How does Clemson stack up with college football’s best heading into the upcoming season, according to ESPN?

ESPN released its initial college football power rankings this week, ranking the top 25 teams entering 2025, and Clemson landed at No. 3.

The Tigers are ranked behind only Texas at No. 1 and Penn State at No. 2.

Here’s what ESPN had to say about Dabo Swinney’s squad:

“Is it a national championship or bust at Clemson this season? That might be a lofty expectation, but the stars have aligned for a team that has all the players in place, from a veteran quarterback (Cade Klubnik) to a trio of elite receivers to a revamped defense led by high-level NFL talent in Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. Tom Allen takes over as defensive coordinator, tasked with injecting a bit of old-school energy that was missing the past couple of seasons. Dabo Swinney has his best team since 2020, and after making a surprise run to the playoff last year, the aspirations for 2025 are much higher.”

Georgia and Ohio State round out the top five behind Clemson.

Clemson’s season-opening opponent, LSU, is ranked No. 8 by ESPN:

“The elephant in the room as LSU opens its fourth season under Brian Kelly is how unsuccessful the Tigers have been in season openers under the coach. They’ve lost three straight under Kelly and five in a row dating to the Ed Orgeron era. The 2025 season opener might be the toughest yet with LSU playing at No. 4 Clemson on Aug. 30 in the battle of Death Valleys. It always helps when you have an experienced quarterback going into a hostile environment, and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier is in his fourth year with the program and coming off a 4,052-yard and 29-touchdown season. The Tigers lost two offensive tackles to the NFL, and how well LSU protects Nussmeier against a talented Clemson defensive line will be one of the key storylines. LSU addressed several needs in the transfer portal and hopes to force more turnovers on defense in Year 2 under Blake Baker. The Tigers forced 14 turnovers in 13 games last season to rank 14th in the SEC.”

After Clemson, Miami (No. 10) is the next highest-ranked ACC team, followed by SMU (No. 19) and then Louisville (No. 22).

Clemson’s in-state rival, South Carolina, made the top 15 at No. 12.

The Tigers are ranked No. 4 in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, while they are No. 6 in the preseason Coaches Poll.

Clemson’s highly anticipated opener against LSU is set to kick off from Clemson’s Memorial Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30 and will be televised on ABC.