The battle of the Tigers — and the actual Loss of life Valley — has nearly as good an argument as any as the perfect sport of Week 1 of the 2025 faculty soccer season.
Certain, there is no Arch Mania or defending nationwide champion concerned like that sport in Columbus. However the stakes are sky excessive and there shall be NFL expertise all around the subject Saturday evening in Clemson when Dabo Swinney’s No. 4 Clemson Tigers tackle Brian Kelly’s No. 9 LSU Tigers.
Clemson is coming off a quarterfinal end in final 12 months’s School Soccer Playoff and may have the items on each side of the ball to be a reputable nationwide title contender this season. Clemson has three gamers — quarterback Cade Klubnik, defensive sort out Peter Woods and defensive finish T.J. Parker — projected to be high 10 picks in CBS Sports activities’ most up-to-date mock draft.
LSU didn’t make the playoffs and enters this one with an ignominious streak of 5 consecutive losses in season openers. This one will not be straightforward, both, although LSU went on a heavy portal buying spree to improve the expertise all around the roster. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, a possible No. 1 total draft choose, ought to respect new weapons like Nic Anderson and Barion Brown.
That is the type of marquee nonconference sport that both provides you an enormous jolt of momentum to start out the season or doubtlessly places you behind the curve. In a important 12 months 4 for Kelly, it’s not possible to overstate simply how necessary a season-opening win over Clemson could be. Particularly while you keep in mind after Clemson, LSU will nonetheless need to face No. 8 Alabama, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 15 Florida, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 19 Texas A&M and No. 21 Ole Miss.
Each these packages ought to be playoff groups in 2025, however the victor’s path shall be that a lot clearer.
LSU vs. Clemson: Must know
Battle of the QBs: There shall be many NFL scouts and executives keenly watching this one to see how two of faculty soccer’s high quarterbacks carry out. CBS Sports activities’ David Cobb ranked Klubnik and Nussmeier as Nos. 1 and a couple of, respectively, in his quarterback rankings headed into Week 1. Klubnik is the extra skilled of the 2, coming into his third season because the starter and coming off a standout season of 36 passing touchdowns, 3,639 yards and solely six interceptions. Nussmeier patiently waited his flip behind Jayden Daniels earlier than lastly getting an opportunity in 2024 and profiting from it with 4,043 yards and 29 touchdowns. In what must be a good sport, the distinction between these two might be the distinction in who wins and loses.
Rebuilt LSU D: LSU has the arduous job of stopping the aforementioned Klubnik, however may be very bullish about the place its protection stands headed into the season. After a large number of a 2024 season, which included the lowlight of Jalen Milroe speeding for 4 TDs and 185 yards in a 42-13 blowout, LSU knew it wanted to get critical about investing in enhancing its protection. The outcome was the nation’s No. 1 switch portal class which included projected starters Patrick Payton, Jack Pyburn, A.J. Haulcy and Mansoor Delane. Add in five-star cornerback DJ Pickett, who has already impressed down in Baton Rouge, and defensive coordinator Blake Baker has far more to work with than he did a 12 months in the past. The large query is whether or not it’s going to be sufficient to stymie a potent offense of Klubnik and receivers akin to Antonio Williams and Bryant Wesco Jr..
Can LSU decelerate Clemson D-line?: Led by future first-round picks Woods and T.J. Parker, Clemson has the nation’s high defensive position. With new addition Will Heldt (Purdue switch) becoming a member of the group, it has already drawn comparisons to the stacked Clemson unit in 2018 that featured Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and Clelin Farrell. LSU’s offensive line held up effectively a 12 months in the past, ending high 15 within the nation in permitting solely 15 sacks. However Woods and Parker, who might each be high 10 picks, signify the stiffest problem but. It’s going to be so attention-grabbing to see how aggressive new defensive coordinator Tom Allen will get in making an attempt to rattle Nussmeier in Loss of life Valley.
The place to observe LSU vs. Clemson dwell
Date: Saturday, Aug. 30 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Memorial Stadium — Clemson, South Carolina
TV: ABC | Stay stream: Fubo (Attempt free of charge)
LSU vs. Clemson prediction, picks
That includes two projected playoff groups, this primetime conflict ought to come right down to the wire. There’s lots to love about each groups and LSU gained the offseason, however I lean Clemson with extra returning expertise and the house environment benefit. That is probably the most gifted Clemson workforce we have seen for the reason that ones that knocked off Alabama for nationwide titles, and I am extraordinarily bullish on Clemson having an actual probability so as to add a 3rd nationwide championship trophy to Swinney’s cupboard. Klubnik and the Clemson 1-2 punch of Woods and Parker show to be an excessive amount of for an LSU workforce that may want some sport expertise to totally mesh its new piece and hit its ceiling.
SportsLine’s confirmed pc mannequin has simulated each Week 1 faculty soccer sport 10,000 instances. Go to SportsLine now to see all of the picks, all from the mannequin that went 27-16 final season on top-rated money-line and over/below picks.
