College GameDay projects headlines from Week 1 matchup between LSU, Clemson

‘College GameDay’ won’t be in Death Valley on August 30th. However, what’s now officially a top-ten matchup between No. 9 LSU and No. 4 Clemson is one that ESPN’s Rece Davis and Pete Thamel think that they could see later on in the season anyways.

Davis and Thamel looked at some outcomes and headlines from some of the top opening games to this upcoming season during the ‘College GameDay Podcast’. They both thought, when it came to this game between the two teams of top-rated Tigers, that this could not just be a game we see again in the playoff but one that could be played for the national championship in the CFP.

“LSU and Clemson? I think the end takeaway is going to be, we might see those two play again in Miami,” stated Davis.

“Yeah,” Thamel agreed. “I’m a big believer in Clemson, as I am in Penn State, this year. But I have no reason to flinch at picking LSU going deep in the playoff right now as we sit here. They have all the key tenets.”

No. 9 LSU vs. No. 4 Clemson is one of three top-ten matchups now set on the schedule for week one along with No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Ohio State, which GameDay will be in attendance for in Columbus, on Saturday before No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Miami on Sunday. That said, that game may specifically have as much pressure on it as just about any matchup this season, let alone in the opening week, considering the expectations on both sets of Tigers, under Dabo Swinney and Brian Kelly respectively, in their conference standings and in the playoff race. For reference, Clemson (+900 – T-4th) and LSU (+1500 – 7th) are also in the top-ten when it comes to national title odds per BetMGM.

LSU vs. Clemson, pending on what happens in The ‘Shoe, could cause the most reaction and have as much of an effect as about any game could this fall. Still, it might only be the first edition of that matchup as Davis and Thamel each expect it could happen again, with a whole lot more on the line in the second one, in the College Football Playoff.

Preseason AP Poll: First Top-25 revealed ahead of 2025 College Football Season

The Preseason AP Poll is here as the Top-25 rankings were revealed on Monday ahead of the upcoming season in college football. That means kickoff is getting even closer with the year set to open across the country by the end of the month.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the AP Poll Top-25 ahead of kickoff:

1. Texas
2. Penn State
3. Ohio State
4. Clemson
5. Georgia
6. Notre Dame
7. Oregon
8. Alabama
9. LSU
10. Miami
11. Arizona State
12. Illinois
13. South Carolina
14. Michigan
15. Florida
16. SMU
17. Kansas State
18. Oklahoma
19. Texas A&M
20. Indiana
21. Ole Miss
22. Iowa State
23. Texas Tech
24. Tennessee
25. Boise State

Others receiving votes: BYU 156, Utah 144, Baylor 132, Louisville 90, Southern Cal 64, Georgia Tech 63, Missouri 33, Tulane 23, Nebraska 23, UNLV 21, Toledo 13, Auburn 10, James Madison 9, Memphis 9, Florida St. 8, Duke 6, Liberty 5, Navy 5, Iowa 5, TCU 4, Pittsburgh 3, Army 2, Colorado 1, Louisiana-Lafayette 1.