Clemson · ACCClemson-LSU and Boise State-Oregon headline Sept. 5 picks
Boise State visits No. 2 Oregon at 3:30 p.m. ET before Clemson plays at ranked LSU at 7:30 p.m. ET.
SEP 5, 2026
The Pate State · Editorial IllustrationYahoo Sports’ Week 1 viewing picks for Saturday, Sept. 5, feature Clemson at LSU at 7:30 p.m. ET and Boise State at Oregon at 3:30 p.m. ET, putting two marquee nonconference games on the same card.
The matchups also put four teams from Josh Pate’s preseason bracket on the field: Clemson at No. 3, Boise State at No. 4, Oregon at No. 6 and LSU at No. 8. Oregon carries the strongest outside ranking at No. 2 in both the AP and AFCA Coaches polls after going 13-2 in 2025. Boise State went 9-5.
Clemson and LSU both went 7-6 last season. LSU starts No. 11 in the AP poll and No. 13 in the coaches poll, while Clemson is No. 23 in the coaches poll. An opening-weekend loss could damage any of the four playoff résumés before conference play begins.
01 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
Josh Pate’s bracket reverses the outside pecking order in both games. Clemson is third in his field and LSU eighth, while LSU starts No. 11 in the AP poll and No. 13 in the coaches poll and Clemson appears only at No. 23 in the coaches poll. Boise State is fourth in the bracket, two places above Oregon, despite Oregon’s No. 2 standing in both polls and the gap between Oregon’s 13-2 finish and Boise State’s 9-5.
That makes Sept. 5 a paired test of projection against established position: In each matchup, the team Pate places higher travels to the team with the stronger outside ranking or previous-season record. The pressure falls on the bracket, not merely the polls.
02 · The Open QuestionsQuestions to Be Answered
Can Clemson justify its bracket position during its opening stretch?
LSU is the first chance, but Clemson’s calendar quickly broadens the test: North Carolina visits Sept. 19, a Friday trip to California follows Sept. 25 and Miami comes Oct. 3. Clemson went 4-4 in ACC play in 2025. The results through Miami will show whether the No. 3 bracket placement anticipated a rebound or outran it.
How much room does Boise State have for an opening loss at Oregon?
Boise State’s next three games are against Memphis on Sept. 12, South Dakota on Sept. 19 and at Western Michigan on Sept. 26 before Utah State visits Oct. 3. Oregon goes to Oklahoma State on Sept. 12 and USC on Sept. 26. Those September results will reveal whether the résumé gap from this matchup widens or can be recovered before October.