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Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has circled Clemson football’s season opener against LSU as one of the most impactful games of the 2025 college football season.
During a recent breakdown of the top 10 matchups that could shape the national picture, Klatt highlighted the Aug. 30 showdown at Memorial Stadium as a pivotal early test for both teams. The prime-time clash (7:30 p.m., ABC) will mark the first-ever regular season meeting between the two programs and a potential top-10 showdown in Week 1.
“Sign me up… I love this matchup,” Klatt said. “Easily going to be a top-10 matchup in Week 1.”
Klatt believes the game carries major weight for both teams, especially LSU and head coach Brian Kelly. The Tigers from Baton Rouge are 0-3 in season openers under Kelly, with losses to Florida State in 2022 and 2023 and to USC in 2024. Now facing a top-five Clemson team on the road, Kelly is under pressure to deliver a breakthrough.
“Brian Kelly needs this game,” Klatt said. “LSU fans need this… We need to start seeing the breakthrough.”
Despite his confidence in LSU’s potential as a playoff contender, Klatt said he feels slightly better about Clemson heading into the matchup. He recently ranked Cade Klubnik as the No. 1 quarterback in the country and slotted Clemson at No. 5 in his post-spring Top 25. He praised Dabo Swinney’s decision to stay true to his developmental approach, noting the Tigers are “reloading for another run.”
Clemson is 12-5 against SEC opponents in regular season play during the College Football Playoff era and will open a season at home for the first time since 2019. The Tigers went 2-3 in openers from 2020–24, including neutral-site losses to Georgia and road defeats to Duke and Wake Forest.
According to Klatt, the Week 1 matchup won’t just shape the early polls—it could also…
Source link : https://clemsonwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/clemson/football/2025/06/25/clemson-football-lsu-football-2025-joel-klatt/84362663007/
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Publish date : 2025-06-26 01:46:00
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