It's not how you start, but how you finish. That being said, Clemson does have a doozy of a first game this season. These unranked Tigers will be taking on Lane Kiffin's No. 11 LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge. Although FanDuel Sportsbook has the Bayou Bengals as 10.5-point favorites over visiting Clemson, they are being largely overhyped coming in. Look no further than their latest bowl game projection.
On3's Brett McMurphy not only has LSU on the outside looking in at a College Football Playoff berth, but he has Kiffin's team taking on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in this year's Music City Bowl. While most of his projections are behind a paywall, he did share his 12 playoff teams, as well as a handful of games. Fate would have it, of the eight non-playoff games mentioned, they include Clemson and LSU.
Even if Clemson fans are not happy with the Tigers heading to Charlotte for the Duke's Mayo Bowl vs. Michigan, misery sure does love company. These projections tell us that while Clemson is not slated to win 10 games this year, neither will LSU. Once again, the Battle for Death Valley may very well not include a single playoff team. That might be troubling for Swinney, but it is par for the course for Kiffin.
This goes to show that LSU is far more beatable in Week 1 than the national media wants to believe.
NEW: 2026 Preseason College Football Bowl Projections via @Brett_McMurphy📍
— On3 (@On3) August 24, 2026
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Coaching continuity serves Clemson in potential upset bid of LSU
If there is going to be a massive Week 1 upset across college football, this could be it. Kiffin did not inherit the best of rosters. In typical fashion for him, he hit the transfer portal hard. After adding star players like Sam Leavitt, Jordan Seaton, and Ty Benefield to the team, he and his whole staff must come together with this new group of individuals. Swinney has been a mainstay at Clemson for years.
Simply, Kiffin is trying to marry what made Ole Miss so dominant a year ago with supposedly better players at LSU. In time, it may work out, but continuity is key in college football. This will be Year 18 for Swinney since he took over at Clemson. Matt Luke is entering Year 3 as offensive line coach. It will be Year 2 for Tom Allen as defensive coordinator. Chad Morris may be new, but he has been here before.
Even if LSU plays markedly better, this is a brand-new team. You cannot microwave success in college football, even if you think you can catch a supposedly downward-trending team napping. With Kiffin trying to add NFL players to his roster this late into the offseason, it only goes to show how unsettled things might be in Baton Rouge. The steadier team will prevail at Tiger Stadium.
Clemson may not be as talented as LSU coming in, but Swinney's Tigers have a better chance of playing more cohesively right away than Kiffin's team. It may not result in Clemson pulling off the upset bid, but they are closer to covering the 10.5-point spread than most people realize. This is an incredibly motivated team from a year ago. LSU may have another gear, but Clemson is so hungry.
If Swinney wants to get back into the good graces in the coaching profession, he must keep it close.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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