ESPN’s College GameDay analysts make predictions for Clemson vs. LSU

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Clemson will have a chance to silence plenty of doubters Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

ESPN’s College GameDay crew made its predictions for Clemson’s showdown with No. 11 LSU, and every analyst who picked the game sided with the home Tigers. Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Pat McAfee all selected LSU, as did celebrity guest picker Lainey Wilson.

Howard was particularly confident that Clemson could be in for a difficult night.

“There’s no way you’re going to come in here, with an inexperienced quarterback, and go up against this defense that a scout told me has at least four first-rounders that [defensive coordinator] Blake Baker has,” Howard said. “I think that Clemson loses this game big to LSU tonight.”

Saban offered considerably more praise for Dabo Swinney and Clemson before ultimately reaching the same conclusion.

“I think Clemson is going to be a much-improved team this year. I really do,” Saban said. “I think Dabo has done a good job of trying to rebound from a disappointing season last year.”

For Saban, however, LSU simply has too many weapons.

“But to me, LSU has too much firepower,” he said. “They’ve got a good defensive team. Sam Leavitt is a good quarterback. [Tight end] Trey’Dez Green is a mismatch guy.”

Saban added that if LSU can establish a balanced offense, “they’re going to be one of the best teams in the country.”

McAfee took a more winding route to his LSU prediction, first pointing out Clemson and Swinney’s history of success.

“Dabo Swinney has won a national championship before, I will have you know,” McAfee said. “Has Lane Kiffin done that as a head coach? No. No he has not.”

He also acknowledged some of the changes Swinney has made, including using the transfer portal more heavily and entering the season with a veteran quarterback and weapons on the outside.

Then came the turn.

“I think no! Give me LSU!” McAfee said.

McAfee believes the beginning of Kiffin’s tenure at LSU could produce a statement performance, saying the Tigers look like “a team that is ready to make a run, maybe to the national championship.”

He took that prediction even further before wrapping up.

“What you’re gonna watch tonight in Death Valley, in front of over a hundred thousand drunk folks, is gonna be electricity,” McAfee said, eventually predicting that LSU could win “by maybe 50 against Clemson tonight.”

Clemson enters as a double-digit underdog and will make its first trip to Baton Rouge. LSU owns a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series, although Clemson’s lone victory remains a memorable one, a 25-24 win in the 2012 Peach Bowl.

The two programs also met in Clemson last season, when LSU escaped with a 17-10 victory.

Clemson now gets an opportunity to prove the GameDay panel wrong under the lights in one of college football’s toughest environments.

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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: ESPN’s College GameDay analysts make predictions for Clemson vs. LSU

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