While the LSU Tigers received praise for their take down of the Clemson Tigers, Clemson, on the other hand, struggled on offense, which was a surprise to many, including Paul Finebaum, who had Clemson’s quarterback Cade Klubnik as a top Heisman candidate.
“I’ve seen a lot of good players just look terrible in that opener,” Finebaum said on his show Tuesday. “By the way, one of them was probably the most experienced one playing on Saturday, and that was Cade Klubnik. He was awful.”
Finebaum said previously that he was the best quarterback in the country and going to be the best QB in Saturday’s matchup with LSU.
“I think he’s outstanding,” Finebaum said. “I do think going into the first game, he’s the best quarterback in the country.”
Klubnik wasn’t that bad. He did throw for 230 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.
Coming into this game, Klubnick had the second-highest Heisman odds according to Fanduel, tied with LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier. Now his odds have dropped to fifth.
Klubnik has a tendency to start slow and then pick up his play as the season rolls along. He struggled last year in the season opener against the Georgia Bulldogs and struggled in 2023 in another season-opening loss to the Duke Blue Devils.
The good news for Clemson is that Klubnik normally bounces back in the second week and continues to improve as the season continues. Finebaum also laid into Heisman favorite Arch Manning, whom he hyped up as the best player coming into the SEC since Tim Tebow, but was more hopeful for him.
Finebaum hasn’t given up on Manning, as he apparently has done with Klubnik after one loss, but if history tells us anything, there is always a surprise when it comes to Heisman favorites, so Klubnik’s chances are far from being over.