⚡ CFB Dashboard

The pressure is on. Clemson is already reeling in 2026 after a blowout loss to No. 8 LSU last weekend, with Dabo Swinney calling the Tigers' first opponent 'maybe the best team in the country.' Swinney said his team didn't respond well to the LSU loss in 2025, trailing Troy 16-3 at halftime in the home opener before shutting the Trojans out in the second half. If Clemson was so sluggish after a 17-10 defeat, how motivated are they going to look after getting beat relentlessly by 41 points? Especially in front of a home crowd that won't be too pleased? The Tigers don't need to be worried about their unsatisfied fans or the larger theme that they aren't good enough to compete at the top anymore. They simply need to focus on doing whatever is necessary to put that regretful performance behind them and look like a capable football team in a game that they're still favored to win by three touchdowns. Here's what we're looking for this weekend from Clemson in its return home: CAN THE OFFENSE FIND ITSELF AFTER LOOKING COMPLETELY LOST? The Tigers doubled their yardage in the fourth quarter after going into the final 15 minutes with a putrid 73 total yards on the board. That's just unacceptable — it's the type of numbers you'd expect to see if LSU was hosting an opponent in a different division of football, not the program that was once the standard for offensive production in the sport. The only positive is that you'd assume it can't get any worse, right? Right? Christopher Vizzina is expected to start the game with Tait Reynolds again coming off the bench. You'd like to see Vizzina come out and immediately make big plays in the passing game so that Clemson isn't in another uncomfortable spot nearing halftime. If you get to the second quarter and things still aren't progressing, I think you cut the tags off of Reynolds and give him complete control so that he can try and gain some confidence against an inferior team. Of course, neither guy will have success if the offensive line doesn't figure out how to first, communicate, and then, learn how to get hands on the guy in front of them. Georgia Southern had a strong defensive performance in their first game, pitching a shutout while allowing just 117 total yards. They aren't going to just roll over. But this is a situation where if the Tigers don't handle the line of scrimmage, there are serious issues. As important as it is to see Clemson have some success in the explosive throws category, it's almost more important for the Tigers to show that they can run the football. Again, a lot of that falls on the offensive line opening up space, but I didn't think Gideon Davidson or Chris Johnson Jr. was nearly good enough individually in the first game, either. Maybe some more 12-personnel to help out the front? There's no doubt Clemson still needs more quarterback run. Whatever it takes, you just cannot look helpless again this week. THE TIGERS FORCE MULTIPLE TURNOVERS AND DOMINATE THE GAME... Ashton Hampton got an interception on the second play of the game that probably woke up the entire fan base for just a moment. Elliot Washington II was decent in his debut. But there was still plenty of trouble in the secondary that led to LSU throwing for 335 yards — the rush defense was rightfully a concern, giving up over 300 yards on the ground. The Tigers will see Max Johnson for the second time in as many years after he went 26-of-42 with 208 yards as North Carolina's starting quarterback last October in Chapel Hill. He isn't Sam Leavitt, but he's also not your ordinary Sun Belt quarterback. This is a guy that has played a lot of games in the SEC and knows what to do with the ball in his hands. He won't really be too much of a running threat, so the key will be making the pocket collapse on him. But the Eagles did rush for 5.4 yards per carry last week with seven different players recording carries for 162 rushing yards, so they are capable of hurting Clemson if they show up like they did in Baton Rouge. They'll be without Markus Strong, and Vic Burley for another week, so it'll be on the guys available to get it straightened out. Again, if the Tigers can't limit Georgia Southern on the ground, there are serious issues. It can't all fall on the offense. The defense would greatly benefit from an evening with two or three takeaways while holding the Eagles to 250 total yards or less on home field. DON'T LET TRASH TALK SLIDE FROM A SUN BELT OPPONENT... Georgia Southern defensive back Aaron Sears got the week started off right, alluding that he and his team are confident they can win after watching the tape from Baton Rouge: I don't like jumping the gun, but once I seen some of the things I've seen, I was smiling pretty happy about our odds going into the game this week. Just really pumped up for it. Between Lane Kiffin calling Clemson soft and taking jumpers on the sideline during the game, to now this, the Tigers have to be a little pissed off going into this week. It would've helped if the team had come out with a vengeance in the opener, but they certainly have to now. You can't have Sun Belt teams clowning you the week leading up to the game. From Sears' perspective, it's only dumb if you don't back it up on the field. When the Eagles hit the grass this weekend, you best believe they're confident they can win outright. It's up to Clemson to show them why the spread is 20.5 points — which is actually a pretty tight line for a home-opener against a team that just joined the FBS ranks in 2014. If you can't take advantage of bulletin-board material from a Sun Belt team, after getting embarrassed in Week 1, then you just aren't made of the right stuff. Plain and simple.