Dabo Swinney is fully aware of the challenge his Clemson team faces when it heads to LSU for a season-opening primetime matchup against the Bayou Bengals.
With Swinney’s Tigers coming off an underwhelming 7-6 campaign, immediate improvements are expected, and right or wrong, many are pointing to this game as a referendum on which direction the program may be headed.
However, Swinney certainly doesn’t view things that way. It’s never been his style to place that much importance on any one game. At the same time, the longtime head coach knows this game will tell him a lot about where his team stands early on in the season.
“This is going to be a great team that we got to open with, and it ain’t going to be easy, and I love it,” Swinney said. “I love the challenge. Let’s see where we are, go play and see what happens after that.”
In fact, the LSU game is just one of several challenges the Tigers will face over the first few weeks of the season. After the trip to Baton Rouge, there is a trip out west to Cal for a late Friday night game in week three. Two weeks later, there is a home game against what will likely be a Top 10 opponent in Miami. All of that comes before the bye week.
But Swinney isn’t really looking that far ahead. Seeing as fall camp hasn’t even wrapped up, he is focused on his team.
“I have peace in my staff. I have peace in how these guys have worked. I have peace in who they are as people,” the head coach added. “I got a great group of dudes. And they have done the work.”
Finding a way to win in Baton Rouge would certainly be a welcome change, seeing as Clemson has lost three consecutive season-openers, including losing at home to LSU to kick off the 2025 campaign. An LSU team that experienced its own struggles last year. So much so that Brian Kelly lost his job midseason.
Now Lane Kiffin is at the helm, and with him came more than 40 additions to the roster from the transfer portal. A portal class that was ranked tops in the country. And let’s not forget, LSU has won more than 80% of its games played in primetime at Tiger Stadium since 2000.
Unlike last season, this season-opener won’t pit two Top 5 preseason teams against one another. LSU is ranked No. 13 in the preseason coaches poll, while Clemson sits at No. 23. Despite that Top 25 ranking, Swinney’s team is coming in basically flying under the radar. Very few are giving his Tigers a realistic shot at pulling off the upset. And that’s a spot Swinney seems to be comfortable with.
“I am not worried about getting the result. I am worried about doing the work that will lead to the result. That is all I am worried about. These guys, if they show up and compete, I believe they are capable of competing with anybody,” Swinney said. “Now, let’s not kid ourselves, we will have to play, not perfect, but not far from it.”