LSU vs. Prediction Clemson, picks, odds, distribution, where to watch live
LSU has been willing to bend (or, at least, defy) the rules this offseason, choosing to add two exes NFL players on their roster before the start of the season. Whether they play or not isn’t important on the field, but what it signals is a changing of times in college football, something Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has been reluctant to confront.
Swinney faces tough times the likes of which he hasn’t seen since becoming head coach in the late 2000s. The Tigers begin the season unranked for the first time since 2011, which he certainly hopes means history repeats itself. That 2011 season is when he put Clemson on the road to two national titles and six straight top-5 finishes in the AP Poll. And it all started when he hired Chad Morris as his offensive coordinator. Thirteen years later, Morris is back on campus, hired again to revitalize an offense that hasn’t all that impressed in recent years. Clemson finished just 7-6 last season, its worst finish since Swinney’s sophomore year in 2010, when his seat heated up and many wondered if he would survive.
Meanwhile, LSU is the talk of college football. The program lured Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss before the Rebels’ playoff run. He landed the best class in the country in the transfer portal and then made more headlines in August by adding a pair of former NFL pros to the roster.
Clemson needs a win to take the pressure off Swinney. LSU needs a win to prove the investment in Kiffin was worth it. It’s a great Week 1 matchup.
LSU vs. Clemson: What you need to know
Christopher Vizzina is starting: It took a while to announce it, but Christopher Vizzina will start at quarterback for Clemson. The three-year backup takes over an offense that needs a spark under Morris, who also takes over an offense that struggled to protect the quarterback and failed to produce an elite receiver. Bryant Wesco Jr. and TJ Moore will have to step up to get this offense back on track.
Remember, LSU is new: LSU has a lot of talent on its roster, but many of these pieces are new. Kiffin had an incredible haul in the portal, led by Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, but will everything immediately fall into place under the bright lights of Death Valley? It’s a legitimate question.
Clemson’s offensive line is also new: All five starters from last season are gone on the offensive front. But is it really bad news? OL, despite being a veteran group, ranked 82nd in pressure rating allowed last year. This new group includes a couple who got their start in bowling, but the smell of a fresh car still lingers.
LSU defense is stacked: Five starters from last season return, as does coordinator Blake Baker. Linebacker Whit Wheeks is also back, as the defense adds new starters, including former Ole Miss All-SEC pass rusher Princewill Umanmielen.
Where to watch LSU vs. Clemson live
Date: Saturday September 5 | Time: 7:49 pm Eastern Time
Location: Tiger Stadium – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
TV: ABC | Live broadcast: Fubo (Start Watching, Save $20!)
LSU vs. Prediction and Picks Clemson
LSU has the most talented roster, but with so many new moving parts and a Clemson team also adjusting to a new offense with a new coordinator, starting quarterback and several offensive linemen, don’t expect a high-scoring game. Both defenses should slow him down enough to keep this game in the 20s. Choose: under 50 years old
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