The disrespect from the national media is now reaching a boiling point before the 2026 season even kicks off. On3’s Crain & Cone college football podcast recently explored into their regular-season upset predictions, and they had the audacity to target Death Valley, predicting two highly questionable home losses for the Clemson Tigers.
Yes, the Tigers had a rare stumble in Death Valley last year, dropping four at home and only notching one Power 4 win—a 24-10 statement over Florida State. But let’s be real: anyone who thinks a Dabo Swinney team is just going to roll over and let that happen again in 2026 is out of their mind.
On3’s Blain Crain wasted no time fanning the anti-Claemson flames, picking South Carolina to waltz into Memorial Stadium and steal a third straight win in November. But if you thought that was wild, just wait for the next one—because it’s dripping with hometown bias.
Top-5 of the Biggest Upsets for 2026
— Crain & Cone (@crainandcone) July 10, 2026
Which could be the most shocking this season? pic.twitter.com/q5ZtcSmdT0
A Highly Biased Narrative
Then you’ve got David Cone, who just happens to be from Statesboro, Georgia—home of the Georgia Southern Eagles—spinning a tall tale that his hometown team is going to march into Death Valley and pull off the upset of the year in Week 2.
ESPN’s Football Power Index ranks Georgia Southern as the 103rd-best team in the preseason, making Cone's prediction look like pure fantasy.
"This is an all-or-nothing. We're all in on this thing," Cone said during the podcast. "My most outrageous upset for 2026, and let me just really dial in here to get ready for this one. Clemson. September 12. Hosting Georgia Southern. Ok, I'm biased on this one. I'm biased on this one. Where do they go Week 1? Let me tell you a story. Baton Rouge? Let's say Clemson goes to Baton Rouge and they lose that game...What starts to happen? Doubt. 'We were supposed to win the national championship (last year).' Lot of doubt. We still got a tough schedule coming up. Georgia Southern, Clay Helton, already beat Nebraska a couple years ago."
Cone tried to hedge his bet by mapping out an alternative scenario where Clemson indeed wins its massive Week 1 showdown at LSU, but he still arrived at the same ridiculous conclusion.
"Now let's say Clemson goes up to Baton Rouge and wins Week 1. Then they feel good. Everything's good now. 'We're back.' Clemson's back. 'Let's get ready for our ACC schedule.' Georgia Southern coming to town," Cone added. "It doesn't matter. Upset alert. That's what I've got. That was my biased one. The other ones, watch out for."
The Reality Behind the Hype
While Cone relies on pure emotion, the actual football metrics and history tell a completely different story.
The centerpiece of Cone’s argument relies heavily on Georgia Southern's incoming transfer quarterback, Max Johnson. "Who transferred in at quarterback? Max Johnson. Is that the same Max Johnson that's been playing football since COVID? Since 2020. Seven years he's been playing college football...Is that the same Max Johnson that threw for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns at LSU? Yep, that's him. Max Johnson, Clay Helton, going up to Clemson," Cone boasted.
What Cone conveniently forgets to mention is how Clemson absolutely handled that exact same quarterback last season. The Tigers saw the soon-to-be 25-year-old Johnson in Chapel Hill, where Clemson's relentless defense suffocated him. Johnson passed for a quiet 208 yards, completing 26-of-42 passes, as the Tigers rolled to an easy 38-10 victory over North Carolina.
Defending the Valley
Furthermore, history remains firmly on the side of the Tigers. Clemson and Georgia Southern have met only once before, resulting in a dominant 38-7 victory for the Tigers back in 2018 during our magical national championship run.
While Georgia Southern did manage to topple Nebraska as a three-touchdown underdog back in 2022 by a score of 45-42, trying to equate a vulnerable Cornhuskers team from four years ago to a hungry, motivated Clemson squad in Death Valley is a massive reach.
Go ahead and put the Tigers on "Upset Alert," national media. It will only add fuel to the fire as Clemson prepares to defend the Valley and prove the doubters wrong in 2026.
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