The LSU Tigers will aim to do something they haven’t accomplished since 2019: win their season opener. They’ll face the No. 4 Clemson Tigers, and ESPN’s Paul Finebaum says a loss could throw the fanbase into a tailspin.
During the final years of the Ed Orgeron era and since Brian Kelly became head coach, LSU fans have seen that starting the season with a loss rarely leads to success—last year, the Tigers still finished with nine wins despite an opening setback.
Finebaum stressed that beating Clemson is key for LSU to start the season on the right note. A loss could put Kelly under pressure from fans, especially with a tough schedule ahead. On the other hand, an early setback could give the team a chance to bounce back—but fans might not see it that way.
“If Clemson wins this game, it’s not the end of the season for LSU by no means,” Finebaum said on “SportsCenter.” “They still have an amazing schedule, but the fan base is going to be fit to be tied, especially with the schedule they have in a couple of weeks. They will then see Florida in about two weeks after that.
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“But LSU has one of the top quarterbacks in the country. They went out and brought in a tremendous defense. They have elite athletes across the field, but this fan base just can’t seem to win this opening game. They haven’t won an opener since Joe Burrow was the quarterback in 2019.”
A loss to Clemson and LSU fans could be saying to themselves that they know how this movie ends. Still, the Tigers have plenty of talent, which is why they are No. 9 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll heading into the 2025 season.
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The question will be whether the players and coaches who have been part of these Week 1 disappointments decide that enough is enough and figure out a way to end this streak.
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