Clemson left Saturday night looking like a program stuck in place, while LSU looked like one that had already turned the corner.
The rematch between the Tigers did not offer much suspense once the game settled in. LSU rolled to a 51-10 win, and the gap between the two teams felt wider than the final score. For Clemson, the loss only sharpened the questions around Dabo Swinney and a team that finished 7-6 in 2025 and still does not look like it has found its footing.
Swinney has finally started dipping into the transfer portal after holding out for years, but that shift did not solve the problems on display against LSU. Clemson’s offense never found a rhythm, and Swinney made a quarterback change at halftime with the game already out of reach. Christopher Vizzina got the start, but the situation around him was ugly from the jump.
LSU’s talent and physical edge showed up on both sides of the ball. Clemson’s defense got pushed around by LSU’s offense, but the bigger mismatch came when LSU’s defensive front met Clemson’s offensive line. The Tigers finished the first half with -4 rushing yards, a clear sign that Clemson was getting overwhelmed up front.
Quarterback remains the most glaring issue in Swinney’s program. After Trevor Lawrence, the succession plan seemed obvious with D.J.
Uiagalalei, but that move went sideways. Cade Klubnik had only one truly impressive season in three years as Clemson’s starter.
Now Vizzina is next in line, though Saturday was hardly a fair stage to judge him. Even so, it raised the same old question: should Clemson have gone outside the program for help at quarterback sooner?
The broader numbers around Clemson are starting to tell the same story. The Tigers have now lost seven games dating back to the start of last season and 15 games since the start of the 2023 campaign. That is a steep drop for a team that was a powerhouse of the 2010s, winning two national championships and losing just five games from 2015-19.
Saturday’s defeat also landed in the record book for all the wrong reasons. It was the worst loss of Swinney’s Clemson tenure by margin, topping previous low points like the 37-point defeats to West Virginia in the 2012 Orange Bowl and Florida State in 2013, as well as the 31-point loss to Georgia to open the 2024 season.
The question now is not just what went wrong on Saturday, but what happens next. Firing a two-time national championship coach is no small thing, especially at a program that was not winning titles before he arrived. But the contrast with LSU was hard to ignore: one school made a bold change and looked transformed, while Clemson stayed the course and looked stuck.
Swinney’s buyout makes any change even harder. It is $57 million, which would put him among the most expensive coaching dismissals in college football history. If he were fired in the offseason rather than midseason, that figure would rise to $60 million because the buyout shifts to his total remaining compensation after this season.
Clemson hoped the portal adjustments would help change the direction of the program. They did not do that against LSU, and after a night like this, the pressure around Swinney only grows louder.
In Other News...
LSU Brings A Roster Controversy Into Clemson Showdown
A roster wrinkle has followed LSU into its showdown with Clemson, with a judge granting an injunction against the NCAA that opened the door for more than 40 athletes to be eligible this season. Among them are LSU players DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, and their status has become part of the pregame conversation as the Tigers get ready for one of the weekends biggest games.
Lane Kiffin did not include Wright and Harris on LSUs initial 103-man roster submitted by the deadline, though he could still add them later. Speaking on ESPNs College GameDay before the Clemson matchup, Kiffin addressed what he called a difficult decision, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game already carrying plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson's Opener Turned Into A Nightmare For One Brutal Reason
A delayed kickoff did little to ease the kind of opening Clemson wanted to avoid, and LSU made sure of it once the game finally got going. Clemson briefly nudged ahead 3-0, but the Tigers from Baton Rouge quickly took control and never looked back, rolling to a lopsided win behind an offense that piled up 644 total yards and a defense that kept Clemson bottled up for most of the night.
It was the sort of performance that turned a marquee opener into an early-season warning sign for Dabo Swinneys group. Clemson was held under 100 yards for much of the contest before finding a little more room late, while LSU kept stacking plays on both sides of the ball and added a pick-six from Jordan Ross to deepen the damage. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons LSU Opener Comes With A Roster Standoff Still Hanging
LSUs season opener against Clemson already has enough intrigue on the field, but there is another layer hanging over the matchup before either team snaps the ball. The Tigers did not list former NFL players DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris on their Week 1 roster for the game, even after a recent court ruling went in their favor, leaving a notable personnel question in place as the season begins.
Clemson had warned LSU that putting the players on the field could run afoul of contract terms, and LSU still has room to add them later in the season if it chooses. For now, the situation leaves one more unresolved subplot around a game that already carries plenty of attention, especially with both players having previously played for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. [Read more 🡒]