Tabletops in “Death Valley,” brace for impact.
Brian Kelly is facing another test in a season opener. The last time that happened, LSU lost, and Kelly slammed his fist on some plywood. What if, though, LSU actually wins this season opener against Clemson? Not a crazy thought. Kelly has assembled his best team in years.
And what if Arch Manning proves he’s worthy of the hype in Texas’ season opener against Ohio State. Also, not a crazy thought.
College football is back, and its Week 1 lineup of games is as good as ever, highlighted by No. 1 Texas at No. 2 Ohio State and No. 9 LSU at No. 6 Clemson.
On this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate whether Manning or Kelly faces more pressure in Week 1.
The alarmists will be ready to pounce. In reality, either Manning or Kelly can recover from an opening loss, but Manning struggling or LSU losing would lay groundwork ripe for hot takes and overreaction.
Who faces more Week 1 pressure: Arch Manning or Brian Kelly?
Toppmeyer: Easy answer: It’s Kelly. Manning is starting against the defending national champions on the road. That’s the tallest of orders. Heisman Trophies are not won in August. Neither are national championships. Manning and Texas could be fine in the long run, regardless of the result Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.
LSU also could rebound from a road loss, but considering Kelly has lost three consecutive season openers, don’t expect LSU fans to be forgiving if this goes awry. LSU invested a tsunami of cash to acquire Kelly, then invested more cash to assemble an impressive roster of transfers to pair with proven quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. It’s time to see results.
Adams: Kelly faces more pressure. Manning has a bright future, no matter how the Week 1 result turns out. Perhaps, Texas-Ohio State will be a preview of the national championship game.
LSU might have something to say about that, though.
I’m really high on this LSU team after Kelly’s portal plunder, and I’m still buying the Kelly experience in Baton Rouge. If this season swirls the drain, though, that will cause me to re-evaluate. Beating Clemson would be a statement from Kelly that we haven’t seen the best of him yet at LSU. Another season-opening loss would raise the idea that maybe we have seen the best of Kelly – and it came years ago at Notre Dame.
Later in the episode
∎ The hosts react to the SEC’s decision to add a ninth conference game beginning in 2026 and discuss why this decision helps the SEC in more ways than one, and why it might spur a scheduling change inside the Big Ten, too.
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Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brian Kelly or Arch Manning? Who faces more Week 1 pressure?