Head-to-Head: 3 Key Areas Clemson Tigers have Advantage Over LSU

The No. 9 LSU Tigers visit Death Valley to take on the No. 4 Clemson Tigers on Saturday night in the marquee matchup of college football’s opening weekend. Clemson and LSU share more than a mascot and a stadium name, as there are several similarities in the makeup of the two squads.

But who has the advantage? We take a look at three keys to victory for Clemson vs. LSU:

Quarterback 

Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik is a leading Heisman Trophy candidate and one of the favorites to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

The season that Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik put together last year will go down as one of the best in school history at the quarterback position. Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards with 36 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.

Klubnik runs a decent 40-yard dash and is an elusive playmaker with excellent decision-making abilities, but the gentleman on the other sideline is no slouch. LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier returned for his senior year, as did Klubnik, and both are serious Heisman Trophy candidates. LSU has built around Nussmeier while ranking first nationally with its transfer class.

Nussmeier threw for over 4,000 yards last season with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Ultimately, LSU relied too heavily on the pass last year, with Nussmeier throwing the ball 525 times. Yes, they have received some weapons, but the edge in this game with quarterback play goes to Clemson.

Offensive Line:

The nod for the offensive line play in this one will go to the Clemson Tigers as well. The Clemson unit up front is considered one of the top 10 units in all of college football. Although Clemson gave up 28 sacks last season to LSU's 16, names like Blake Miller and Walker Parks are seniors who have agreed to come back in an attempt to get back into the national championship picture.

They believe that this is the year that Clemson brings a title back to Clemson's side of Death Valley.

Defense:

The hiring of Tom Allen from Penn State has been considered one of, if not the best, hires of the offseason. Allen has taken the team that struggled a bit with tackling last season, which had some second-half leads collapse, and brought them back to the fundamentals of football.

Clemson already boasts a top-5 defensive line and secondary, with the linebackers ranked in the top 10. Allen brings 33 years of coaching experience to Clemson, and the players have adapted to his style elegantly.

Clemson also had more sacks and interceptions than LSU did last season. In a game of this magnitude, every inch will count, and this is why Clemson gets the nod for the defensive play in this matchup.