CLEMSON -- Not long ago, the biggest challenge for Clemson fans entering most ACC games was finding something to do in the second half after matters had long since been decided.

The 2018 team made such quick and brutal work of Florida State in Tallahassee that a Seminoles fan chose to discard his shirt and work on his tan while catching up on some reading.

It gave this writer an awesome costume idea for Halloween. It gave Clemson fans laughs that still reverberate to this day when they see a picture of the guy in an aluminum ocean.

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And the fact that he remembered to leave the house with a book probably said everything about the sad state of FSU's program at that time.

The next week, Louisville was coming to town and Bobby Petrino's ship had sunk. Not a soul who entered Death Valley that day was the least bit worried about Petrino's team giving Clemson the fits it had several times in previous years.

Zero suspense brought a great feeling for Clemson fans, but also a weird feeling.

Ah, those were the days. The days when it felt like the end of Clemson's absolute death grip on the ACC was maybe a decade away -- if then.

The days when some of you reading this were certainly enjoying the ride, but also complaining about being bored.

Saturday's trip to Florida State marks an interesting juncture in Clemson's quest to reclaim its conference supremacy and return to playing for national championships.

The Tigers appear well on their way to getting back to that lofty air, for sure.