Clemson's Season Opener Just Became That Much More Serious

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For the second straight year, the Clemson Tigers will open their regular season against the LSU Tigers, but this time, it will be in Baton Rouge.

And this time, Clemson isn't even ranked.

Last year, Dabo Swinney's club opened the campaign ranked fourth in the AP Poll. Of course, Clemson then went on to go just 7-6, losing to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl.

This time around, the Tigers received 112 votes for the preseason poll, which placed them just on the outside of the top 25. Basically, Clemson is ranked 26th.

Meanwhile, LSU comes in at No. 11 under first-year head coach Lane Kiffin, who put together the best transfer portal haul in the country during the offseason.

Imagine what a win here would do for Swinney's squad?

We know how tough LSU is at home, especially in primetime. And we know how motivated Kiffin (possibly the most disliked man in college football) will be to nail down a win in his Baton Rouge debut.

During the initial meeting between these two teams last year, Clemson was favored at home. But on Sept. 5, 2026, Clemson will absolutely be the underdog.

A victory would unquestionably vault Clemson back into the top 25, and while it might not get College Football Playoff discussions fully started just yet, it would certainly have people thinking.

Of course, the instant reaction might be to call Kiffin's own Tigers group overrated. Remember: LSU wasn't very good last year under Brian Kelly, either … even though it managed to beat Clemson in the opener.

But a win for Clemson would certainly mean a whole lot for a program that has not won a season opener since 2022.

Let's also keep in mind that outside of a matchup against Miami (at home, mind you) in early October, Clemson's schedule after the LSU clash is incredibly manageable.

Should Swinney take down Kiffin in Week 1, the path will be very clear to double-digit wins for Clemson, and a CFP appearance may very well be within reach.

I've been on record saying that I expect the Tigers will be significantly better than most anticipate this season, and let's remember that they have opened No. 23 in the Coaches Poll. Clearly, there is some respect for Clemson in college football circles.

If Clemson can pull off a stunner against LSU in two-and-a-half weeks, Swinney and Co. could be off to the races.

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