Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said Monday this game against Clemson isn’t any more critical than the other seven conference games on the schedule, but we all know that's not quite true.

This is the game in the ACC, the one that has decided the conference for the better part of a decade. The winner of this game, just like the last six seasons, will likely win the Atlantic Division and have a chance at the College Football Playoff.

During the next three days, ACC writers David Hale and Jared Shanker will break down three important matchups that could define Saturday’s game (3:30 ET, ABC).

The first is Florida State’s offensive line against Clemson’s defensive line.

Clemson's Shaq Lawson will take aim at a banged-up Florida State offensive line on Saturday. Tyler Smith/Getty Images

Shanker: On paper, this is a matchup that clearly favors the Tigers. Defensive end Shaq Lawson, who has become a national name this fall, said Monday that this Seminoles offensive line isn’t as good as last year’s. That isn’t good, considering the Tigers had five sacks in their 2014 meeting. The Clemson defensive line isn’t as dominant as it was last year, either, but the Tigers still rank 15th in sacks with 24. The Florida State offensive line protected well last week, but it has committed several false starts the last few weeks, too. That means Clemson could be facing a few enticing second-and-long and third-and-long situations Saturday.

Hale: The Florida State quarterback situation could actually play into this discussion a bit. Last week, Sean Maguire worked an aggressive scheme, throwing with great success downfield. That’s going to be an absolute necessity against Clemson, forcing Brent Venables to think twice about bringing the blitz or stacking the box. Moreover, Maguire has been in Fisher’s system for four years now and he knows it well. Quick decisions will be a requirement against a Clemson front that has been very good. Don’t let the sack totals fool you. The Tigers were all over Jacoby Brissett a week ago – they just struggled to bring him down. Against Power 5 foes this season, only Pitt has pressuredquarterbacks more often than Clemson in the ACC.

Shanker: There's no doubt the quarterback situation will play into this. Some Florida State fans are calling for Everett Golson to start simply because they expect the Seminoles’ quarterback will be running for his life. What makes matters worse is that the Seminoles could be without two starters on the offensive line again. Golson certainly brings more of a running element, but I don’t think it will matter much who is at quarterback if he can’t set his feet and deliver a few throws downfield. The offensive line was able to do that at times against Syracuse, but it’s hard to see the Seminoles holding up against Clemson all game. For me, this is the matchup that decides the game, and Clemson has a major advantage here.

Hale: Indeed, this looks to be Clemson’s biggest advantage in this game, and it’s probably no coincidence that Lawson has been the Tigers player doing the most chirping about this matchup. He’s ready for a feast. And if we’re studying the history of this matchup, the pressure rates are significant. In 2012, Clemson pressured EJ Manuel on 15 percent of throws and he averaged 11.2 yards per drop back. In 2013, it pressured Jameis Winston on 5.3 percent, and he averaged 10.3 yards per drop back. Last year, the Tigers got pressure on Maguire 36 percent of the time and he mustered just 5.7 yards per drop back. Is that the case for Golson over Maguire? Maybe. But it’s also worth noting that, in spite of it being Maguire’s first career start, and in spite of him facing constant pressure, Florida State still won that game.