Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney has made some blunt comments on the LSU matchup to open the season.
For the second straight year, the Clemson Tigers will be facing LSU to open the regular season, and this time, Clemson is seeking a better result.
Clemson hosted the other Tigers last August and fell by a score of 17-10 in an incredibly dull performance, one that ultimately set Dabo Swinney and Co. on track for a disappointing 7-6 campaign.
Can Clemson avoid another 0-1 hole, this time within the hostile confines of Baton Rouge?
“This is going to be a great team that we got to open with, and it ain’t going to be easy, and I love it,” Swinney said. “I love the challenge. Let’s see where we are, go play and see what happens after that.”
Unlike last year, when Clemson opened the campaign ranked No. 4 in the country, Swinney's club isn't even ranked this season. Well, at least in the AP Poll.
LSU, on the other hand, comes in at No. 11 under first-year head coach Lane Kiffin, who has certainly rubbed a whole lot of people the wrong way for many reasons.
But Kiffin's reputation is immaterial. The fact is that he is a terrific football coach, and with LSU having won 88 percent of its home games in prime time, this is setting up to be an incredibly difficult matchup for Clemson.
Swinney understands that it will take a gargantuan effort on the part of his guys to get the job done next Saturday.
“These guys, if they show up and compete, I believe they are capable of competing with anybody,” Swinney added. “Now, let’s not kid ourselves, we will have to play, not perfect, but not far from it.”
Clemson certainly has its fair share of question marks heading into the campaign, but there is no denying its talent on both sides of the ball.
There are some who believe that the Tigers could be a sleeper CFP team this year, and it's worth noting that they have opened up at No. 23 in the Coaches Poll.
Of course, Clemson actually has to go out and prove itself first, and at this point, the team has plenty of doubters.
We'll see if the Tigers can pull off a shocker on Sept. 5.
