This might be the best game of Week 1.
Clemson and LSU both went 7-6 last season.
That’s unacceptable for two programs that expect to compete for championships.
Now one of them is guaranteed to start 2026 with another loss.
Clemson turns things over to Christopher Vizzina, who spent three seasons behind Cade Klubnik and enters the year with only one career start.
He looked good in that opportunity, throwing for 317 yards and three touchdowns against SMU.
But starting against SMU and walking into Tiger Stadium at night are two completely different things.
LSU has undergone an enormous transformation under Lane Kiffin, with former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt now leading the offense.
And Kiffin certainly isn’t lacking weapons.
Trey’Dez Green, Harlem Berry and Caden Durham give LSU plenty of options, while the Tigers aggressively rebuilt the roster through the transfer portal.
There are legitimate questions about how quickly all these new pieces will come together.
But I keep coming back to the quarterback matchup and where this game is being played.
Vizzina might eventually become a very good quarterback.
Asking him to beat LSU in Baton Rouge in his second career start is another story.
Prediction: LSU 31, Clemson 20
