CLEMSON – For the first time in history, LSU will visit Clemson on Saturday in what is one of the biggest season-openers on the docket this weekend.

Clemson comes in ranked No. 4 and with a bevy of preseason expectations. Many analysts are not only predicting a deep playoff run for Dabo Swinney’s Tigers this season, but several have picked the Tigers to win it all.

That’s a far cry from the expectations Clemson has entered the season with over the past few years. Swinney’s teams have dropped at least three games in each of the past four seasons.

However, this season feels different. Clemson returns so much experience on both sides of the ball, led by senior quarterback Cade Klubnik, who many have tabbed as a favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy at season’s end.

Swinney also brought in Tom Allen to fix the issues experienced on the defensive side of the ball last season. After finishing in the Top 10 nationally in multiple defensive statistical categories in 2023, the production fell off a cliff last season.

With a Top 10 LSU coming to town, we will find out a lot about this Clemson team right off the bat. The other Tigers feature an explosive passing attack, led by veteran quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who is another Heisman favorite. LSU also boasts what is very likely the best group of receivers Clemson will face this season, giving Nussmeier no shortage of weapons.

After finishing 9-4 last season, LSU head coach Brian Kelly hit the portal hard, bringing in 18 players, giving the other Tigers one of the top two portal classes in the nation, depending on which service you look at.

Make no mistake, this LSU team is talented, but there is one spot where Clemson should have an advantage. LSU has to replace four starting offensive linemen from last season, meaning no matter which five players run out there, they will have little to no experience playing together.

The players along the Clemson defensive line have played a lot of football. All four projected starters are upperclassmen, and extremely hungry to prove last season was an anomaly. With that much experience facing off against an offensive line that has not had time to gel, the Tigers need to win that battle.

Allow Nussmeier time to get comfortable in the pocket, and he is going to slice almost any secondary up, no matter how good it is. Those receivers are just too talented. Looking back to last season, his worst performances came when teams were able to bring pressure, particularly up the middle, and force him into making some mistakes. That’s what needs to happen Saturday.

Not allowing the LSU running game to get rolling will go a long way towards helping the pass rush. For what it’s worth, LSU averaged only 116 rushing yards per game last season, ranking No. 107 nationally.

On the other side, Clemson can’t beat itself. Klubnik needs to minimize the mistakes and hit the layups. Get the ball to his playmakers and let them do what they do. As good as LSU’s receivers are, Clemson’s group is equally as good.

One of the biggest keys on offense, though, is making LSU respect the running game. Whether it’s Adam Randall, David Eziomume or Gideon Davidson, the running game needs to be, at the very least, serviceable. That would take some of the pressure off Klubnik and help open some things up in the passing game.

That brings us to Clemson’s offensive line, which this writer believes will be a strength of this team. Not sure I have ever written that out before, but I really believe that. The Tigers return four starters and have a couple of more linemen who have already started several games. There is a lot of experience up front, and with this group now in its second year under Matt Luke, we should see more consistency. Protecting Klubnik and giving the backs some room to run will be imperative.

Now, we get to what is going to happen. While Clemson doesn’t necessarily need this game to make the 12-team playoff, losing it would surely kick off an avalanche of narratives suggesting how this program can no longer win against the big, bad SEC. The Tigers did drop all three games against SEC opponents last season, and Swinney is just 3-7 in his last 10 games against the league.

That three-game skid stops Saturday night. Playing at home in front of a sold-out, raucous crowd that has been starving for a home game of this magnitude will be advantageous. Expect the environment to force multiple false starts throughout the night.

However, it’s the Clemson defense that will rise up and meet the challenge in this one. Nussmeier and that offense are going to make some plays, no doubt, they’re just too good to shut completely down. But Allen and his unit will have the last laugh by winning the turnover battle and now allowing Nussmeier to ever fully get into a rhythm.

After an early feeling-out period, Klubnik and the offense find their groove. The running game does just enough to keep the LSU defense honest, and the Tigers being able to go five or six deep at receiver proves to be too much to overcome for LSU.

It’s close, but Clemson comes out victorious.

Clemson 28 LSU 24