No, the sky is not falling down. The LSU Tigers defeated a Top 25 opponent in Week 1 under head coach Brian Kelly.
While it may come as a shock, the No. 9 Tigers outlasted the No. 4... well, Tigers in a 17-10 barn burner down in South Carolina. It was a battle for Death Valley supremacy and the Bayou Bengals went on the road and took care of business in one of the most hostile environments in college football.
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, a Heisman Trophy favorite, went 28-for-38, throwing for 230 yards and a single touchdown. It wasn't super flashy but that's about as efficient a performance a coach could ask for in a Top 10 matchup.
Garrett Nussmeier touchdown pass to TE Trey'Dez Green vs Clemson #LSUvsCLEM #LSUvsClemson pic.twitter.com/OJ8fP494uL
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) August 31, 2025
Brian Kelly exorcises some demons to kick off hot seat season at LSU
Entering Saturday, fans' mouths were watering at the prospect of this matchup between Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and LSU's Brian Kelly. Though, history didn't appear to be on the latter's side.
Kelly had an all-time record of 35-37 against Top 25 opponents entering the contest and with Clemson leading 10-7 at the half, the Tigers were 155-11 in those situations under Swinney. Kelly and his Tigers erased that narrative in the second half and helped him get some monkeys off his back.
Last year, Kelly was criticized for blowing a lead against USC in Week 1 which led to a less-than-stellar rest of the season for LSU. Now that narrative has been reversed and Kelly has a little bit of breathing room going into the rest of the year.
It could be premature to declare but a massive upset win over the No. 4 team in the country and a likely contender for the ACC title will go a long way in the eyes of the College Football Playoff Committee's eyes. Now, the Tigers just have to handle business the rest of the way to guarantee themselves a spot in the 12-team field.
Especially with No. 8 Alabama stumbling against unranked Florida State. LSU has a gigantic advantage over the rest of the SEC when it comes to chasing the title and a playoff spot.