Game one: LSU
To start the 2025 season, Clemson will welcome LSU to Death Valley in South Carolina. It is a huge non-conference matchup that will have early playoff implications. Whichever Tigers team gets the win in week one will put themselves ahead of the pack early on in the playoff race.
This game helps each team with the strength of schedule and strength of record criteria tremendously. A victory will also give the winner the tiebreaker in head-to-head matchups if it comes down to that for the selection committee.
These are the kinds of games fans want to see more of in this era of college football. We want these non-conference matchups between two power houses in the sport with real stakes attached. A win at home against LSU would both prove right away this Clemson team is legit and propel it to the front of the playoff race.