Clemson sits at No. 8 in the latest AP Top 25, down four spots after a 17–10 home loss to LSU. LSU jumped six spots to No. 3, which tells you what voters thought of the matchup.
The problem isn’t that Clemson lost to a top-five caliber team. It’s how they lost — reprising issues from 2023 that many believed would be solved by an experienced quarterback, a stabilized offensive line, and a scheme reset. If the poll is supposed to reward real performance rather than brand equity, Clemson’s top-10 status feels a bit generous.
The defense did its job. It kept Clemson within striking distance all night and limited LSU’s explosives. Everything else looked like a rerun. The Tigers managed just 230 total yards, converted only three of 13 third downs, and were completely smothered on the ground with 31 rushing yards on 20 attempts. That’s not an outlier; it’s a profile. It’s also the third straight season opener the program has dropped, undercutting the idea that last year’s inconsistencies were a blip.
A top-10 ranking after that performance assumes a quick fix that Clemson hasn’t shown it can make.
Cade Klubnik’s step back is the story until further notice
Cade Klubnik was supposed to be the stabilizer, the senior who had seen everything and could win Clemson the handful of possessions that decide elite games. Instead, he looked more like the 2023 version of himself than 2024.
The numbers tell the tale: 19-of-38 for 230 yards, no touchdowns, one interception. More telling than the stat line was the cadence of the game. Klubnik was late on throws he needed to rip, early on throws that demanded patience, and rarely in rhythm. When the pocket moved, the ball placement got shaky. When the pocket collapsed, his eyes dropped. The repeated third-and-longs only magnified those flaws.
Dabo Swinney’s postgame tone cut through the usual coach-speak.
“If 2 ain’t a dude, we ain’t winning,” Swinney said of Klubnik. “Dudes gotta be dudes. This is big boy football. He ain't a freshman. He'll respond.”
That’s both a challenge and a lifeline. But it also makes the ranking look even more inflated. If the head coach is telling you the team goes as the quarterback goes and the quarterback isn’t going, what exactly are we rewarding with a top-10 slot?
It matters for Klubnik’s future, too. The draft talk around him was always going to hinge on growth under pressure, processing speed, and ball placement. Week 1 didn’t help. That doesn’t mean he can’t rebound, but the AP voters are projecting a bounce back before it exists. A top-10 ranking assumes rapid correction and week-to-week consistency from the most important position on the field. Clemson hasn’t earned that assumption yet under Klubnik.
A subpar run game invites defensive coordinators to feast
If Clemson had a credible rushing attack, a lot of this could be softened. It doesn’t. Thirty-one yards on 20 carries isn’t just a bad night. It’s a sign that not only is last year’s lead back Phil Mafah gone, he also didn’t have a suitable replacement.
LSU made Clemson predictable by eliminating the run. Once that happened, the Tigers were stuck playing left-handed, throwing into leveraged windows without the threat of downhill punishment. Then again, that’s what happens when you convert a receiver into your lead back in Adam Randall.
That’s where the No. 8 ranking feels the most out of step. Top-10 teams travel with a floor. On rough nights they can lean on something when the passing game sputters or the quarterback is off. Right now, Clemson’s floor is its defense and little else. You can get away with that for a month or so against lesser opponents. But you can’t live like that and expect to contend for the playoff in a year where several heavyweights look more balanced out of the gate.
Clemson football earns brand recognition
The poll credits Clemson’s brand and its previous success over the last several years that resulted in two national titles. It also recognizes the defense’s ceiling and faith that the offense will normalize.
The schedule also gives voters cover: a rebound opportunity in Week 2, with time to work out the kinks and reset Klubnik. That’s all plausible. It still doesn’t make No. 8 the right number today.
Rankings should reflect who teams are right now more than who they might become. Clemson, today, is still a good team, worthy of a top-20 team ranking. Still, the elite defense can’t make up for a fragile offensive.
This Tigers team at No. 8 is overrated — though only slightly. However, in early September it’s not fatal. It’s a warning. Clemson still has time to become the team the voters think it is.
