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ESPN Analyst Predicts Winner Of Clemson vs. LSU

Originally posted on The Spun | By Daniel Bates | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 10:57 AM ET

College football fans are in store for some incredible Week 1 matchups this year — not the least of which being Clemson vs. LSU.

The battle of the Tigers will take place August 30 in Death Valley (Memorial Stadium), where Clemson and Cade Klubnik will host an LSU team raring to get back into the national championship discussion.

But ESPN's Heather Dinich believes Clemson's quarterback is going to be the difference between the two when the season opens a little over a month from now.

"Clemson will beat LSU in the season opener and be a serious contender for the national title," Dinich predicted on Monday's "Get Up." "I say that because Clemson is loaded. They return 80% of their production from last year, more than any team in the FBS."

"Cade Klubnik will be better," she added. "He's got another season under his belt with offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. He's coming off one of the best seasons in school history and has his top three receivers returning."

Clemson is certainly as talented as its ever been in the post-Trevor Lawrence era. However, Dinich's colleague Paul Finebaum warns that it will be hard to take the Tigers seriously if they're not able to take down LSU at home.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 25: ESPN College Football Playoff Insider and reporter, Heather Dinich, during the 2024 Big Ten Media Days on July 25, 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

"I don't think there's any question that LSU at Clemson is the game that we'll be locked into," Finebaum said. "If Clemson loses, it will only be their fourth straight SEC loss. It's kind of hard to claim you're a big-time program when you can't beat the SEC. And conversely, Brian Kelly, we've talked about it all week. If he loses that game, the drama intensifies."

Clemson opens as a three-point favorite over the Tigers, according to ESPNBET, with a moneyline of (-155).

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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