The College GameDay selections are in for the battle of the Tigers in the Bayou.
Live from Baton Rouge, La., for its 500th show, ESPN’s College GameDay crew made their picks for tonight’s marquee Week 1 matchup between the Clemson Tigers and No. 11 LSU Tigers at LSU’s Tiger Stadium.
LSU comes in as a 10.5-point favorite on the spread for the game (7:30 p.m., ABC).
Tonight’s game marks Clemson’s first trip to Baton Rouge and Clemson’s first time opening a season in an SEC venue since opening its 2016 national championship season with a 19-13 win at Auburn. LSU leads the all-time series against Clemson 4-1, with Clemson’s lone win being a dramatic 25-24 victory in the 2012 Peach Bowl.
Clemson and LSU faced one another at neutral sites in postseason play four times before the two sets of Tigers met in Clemson in the 2025 season opener for their first regular season, on-campus meeting in series history – a 17-10 LSU win.
Kirk Herbstreit did not make a pick for the Clemson-LSU game, as he will be on the call from the broadcast booth as the analyst alongside play-by-play man Chris Fowler. You can see the picks from the other College GameDay analysts below:
Desmond Howard: LSU
“With all the controversy surrounding Lane Kiffin and LSU and the team, one thing that gets lost in this is that Lane Kiffin can coach his a– off, bro. He came on the demo field, did an interview — he looked like he was confident. I asked him about his team, where are they mentally right now? He said they’re in a good space.
“There’s no way you’re going to come in here, with an inexperienced quarterback, and go up against this defense that a scout told me has at least four first-rounders that [defensive coordinator] Blake Baker has — I think that Clemson loses this game big to LSU tonight.”
Nick Saban: LSU
“I think Clemson is going to be a much-improved team this year. I really do. I think Dabo has done a good job of trying to rebound from a disappointing season last year. But to me, LSU has too much firepower. They’ve got a good defensive team. Sam Leavitt is a good quarterback. [Tight end] Trey’Dez Green is a mismatch guy. If they can run the ball and create balance on offense, they’re going to be one of the best teams in the country. So, I’m taking LSU.”
Pat McAfee: LSU
“Everybody seemingly thinks that Lane Kiffin and this powerful roster is just gonna demolish the Clemson Tigers coming in here. Dabo Swinney has won a national championship before, I will have you know. Has Lane Kiffin done that as a head coach? No. No he has not. Did Dabo Swinney find his team unranked for the first time in like forever this year? Did he use the transfer portal more than he ever has in the past? Did he name a veteran quarterback to be his starter? Does he have two weapons on the outside? Does the defense have a chance?
“I think no! Give me LSU! I think Lane Kiffin with Sam Leavitt and Trey’Dez Green… This guy’s unbelievable. I think he goes crazy. I think the defense goes crazy… I think it’s the beginning of the Lane Kiffin era, and obviously there’s a lot of chaos and there’s a lot of confusion… but what you’re going to see tonight is a team that is ready to make a run, maybe to the national championship. And across the board, you’re gonna see the greatest sport on earth. College football is back in a huge way. Lane Kiffin is in the middle of it. And what you’re gonna watch tonight in Death Valley, in front of over a hundred thousand drunk folks, is gonna be electricity, electrifying the entire globe, as LSU wins by maybe 50 against Clemson tonight. Can’t lose this one if you’re Lane Kiffin.”