Kirk Herbstreit's Clemson Prediction Should Turn Heads Before LSU Game

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A lot of talk happened off the field this summer regarding Dabo Swinney and Clemson after a 7-6 record in 2025. 

Swinney admitted that he made mistakes last year, but pointed to his resume as evidence that he has things under control at Clemson.

Associated Press voters didn't buy Swinney's point of view, keeping the Tigers out of the preseason rankings.

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit predicted Clemson would have a better season this year. He thinks a win over LSU would be huge for Clemson's momentum early in the season.

"Here’s the situation. Clemson has an angry football team that’s coming off a 7-6 year,” Herbstreit said, via On3. “An angry head coach and a staff. 

"What better way to try to show that you’re a different team than having an opportunity when nobody thinks you can go to Death Valley and win a football game? This was a 17-10 a year ago. A lot of new faces on both sides. But I expect Clemson to have a good year.”

Swinney made a few changes to his program, bringing back Chad Morris and hiring Rich  Bisaccia as his special teams coordinator. 

Herbstreit thinks the return of Morris was one of the better coordinator hires in college football.

“He’s made the changes," Herbstreit said of Swinney. "You made the point about Chad Morris. I think that’s a massive hire,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said. “Of all the hires in the offseason, from a coordinator standpoint, I’d put that one right near the top. 

"Because I really think Clemson lost their way over the last few years with Garrett Riley. Brought in the air raid — just wasn’t a fit. Didn’t work out over three years.”"

It remains to be seen if those changes were enough to put Clemson back in the College Football Playoff conversation, though the team should finish with a better record than they had last year.

Swinney chose not to add an elite veteran quarterback in the transfer portal. Clemson will start Christopher Vizzina against LSU on Saturday, and his play could determine if Clemson can pull off the upset of Lane Kiffin and LSU.

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