LSU head coach readily admits that preparing for the season opener against Clemson has been challenging.

The same two teams matched up to kick off last season, with the Bayou Bengals coming away with a 17-10 win on Clemson’s home turf. However, Kiffin was head coach at Ole Miss at the time, and after being hired at LSU, the polarizing head coach has turned over a large chunk of the roster in Baton Rouge. So, this LSU team isn’t nearly the same as the one Clemson saw a season ago.

It’s not the same Clemson either, as the Tigers have also seen a lot of roster turnover. But one thing remains unchanged, and that is that Swinney is still in charge, so Kiffin is fully expecting a challenge on Saturday night.

“So a really tough opponent in Clemson, very well coached,” Kiffin said on Monday. “Veteran staff of guys that have won a lot of games, coordinators, head coach obviously. Dabo’s one of the best to ever do it and has done it for a long time. So this is a great matchup, one we’re excited to be part of.”

Part of that challenge for Kiffin is attempting to prepare for a Clemson team with so many unknowns. The Tigers are breaking in a new offense under new/old coordinator Chad Morris, who hasn’t run an offense since serving in the same role at Auburn in 2020. With five years having passed since then, and conventional wisdom suggesting Morris has evolved as a play-caller, there are some questions regarding what to expect.

Then there is the ongoing quarterback competition at Clemson between Chris Vizzina and Tait Reynolds. Swinney has been hesitant to name a starter, with the team choosing not to release a depth chart ahead of the contest.

Vizzina did make one start in placce of an injured Cade Klubnik last season, so there is a little film on him. But there is none on Reynolds, or even on what the offense might look like with either quarterback running it.

“We’re not sure exactly what they’ll look like, and that’s always scary,” Kiffin said. “This will be about us practicing really well and then playing really well in a really exciting environment. Going back to not all the hype and just the preparation of it and playing really well in our first game together.”

Despite the some of the lingering questions surroudning exactly what this Clemson team will look like, the goal reamins to same. Find some way to start the season with a victory.

“First off, win, most importantly,” Kiffin said. “No matter what.”