Paul Finebaum sounds alarm for Brian Kelly & LSU ahead of big season opener against Clemson in 2025

Brian Kelly has a lot of stakes heading into a blockbuster season opener against Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers on August 30. It will be a road game with LSU looking to end their long-standing curse of losing the opening games. They have never won a single opener in the past five years and the trend is expected to continue this season unless Garrett Nussmeier kicks off 2025 with a massive victory.

According to college football insider Paul Finebaum, LSU fans will have things to worry about after they walk out of the game. If they lose the matchup, it will become a sour precedent since the schedule gets tougher as they progress deep into the season.

Finebaum mentioned Brian Kelly has one of the top QBs in the country and a prospect who is expected to win the Heisman. A loss in the first game taints that picture.

“If Clemson wins this game, it's not the end of the season for LSU, by no means. They still have an amazing schedule, but the fan base is going to be fit to be tied, especially with the schedule they have in a couple of weeks,” Finebaum said on SportsCenter on Saturday. [Timestamp - 5:00]

“They will then see Florida in about two weeks after that, but LSU has one of the top quarterbacks in the country. They went out and brought in a tremendous defense. They have elite athletes across the field, but this fan base just can't seem to win this opening game. They haven't won an opener since Joe Burrow was the quarterback in 2019,” he added.

Brian Kelly has a challenging schedule for LSU in 2025

Being in the SEC is not easy, especially for teams like LSU that have a rich history of winning championships. Even though the Tigers' schedule is ranked No. 11 in the country, they will face some of the toughest programs in midseason. In Week 3, LSU will square off against the Florida Gators.

Similarly, Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss, Shane Beamer's South Carolina, Clark Lea's Vanderbilt, Mike Elko's Texas A&M and Kalen DeBoer-led Alabama will play LSU back-to-back from Week 5 to Week 9.

The current roster strength and team's outlook resemble the Joe Burrow-led side of 2019. If things go as planned, Kelly should be able to pull off a playoff ticket by recording at least 10+ wins for LSU in 2025.