ESPN Releases 2025 College Football Preseason Power Rankings Ahead Of Week 0

Week Zero of the College Football season kicks off this weekend with No. 22 Iowa State taking on No. 17 Kansas State in Dublin.

Ahead of that matchup, ESPN college football experts ranked the top 25 teams heading into the season and put LSU at No. 8. Clemson, which LSU plays in the season opener, was ranked No. 3.

Here's what Chris Low had to say about the Tigers:

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8. LSU Tigers
The elephant in the room as LSU opens its fourth season under Brian Kelly is how unsuccessful the Tigers have been in season openers under the coach. They've lost three straight under Kelly and five in a row dating to the Ed Orgeron era. The 2025 season opener might be the toughest yet with LSU playing at No. 4 Clemson on Aug. 30 in the battle of Death Valleys. It always helps when you have an experienced quarterback going into a hostile environment, and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier is in his fourth year with the program and coming off a 4,052-yard and 29-touchdown season. The Tigers lost two offensive tackles to the NFL, and how well LSU protects Nussmeier against a talented Clemson defensive line will be one of the key storylines. LSU addressed several needs in the transfer portal and hopes to force more turnovers on defense in Year 2 under Blake Baker. The Tigers forced 14 turnovers in 13 games last season to rank 14th in the SEC. -- Low

Week 1 matchup: at Clemson, Aug. 30 (7:30 p.m., ABC)

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Here's what David Hale had to say about Clemson:

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3. Clemson Tigers
Is it a national championship or bust at Clemson this season? That might be a lofty expectation, but the stars have aligned for a team that has all the players in place, from a veteran quarterback (Cade Klubnik) to a trio of elite receivers to a revamped defense led by high-level NFL talent in Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. Tom Allen takes over as defensive coordinator, tasked with injecting a bit of old-school energy that was missing the past couple of seasons. Dabo Swinney has his best team since 2020, and after making a surprise run to the playoff last year, the aspirations for 2025 are much higher. -- David Hale

Week 1 matchup: vs. LSU, Aug. 30 (7:30 p.m., ABC)

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