The countdown to No. 4 Clemson’s August 30 primetime matchup with No. 9 LSU continues.

Clemson remains a 4-point favorite over the Bayou Bengals, according to BetMGM.

That the Tigers are facing a top 10 opponent is not unfamiliar territory for head coach Dabo Swinney.

The 55-year old coach has gone up against top 10 teams on 39 occasions in his Clemson career and owns an impressive 25-14 record in those matchups.

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At this point, LSU represents the only top 10-ranked team on Clemson’s 2025 schedule, though rival South Carolina holds a No. 13 ranking in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll while SMU will enter the season ranked No. 16. The Tigers will host SMU on October 18 and will travel to Columbia to face the Gamecocks on November 29.

Clemson faced three top 10 teams on its 2024 schedule, beginning with a clash with then No. 1-ranked UGA in Atlanta last August. The Tigers later beat then No. 8-ranked SMU in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game last December before dropping a 14-point decision to then No. 3-ranked Texas in Austin in a matchup that was just the fourth time in Swinney’s career where the Tigers entered a game as a double-digit underdog.

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Clemson is one of just five teams in the nation pegged as a preseason, lined, favorite in all 12 of its regular season games. The Massey Ratings project a 10-2 record for the Tigers.

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On SundayTigerillustrated.com released its annual Season Forecast ahead of our Clemson – LSU game forecast to be released on Friday, August 29.