'Well, The Writers Are On Strike', No Hollywood Ending For Clemson, As Florida State Survives 'Death Valley'

If you were looking for a great way to start your Saturday, Clemson and Florida State certainly delivered. But if you were looking for a Hollywood-style ending, as ESPN's play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough said, 'The writers are on strike'.

This was the game where Clemson -- and its pulled out of "retirement" kicker -- could let the college football world know that its program wasn't going backwards, but the Seminoles had other plans.

Taking their first lead of the game in overtime, Florida State finally beat Clemson, for the first time since 2014. It was Jordan Travis who delivered once again, hitting Keon Coleman for the 25-yard touchdown to finally take the lead. Four plays later, Mike Norvell was celebrating, while Dabo Swinney was searching for answers.

Whether it was the end of regulation, where Clemson showed horrible clock management or the Seminoles defensive touchdown, it wasn't meant to be for the Tigers.

If you were wondering if Florida State was 'back', I'd say Saturday's gritty performance put an exclamation point on things. This game did have a special moment when Jonathan Weitz returned to action as the Clemson kicker, putting off a job in New York City to play one more season for Clemson.

He also had the chance to potentially win the game for the Tigers, but missed a 29-yard field goal to take the lead, late in the fourth. But that wasn't the reason why Clemson is now 2-2 in ACC play, no that comes down to execution and coaching.

Florida State Makes A National Statement, Once Again

We've seen this before, just a few weeks ago against LSU. Florida State put the college football world on notice in the season opener, throttling those Tigers in Orlando. Against Clemson, a team they hadn't beaten since 2014, Florida State finally got that monkey off its back.

For quarterback Jordan Travis, this was another performance that fans and the coaching staff can take solace in. Not only did the Seminoles not lead in regulation, they looked like a team that could suffer another brutal loss to Clemson. But not this time, not with this team. For the first time in a long time, Florida State looks like a team that will be playing for a playoff spot come November.

CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 23: Keon Coleman #4 of the Florida State Seminoles makes the game-winning catch against Jeadyn Lukus #10 of the Clemson Tigers in overtime at Memorial Stadium on September 23, 2023 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)

For Clemson, the struggles continue. Dabo Swinney had everything going for him, especially the early kickoff and Will Shipley looking like the running back we thought he could be. But even with quarterback Cade Klubnik showing signs of progression, the Clemson football program looks like a team struggling to get away from past problems.

As we continue to watch Florida State flourish, we have to start wondering if we've seen the last of Clemson as a Hollywood blockbuster.