College GameDay Predicts Clemson-LSU

Clemson's season opener against LSU is considered one of the top matchups across Week 1 of the college football season.

The cast of ESPN College GameDay made their picks between Clemson and LSU. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN College GameDay has decided. The Tigers will win on Saturday.

Which Tigers between No. 4 Clemson and No. 9 LSU varies. In Lee Corso's final GameDay of his career, the famous college football personality picked LSU to upset Clemson, while the rest of the crew in Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Pat McAfee each picked Clemson to defend their home turf.

Kirk Herbstreit, as a commentator for the game, did not make a prediction, and Howard picked Clemson despite the graphic showing LSU.

The College Gameday crew is split 50/50 on LSU and Clemson. pic.twitter.com/Z6sDkbyF6v

— tik (@twosuh) August 30, 2025

Corso predicted LSU to finish the season as national champions. He was the lone member of GameDay to choose LSU.

Saban, a former LSU head coach with coaching experience against both Tigers, disagreed with Corso.

"I just think Clemson has a lot of continuity on their team. I think this going to be a year for them," Saban said.

McAfee was with Saban.

"I think it's been a couple of years in the making for Cade Klubnik and Dabo Swinney," he said. "I think this is the year for Clemson."

Clemson opens as a 4.5-point favorite over LSU with an over/under of 57.5 points, according to FanDuel.

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"LSU [and Clemson] are very similar as far as how we're built. Elite quarterback play, they've got elite skill on the perimeter. I know they lost some guys up front, but they went and got some dudes… same thing on the defensive line. They're elite at linebacker, [they have] probably the best corners that we might play all year. Great safeties. I mean there's a lot of similarities between these teams," head coach Dabo Swinney said in an interview with Inside College Football. "How we got here is a little different, but very similar as far as the makeup of the talent that's going to take the field on Saturday night."

Kickoff from Memorial Stadium is at 7:30 p.m. with television coverage on ABC.