TALLAHASSEE — The Atlantic Coast Conference has often been criticized for scheduling the Florida State-Clemson football game in September or early October, resulting in an early loss for one of the league’s top programs.

But for only the fourth time since 2010, the league slated the matchup for Nov. 8 between a preseason playoff pick (Clemson) and a team projected to make a significant win-total bounce back (FSU). Although the ACC office mapped out the schedule, Clemson and FSU didn’t hold up their ends of the bargain, since neither is one of the conference’s top programs this season.

In 13 of the past 14 seasons, Clemson or FSU has played in the ACC title game. Clemson is the defending league champion, while FSU won the title in 2023. But neither will be in Charlotte, N.C., this year as both teams are closer to the basement of the ACC standings.

While FSU (4-4, 1-4 ACC) and Clemson (3-5, 2-4) won’t be a showcase game, it has the potential to be a shootout. That’s not ideal for Clemson, which just lost 46-45 to Duke. Or for FSU, which lost in overtime at Virginia 46-38 and dropped a 34-31 home game to Pittsburgh.

But FSU-Clemson could be a fun game to watch. And for two struggling ACC heavyweights, a rivalry win would appease fan bases that have been critical of head coaches Mike Norvell and Dabo Swinney, too.

FSU offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn wants to be physical in the run game but also stretch the field vertically in the passing game. That was on display in FSU’s win last week over Wake Forest, as Tommy Castellanos completed passes for 66, 65, 39, 30 and 29 yards. His favorite target downfield is smart, physical receiver Duce Robinson, who is 6-foot-6 and uses his body like a forward on the basketball court, going up for rebounds.

“You got a guy his size that runs the way he runs, that tracks the ball in the air the way he does, why not give him a chance?” Castellanos said. “Whenever you get in 1-on-1 coverage with 6-6 Duce Robinson, I’m going to throw it up every time. And it’s more so just putting it in an area where he can get his hands on it because I know he’ll come down with it. It’s just that trust factor and the belief that I have in him.”

Clemson has scored 38, 41, 24 and 45 points in the past four games, yet is just 2-2 after suffering back-to-back losses to SMU and Duke. For all the criticism of Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, he’s 28th in the FBS in completion percentage (67.2) and has seven touchdowns with just one interception in his past three games (at UNC, at Boston College and Duke).

While Klubnik missed the SMU game due to injury, he threw for a career-best 385 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Duke and the Tigers also accumulated 175 rushing yards.

“I don’t care what the record is, they’re getting better,” FSU defensive coordinator Tony White said. “They’re starting to play well.”