LSU football: 5 non-conference games that need to happen

Nov 29, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers tight end Cannon Smith holds up his helmet after a play during the second half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Clemson Tigers

To the contrary of virtually every poll, ranking and player testimony, the Clemson Tigers still claim to be the true owners of the “Death Valley” moniker.

Could a home-and-home series between the two teams could finally settle this debate once and for all?

Probably not. But at the very least, it would certainly create plenty of pre-game hype and trash talk material for the two teams.

The debate is not a simple one to settle, anyway. There is no arguing that Clemson’s Memorial Stadium holds the original claim to the name “Death Valley”. There is also no doubt, however, that the LSU football team has made the nickname more famous.

Their home field, Tiger Stadium, is consistently ranked at or near the top of the loudest stadiums in college football. It gets so loud, that one time in 1988, an explosion of sound from Tiger Stadium registered on a campus seismograph.

“Death Valley” argument aside, a matchup between the Clemson and LSU football teams would make for plenty of excitement on the field. Clemson has won at least 10 games in each of the past four seasons under head coach Dabo Swinney, after not recording a 10-win season once in the previous two decades. They also beat LSU recently in the 2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

The Bayou Bengals took a step back in 2014, but with a talented, experienced roster this season and top-ranked recruiting classes on the way, they are prepared to make a return to national prominence.

Next: Michigan Wolverines