Robert Griffin III Crowns College Football's No. 1 Team After Saturday's Games

Clemson at LSU was an obvious headliner for Week 1 of the 2026 college football season.

For one, it was Lane Kiffin's first game at LSU after a drama-filled offseason that featured a departure from an archrival and attempts to bring back NFL players to the college ranks.

Additionally, Power Four matchups were few and far between on Saturday; the early window lacked any matchups between Power Four teams, and the later windows only featured four total matchups between them.

The game started two hours late due to inclement weather in Baton Rouge, creating another prolonged wait for Power Four matchups. The game got out of hand at the end of the first quarter, and the result was a resounding 51-10 beatdown for LSU.

Per usual, such a result in Week 1 elicited visceral reactions across the internet on Saturday night. Former Baylor Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and FOX college football analyst Robert Griffin III was among those who raved about the Tigers, crowning them as the best team in college football.

"LSU is the No. 1 team in the country," Griffin said. "They just dominated Clemson. Best game versus the best opponent. We know more about them than any other team in the country right now."

Why should LSU be ranked No. 1?

Sam Leavitt in LSU's 2026 season opener against Clemson. — Sep 5, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) slides fora. First down against Clemson Tigers during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lane Kiffin has masterfully weathered external storms in each of his last two games.

When conversations around a potential exit from Ole Miss were at their peak in late November, Kiffin guided the Rebels to a smooth 38-19 road victory over Mississippi State. Last week, the entire college football world was bemoaning LSU's decision to add Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to its roster, but it made zero impact on the result of Saturday's game.

Within the game, LSU finished with 644 total yards of offense. Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw an unlucky interception two plays into the game, but that was the only bump in the road for LSU's offense. Leavitt finished 16-of-28 passing for 230 yards and a touchdown, and he and running back Dilin Jones ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns apiece in LSU's 309-yard rushing output.

Defensively, the Tigers ran back an interception for 30 yards and a touchdown late in the first quarter, a moment that set the tone for the rest of the game. The defense only allowed Clemson to gain 145 yards all night.

Where was Clemson ranked to start the season?

Clemson resided on the periphery of preseason polls. The USA Today Coaches Poll ranked the Tigers as the No. 23 team heading into the season, and they were in the "others receiving votes" category of the AP Poll.

The Tigers had to replace a lot of NFL talent from a roster that only managed to win seven games in 2025. Notable areas where Clemson replaced starters were quarterback and three offensive and defensive line positions.

Both Christopher Vizzina and Tait Reynolds saw extensive playing time at quarterback due to continuous offensive struggles. Clemson looked downright inept at times throughout the game offensively, and of its 145 yards, nearly half were accumulated in its final possession of the game.

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