The Lane Kiffin era officially begins Saturday night, and the LSU Tigers couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to make an early statement.

The Tigers will host Clemson in a nationally televised matchup at Tiger Stadium, with ESPN’s College GameDay also making its way to Baton Rouge for Kiffin’s debut. LSU enters the season ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, meaning expectations are already high.

But what happens against Clemson could change those expectations in a hurry.

If LSU Wins

A win would immediately validate much of the optimism surrounding Kiffin’s arrival.

LSU has a difficult schedule ahead, with Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee among the teams they’ll have to face. A victory over Clemson would give the Tigers an early quality win and provide evidence that the roster Kiffin rebuilt through the transfer portal is capable of competing at a high level.

More importantly, if Leavitt looks comfortable, Kiffin’s offense looks explosive and LSU handles Clemson, the Tigers could quickly go from preseason playoff hopeful to legitimate contender.

If LSU Loses

A loss wouldn’t immediately derail LSU’s season, but it would certainly raise questions.

This isn’t just another Week 1 game. It’s Kiffin’s debut, it’s at home and it’s against a Clemson team LSU defeated 17-10 last season—a Clemson roster that has taken some hit’s as of late.

A close loss could be brushed aside as a new coaching staff finding its footing.

A bad loss, however, would immediately put pressure on Kiffin to prove LSU’s offseason hype wasn’t misplaced.

With Louisiana Tech coming next, LSU would have a chance to bounce back before opening SEC play at Ole Miss. But the expectations surrounding this team would be noticeably different.

One game won’t define the Kiffin era. But it could define the expectations for its first season.

Source: Yahoo Sports