There will not be much of a warmup period for Clemson in 2026.
The Tigers open their season under the lights in Baton Rouge, where a packed Tiger Stadium, a nationally televised ABC audience and College GameDay will all be waiting. For a Clemson team trying to reestablish itself after a 7-6 finish last fall, this is about as revealing of a Week 1 test as it gets.
Clemson enters the matchup ranked No. 23 in the Coaches Poll and will turn the offense over to Christopher Vizzina, who gets his first opportunity to begin a season as the Tigers’ starting quarterback. On the other side, No. 11 LSU begins the Lane Kiffin era with transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt leading an offense that comes into the year with plenty of expectations.
Saturday night also
gives Clemson an immediate opportunity to answer last season’s 17-10 home loss to LSU. The SEC Tigers have controlled the short all-time series, winning four of the five meetings between the programs.
ESPN analysts make their predictions ahead of Clemson vs. LSU Week 1
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) September 5, 2026
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There has been no shortage of noise surrounding this matchup throughout the offseason. Now comes the part that actually matters.
Here is how our staff sees Clemson’s season opener against LSU playing out.
Alex Turri: Clemson 21, LSU 24
I’ll be honest, a lot of me wanted to pick Clemson here, but I just can’t do it again.
This Clemson team was getting a little bit too much doubt from the national media over the summer and it seems that sentiment has turned slightly heading into today’s game. The majority are still on LSU, but more people have been vocal about Clemson than before. This game should be a close one, even in a hostile environment for Clemson.
While I think Clemson will compete and compete hard as a Dabo Swinney team usually does, I don’t see them pulling this one out. There are too many questions surrounding the Tigers defensive line and what we’ll see at quarterback out of Christopher Vizzina.
Steve Holley: Clemson 16, LSU 27
On paper, talent simply favors LSU. That's to say nothing of the most raucous college football stadium and the game day environment that awaits Clemson in Baton Rouge. The visiting Tigers will be competitive and may have a shot to win in the fourth quarter, so an upset in not out of the cards.
Win or lose, Clemson desperately needs to be competitive, show some fire, and give fans a reason to feel optimistic. Christopher Vizzina will make some plays that validate the coaches' decision to name him the Week 1 starter, even if freshman Tait Reynolds will "probably" see playing time according to Dabo Swinney. But even with some talk of possible "distractions" for LSU, the Bengal Tigers (and particularly Kiffin) will have with a chip on their shoulders, plus a fired-up crowd that will be unparalleled in the coach's first game in Tiger Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Staff score predictions Clemson’s Week 1 College GameDay Matchup vs. LSU
