Sean Maguire Will Struggle to Replicate Jameis Winston's Success vs. Clemson

Florida State quarterback Sean Maguire has had very little time to adjust to his role in the national spotlight for Saturday night's clash against Clemson.

He's gone from opening act to star of the show in the wake of Jameis Winston's one-game suspension for shouting obscenities, up from a half-game due to a "continuing investigation," according to the university (via USA Today's Dan Wolken).

As if the rapidly evolving situation weren't enough, Winston is a decidedly difficult act to follow.

Last year, Winston had one of the finest games of his Heisman-winning campaign against the Tigers. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 444 yards and three touchdowns against just one interception. The Seminoles embarrassed the Tigers in their own stadium by a final score of 51-14. The inexperienced Maguire puts Clemson very much in contention to pull off an upset victory.

This isn't to say Florida State is incapable of ending Saturday night with their 19th-straight win, but a win will be a struggle and likely by a slim margin—much to the delight of neutral football fans curious as to how a top-ranked team fares when it is suddenly and unexpectedly forced to compete without its best player.

Maguire is facing an entirely different set of circumstances and will be working through his own lack of experience. He's been in the Seminoles program for two seasons but has attempted just 26 passes in his career. In fact, his lack of extensive experience throwing the ball extends back to high school, per CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli:

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Maguire arrived on campus at the same time as Jameis Winston, as both were members of Florida State's 2012 recruiting class. Winston was obviously the quarterback everyone paid attention to, as he was a five-star recruit.

Maguire, on the other hand, was only a three-star recruit out of Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, New Jersey (where he rarely threw as the team ran the Wing-T according to the Florida State website).

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He also doesn't have the luxury of facing a tune-up opponent to warm up to calling the shots for a major college football program.

Clemson is the No. 22 team in the nation, per the The Associated Press poll (h/t ESPN.com). The Tigers are 1-1 on the season, but that loss was courtesy of a collapse against Georgia, another ranked team that unleashed star running back Todd Gurley on the nation at the expense of the Tigers' D.

The odds are against Maguire putting up big numbers, but there is a precedent for him to find relative success against Clemson. ESPN College Football noted Seminoles quarterbacks have fared well against the Tigers in recent years:

Of course, Maguire needs only 85 yards to produce a personal career best, and that sum would be highly unlikely to deliver the victory the Seminoles need, let alone measure up to Winston's own performances.

Former Florida State wide receiver Kenny Shaw is also tipping Maguire to find success:

The 'Noles will have to contain Clemson's formidable pass rush as well, as they did last season, for Maguire to find success. Tigers defensive end Vic Beasley is a menacing presence on the gridiron and will be the main conduit through which defensive coordinator Brent Venables channels his blitzes and pass-rushing schemes.

Head coach Jimbo Fisher is adamant his team will run the same offense with Maguire in the game.

"Those [regular starters] rally around them,” Fisher said, reports Tim Linafelt of the Miami Herald. “We have good players. We’ll do what we do. We’ll run our offense. Sean has been running the same offense that Jameis has been running in practice."

It's the same offense no doubt, but likely with a greater emphasis on the run. Fisher should take note of Gurley's success against Clemson in Week 1 and adjust to do the same type of damage on the ground.

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Karlos Williams is averaging 4.1 yards per carry, and Mario Pender and Dalvin Cook are sturdy backups capable of knifing through opposing defenses. Williams is very reliable, but he may not be explosive enough to force the Clemson defense to back off from creating pressure.

It should also be noted that some of the tailbacks' success is likely due to Winston's presence (and of course the monstrous offensive line), so they may face more eight-man fronts should the Tigers dare Maguire to beat them with his arm.

Maguire must simply contend with the rush in obvious passing situations, a difficult task for a player with limited experience.

Clemson is also coming off a strong offensive performance against South Carolina State. The Tigers put up 70 points in that contest, despite the fact the team is still trying to strike the right balance between quarterbacks Cole Stoudt and Deshaun Watson.

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The improved play of their own quarterbacks should help the Tigers control the ball and prevent Maguire from getting too many opportunities to put up big numbers in this game.

Should Florida State pull out a victory, it could boost the team to reach even greater heights this season. The confidence coming from winning a game against a ranked opponent with a green quarterback could help the team move on from its (relatively) tepid start to the season.

The Seminoles were hardly convincing in Week 1 against Oklahoma State and cruised past—rather than blowing out—a pedestrian Citadel team. Still, their winning record and overall success as a program is nearly impossible to argue against.

If Winston returns to take over a 3-0 football team, the Seminoles should be all set to reach the NCAA playoffs and make a run at a second-consecutive championship.