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E.J. Manuel pays off embarrassing Clemson-Florida State bet

Wade-Peeryby: Wade Peery11/01/21

The Clemson Tigers came back late against the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday night and that meant the Tigers earned an extra fan on TV on Saturday night. Former Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel made a bet with former Clemson offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain.

Clemson rallied down from 20-17 to win 30-20 in Death Valley. That meant that E.J. Manuel would have to wear Clemson gear during the ACC Network’s “The Huddle” television show. Both former college football players currently work for the ACC Network.

Check out the picture of Manuel in Clemson attire below.

It’s never fun losing a bet, especially when you have to wear the gear of the losing team on a nationally televised show. Manuel seems like he was a good sport about it.

E.J. Manuel’s Florida State career

E.J. Manuel played for Florida State Seminoles from 2009-2012 and posted a 25-6 record during his time in Tallahassee. He earned the fourth-most wins in Florida State history during his time there and also won the final game of former Florida State icon Bobby Bowden’s career. A few of his most important victories came in the 2009 Gator Bowl (Bowden’s final game), 2012 Dr. Pepper ACC Football Championship, and the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl. Manuel went 15-3 during his career against ACC opponents.

He finished his career as FSU’s all-time leader in completion percentage (66.9 percent), which is tied for third in ACC history. Manuel ranks among the top five all-time Florida State quarterbacks in a number of categories: passing yards (7,736–4th), total offense (8,563–3rd), completions (600–3rd), and attempts (897–5th).

After his Florida State career, Manuel was drafted in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. During his rookie season, he completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 1,972 passing yards, while tossing in 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Eric Mac Lain

Eric Mac Lain joined ACC Network in 2019 and is an analyst for The Huddle, the network’s football show that airs Friday nights and Saturday mornings during the fall.

While at Clemson, he began his career as a tight end, but developed into a first-team All-ACC offensive lineman before he finished his career. In 2015, he had the third most knockdowns on the Clemson team with 32. Mac Lain is a native of Hope Mill, North Carolina and played at Clemson from 2011-2015. The Tigers won two ACC titles and made an appearance in the national championship game during his career there.