Josh Pate early preview Clemson vs. LSU, Tigers massive underdogs

There’s far less hype surrounding the Clemson Tigers football entering 2026, and according to Josh Pate, that may not be the worst thing for Dabo Swinney and his program.

While appearing on the Crain & Cone show, Pate previewed Clemson football’s Week 1 trip to Baton Rouge against LSU Tigers football and said he’d be more surprised to see Clemson win comfortably than LSU pull away.

“I think it would surprise me a little bit more, Clemson winning by seven,” Pate said.

Pate explained he could envision a game where LSU controls things defensively while Clemson’s offense struggles to find rhythm early in the season.

At the same time, he made it clear that nothing in Week 1 truly shocks him anymore.

“I don’t use the word ‘shock’ in Week 1 anymore,” Pate said. “I am not gonna use the word ‘shock.’”

The tone around Clemson entering this season is also dramatically different from last offseason. Clemson opened 2025 with playoff expectations and national title buzz before an opening loss to LSU led to a disappointing 7-6 finish.

Now, expectations have cooled considerably, something Pate believes could actually help the Tigers.

“They won’t have expectations,” Pate said. “The expectation is what’s going to happen when they lose multiple games to start the year?”

Pate also said Swinney still believes Clemson has enough talent in the program to compete at a high level despite last season’s struggles.

The Sept. 5 matchup will also mark the debut of Lane Kiffin as LSU’s head coach. Clemson currently sits as an 11.5-point underdog according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Despite that, Pate said a win in Baton Rouge could completely shift the trajectory of Clemson’s season.

“If they win this game,” Pate said, “it could retroactively make me look back and say, ‘Wow, that was the most important game they’ve won in a long time.’”

Whether Clemson is truly ready to bounce back from last season’s disappointment will become clear quickly, because few opening games around the country carry more pressure or national attention than this one.