College football analyst Josh Pate isn't buying into the Clemson hype—or rather, the lack of it—as the Tigers prepare for a massive Week 1 showdown. On paper, Clemson enters the 2026 season with far less buzz than in recent years, but Pate suggests that might actually work in Dabo Swinney's favor.
Appearing on the Crain & Cone show, Pate previewed Clemson's opening trip to Baton Rouge to face LSU and made his expectations clear: he'd be more surprised by a comfortable Clemson win than an LSU blowout.
"I think it would surprise me a little bit more, Clemson winning by seven," Pate said.
He painted a picture of LSU controlling the game defensively while Clemson's offense struggles to find its footing early. But Pate was quick to hedge—Week 1, he noted, is a different beast.
"I don't use the word 'shock' in Week 1 anymore," Pate said. "I am not gonna use the word 'shock.'"
The contrast from last season is stark. Just a year ago, Clemson opened 2025 with playoff aspirations and national title buzz before an opening loss to LSU sent the Tigers spiraling to a disappointing 7-6 finish. Now, expectations have cooled dramatically—and Pate believes that could be a blessing in disguise.
"They won't have expectations," Pate said. "The expectation is what's going to happen when they lose multiple games to start the year?"
Still, Pate noted that Swinney remains confident in the talent on his roster. The question is whether that talent can deliver when it matters most.
The Sept. 5 matchup also marks the debut of Lane Kiffin as LSU's head coach, adding another layer of intrigue. Clemson currently sits as a significant 11.5-point underdog according to FanDuel Sportsbook, making this one of the toughest opening tests in recent memory.
But Pate didn't rule out a potential turning point. "If they win this game, it could retroactively make me look back and say, 'Wow, that was the most important game they've won in a long time,'" he said.
Whether Clemson is ready to bounce back from last season's disappointment will become clear quickly—because few opening games around the country carry as much weight as this one.