National chatter is already circling Clemson with some ugly home-loss predictions for 2026, and On3’s Crain & Cone podcast went straight at Death Valley with a pair of upset picks that will raise eyebrows in Tigertown.
The first one came from Blain Crain, who picked South Carolina to come into Memorial Stadium and grab a third straight win in November. The second was even louder: David Cone pegged Georgia Southern as the team that would walk into Clemson and pull off what he called his most outrageous upset for 2026.
"Top-5 of the Biggest Upsets for 2026
Which could be the most shocking this season? pic.twitter.com/q5ZtcSmdT0
- Crain & Cone (@crainandcone) July 10, 2026"
Cone leaned hard into the idea, even while admitting he was biased because he’s from Statesboro, Georgia, home of the Georgia Southern Eagles. He laid out a scenario in which Clemson’s Week 1 trip to Baton Rouge could shape the mood back home, but he still landed on the same pick.
"This is an all-or-nothing. We're all in on this thing," Cone said during the podcast.
"My most outrageous upset for 2026, and let me just really dial in here to get ready for this one. Clemson.
September 12. Hosting Georgia Southern.
Ok, I'm biased on this one. I'm biased on this one.
Where do they go Week 1? Let me tell you a story.
Baton Rouge? Let's say Clemson goes to Baton Rouge and they lose that game...
What starts to happen? Doubt.
'We were supposed to win the national championship (last year).' Lot of doubt.
We still got a tough schedule coming up. Georgia Southern, Clay Helton, already beat Nebraska a couple years ago."
He then offered the other side of that hypothetical too, saying even a Clemson win over LSU wouldn’t change his pick.
"Now let's say Clemson goes up to Baton Rouge and wins Week 1. Then they feel good.
Everything's good now. 'We're back.'
Clemson's back. 'Let's get ready for our ACC schedule.'
Georgia Southern coming to town," Cone added. "It doesn't matter.
Upset alert. That's what I've got.
That was my biased one. The other ones, watch out for."
The case for Georgia Southern, at least in Cone’s telling, centers on transfer quarterback Max Johnson. He pointed to Johnson’s long college career and his production at LSU.
"Who transferred in at quarterback? Max Johnson.
Is that the same Max Johnson that's been playing football since COVID? Since 2020.
Seven years he's been playing college football... Is that the same Max Johnson that threw for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns at LSU?
Yep, that's him. Max Johnson, Clay Helton, going up to Clemson," Cone boasted.
But Clemson has already seen that quarterback and handled him without much trouble. Last season, Johnson faced the Tigers in Chapel Hill and was held to 208 passing yards on 26-of-42 passing in Clemson’s 38-10 win over North Carolina.
The history between Clemson and Georgia Southern also tilts heavily toward the Tigers. The teams have met only once before, and Clemson won that game 38-7 in 2018.
Georgia Southern’s upset of Nebraska in 2022 is part of the argument, too. The Eagles were a three-touchdown underdog in that one and still came away with a 45-42 win. Even so, comparing that Nebraska team to Clemson in Death Valley is a stretch.
For now, the national noise is doing Clemson a favor. The Tigers have been given plenty to file away, and plenty of motivation heading into 2026.
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The timing made the miss sting a little more, even with Clemson adding defensive lineman Seth Tillman around the same window. The Tigers still have a strong linebacker base in place with Bryce Kish, Max Brown and R.J. Hudson all committed, but Igwebuike was the kind of prospect who could have changed the ceiling of the group and given the staff another major win in a key position battle. [Read more 🡒]