and less aggressive. Florida State essentially owned the Clemson defensive front a year ago. Virtually the same groups of players return on both sides. While the Seminoles have not played up to standards on the offensive line, Clemson cannot allow Florida State to be the more physical group again.

Especially with Winston out.

Because a victory with Winston out for a half still counts, especially if Clemson can shut him down in the second half.

Detractors may want to downplay it if the Tigers win in Tallahassee for the first time since 2006. But that should not matter. An asterisk will not go into the record book next to this game (*-Winston played only a half).

A W will. A W that would allow Swinney to leap over one hurdle and allow Clemson to control its ACC destiny.