As the Clemson Tigers go in their first game of the 2025 season against LSU, the fixture presents a stern test of grit, desire, and coaching acumen. The game will also feature the top two Heisman contenders of the season in Cade Klubnik and Garrett Nussmeier, making the game ever more exciting. In terms of predictions, Clemson might win the game, edging out LSU, but what comes after could be far more telling. According to a prominent analyst, doom lies in store for Dabo Swinney.

Swinney enters the 2025 season with some of his best players returning. This includes Antonio Williams, the wide receiver who had produced 904 yards last year and was one of the crucial pieces for Dabo Swinney’s playoff run. Then there is Bryant Wesco Jr, who received 708 yards last year. Still, the biggest player would be Cade Klubnik, who had an incredible season, producing 3,639 passing yards. Despite these developments, there will be some setbacks that will lie in store for Clemson.

“I’m going to hand them the loss because I think that Jeff Brohm and Louisville might just have Clemson’s number. We saw the Cards fall into Death Valley last year and hand Clemson one of the more stunning home losses, which had the fans hitting the exits before the fourth quarter,” Chip Patterson of CBS Sports said on the June 20th episode of ‘CBS Sports’.about Clemson’s chances against Louisville in 2025, and went on to predict another brutal loss against their arch-rival, South Carolina.

“In a similar vein, here I’ve got South Carolina getting a win in the regular season finale,” declared Patterson. However, despite these two losses the analyst predicted, he remained optimistic about Clemson’s overall chances for the season and predicted them to finish 10-2, going deep into the playoffs. But why the harsh take for these two games?

The reasoning likely stems from Clemson’s losses against these two programs last year and the talent that both Jeff Brohm and Shane Beamer are bringing in 2025. For instance, the Gamecocks are already ranked 12th in Athlon Sports’ way-too-early rankings and have an elite QB in LaNorris Sellers along with an intact offensive line and receivers like Nyck Harbor and Mazeo Bennett Jr. As for the Cardinals? They will most likely improve on their 8-5 season in 2024, and with Brohm’s offensive expertise, everything looks well-sorted out for them. Still, the road ahead is not all gloom for Clemson. And it’s bittersweet for them, truly.

“They’re still my pick to win the ACC. They’re still my pick to make the college football playoff, and yes, if they can stay healthy, they will enter the college football playoff as one of those teams out of the 12 that I think have the goods to be able to go and win it all. So, back to the CFP, I say yes, but not with an unblemished record; there might be a few traps along the way,” said Patterson.

The 2025 season schedule looks favorable for the Clemson Tigers, with seven home games lined up, making playoff qualification more than feasible for the team. The schedule includes games against LSU, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, North Carolina, and Boston College. The Tigers are expected to beat them all; still, after the SMU game, they have a tougher schedule with games against FSU, Louisville, and ending with South Carolina. These games might be tough, but likely won’t derail their ACC title hopes.

Silver lining amongst dark clouds for Dabo Swinney

Despite those two losses predicted by Patterson, the national opinion is quite favorable for Clemson. Currently, they are ranked No. 4 (per 247 Sports) in preseason odds, which means they are expected to finish with an 11-1 season at least. And one of those voices was of Josh Pate, who expected Clemson to be the favorite for the national title.

“Everybody including me, thinks that Clemson is the clear favorite right now to win the ACC. You got the returning quarterback, the returning offensive coordinator, really good defense, everything’s been geared towards this year,” said Josh Pate. Even ESPN’s Bill Connelly rode the Tigers’ hype bogey and declared that no other team is returning with the same production as Clemson. So, what does all of this mean, essentially?

Paterson’s verdict isn’t set in stone and might not turn out to be true. But one thing is clear: The Tigers will have to be wary of the Cardinals and the Gamecocks and will look to not repeat the mistakes they made in the 2025 season. And if they succeed, then the season might turn out to be one of the best in Dabo Swinney’s already illustrious career.