ESPN's Greg McElroy identifies two big games to watch in Clemson's 2025 season

Clemson is going for a sixth consecutive win in Columbia, and it could be a game of high importance for Playoff seeding.

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Tuesday, June 10 2025

ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy says Clemson football accounts for a quarter of the top eight non-conference games in the 2025 college football season.

McElroy ranked the Top 10 non-conference games total, first slotting the rivalry matchup with South Carolina at No. 8 overall.

"I'm not sure they're going to be as good as last year in defense," McElroy said of South Carolina, "but I think offensively they have a chance to take a significant step forward. And for those of you who have listened to this show the last couple months, I think Clemson has a legit chance to start the season in the Top 5, and I would not be surprised at all, if at season's end they're No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 in college football. I think they're that good. A legitimate national championship contender having to go on the road in the final game of the regular season against their SEC foe in-state.

"That's always one of my favorite rivalries and it will be an awesome one to consume in 2025."

Clemson's first game is McElroy's No. 2 non-conference matchup with LSU coming to Clemson.

"They have the quarterback back, they got tremendous skill, the offensive line should be excellent, defensively they have great players back at all three levels," McElroy said of Clemson. "But moving over to the LSU side, Garrett Nussmeier comes back and there's people who have been surrounding the LSU program...they feel like this could be the year where Brian Kelly really breaks through...They've gone to the portal and adequately replaced several spots that needed to be replaced, they're gonna be great at wide receiver, should be pretty good along the offensive line and at running back, and then defensively, second-year Blake Baker's system, will they have a couple tricks up their sleeve against Cade Klubnik in what should be a high-powered offense for the Clemson Tigers.

"LSU travels from their Death Valley to Clemson's Death Valley, and that should be one of the best games of the college football season."

McElroy ranked the SEC/Big Ten season opener clash of Texas at Ohio State in the No. 1 spot.