ESPN Analyst Makes Shocking Undefeated Prediction for a Top Program, But There's a Catch

Forget the preseason polls, the strength of schedule debates, and the transfer portal madness. For one ESPN analyst, Clemson's entire 2025 destiny hinges on a single 60-minute battle in Death Valley.

Win Week 1, and win them all.

That's the scorching hot take from ESPN's "Stanford Steve" Coughlin, who is planting his flag on a perfect season for the Clemson Tigers, but only if they can conquer LSU in their monumental season opener.

"I look at Clemson as the cream of the crop of the conference," Coughlin declared on a recent podcast, laying out a scenario where a victory on August 30th catapults Dabo Swinney's squad to an undefeated run.

The foundation for this bold proclamation? A seasoned quarterback in Cade Klubnik and a receiving corps that harkens back to Clemson's "Wide Receiver U" glory days.

"When I watch Clemson, everybody wants to point to how Dabo didn't use the portal," Coughlin explained. "But guys aren't leaving to go other places. Now, what was Clemson when they were at the top of the world? It was Wide Receiver U, man. You go back and look at all the guys, going back to Nuk (Hopkins) all the way with Tajh Boyd, winning a national championship with Deshaun (Watson) with Mike (Williams), and it's embedded."

Coughlin believes the continuity and home-grown talent, a stark contrast to the quarterback carousels seen across the nation, give Clemson a unique edge. He points to Klubnik, who isn't a hired gun from the portal but a player recruited and developed within the program.