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Does Clemson-LSU Matchup Feature a Brewing Beef?
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- Does Clemson-LSU Matchup Feature a Brewing Beef?
Does Clemson-LSU Matchup Feature a Brewing Beef?
(USA TODAY Network)
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney is an old-school guy. It's why he isn't a huge fan of NIL. It's why he refused to utilize the transfer portal up until recently. It's also why his recruiting methods have been dubbed archaic by some.
So imagine what he thinks of Lane Kiffin recruiting NFL players to play for LSU?
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Swinney called the act "embarrassing," and while he didn't specifically mention Kiffin by name, it's easy to read between the lines.
Clearly, the two-time national championship-winning coach has a problem with it, as do most people involved in college football.
In fact, Clemson has even notified LSU that if any former professional players are on the field for their Week 1 matchup, it may breach the game contract.
You don't think Swinney had something to do with that notification?
Swinney won't publicly say anything nasty about Kiffin. He's too classy for that. But he simply can't hide his disgust for what the LSU coach is doing in Baton Rouge.
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The fact that Clemson felt the need to put LSU on alert prior to Saturday's contest was a clear message: play the game the right way .
And now, you have to wonder if other teams on LSU's schedule will follow Clemson's lead in attempting to ensure that no ex-NFL players participate.
This is a huge game for Swinney . Yes, Clemson is playing with house money as a road underdog, but imagine if Swinney and Co. come away with a victory?
At this point, I don't think you'll find anyone outside of Baton Rouge who isn't rooting for Clemson in this one. Well, maybe Paul Finebaum . But that's about it.
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And now, we have an underlying narrative of a potential Swinney-Kiffin beef brewing heading into this contest. Not that Kiffin cares.
At this point, it's clear that Lane cares about Lane, and that's perfectly fine. But Swinney is a very different type of coach.
Some college football fans will certainly go as far to label this a battle of good vs. evil. I won't go that far. But it's definitely a battle of philosophies.
Much like Swinney won't out Kiffin publicly, Kiffin surely won't have anything negative to say about Dabo ... but you do have to wonder how he feels behind closed doors with Swinney calling his recent endeavors "embarrassing" and with Clemson feeling the need to send such a strong message to LSU before kickoff.
It simply adds another layer of drama to the affair, and we're all here for it.
