There can only be one "Death Valley" -- just don't ask LSU or Clemson fans whose it is.
The two programs face off Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) in one of three top-10-ranked matchups in Week 1. The matchup made headlines in July when members from each side made their case for who could claim the "Death Valley" moniker.
The stadiums of No. 4 seed Clemson and No. 9 seed LSU are both known as "Death Valley," with Clemson receiving the nickname first, attributed to Presbyterian College head coach Lonnie McMillian. After his team visited and lost at Memorial Stadium multiple times, he came up with the nickname.
An LSU alumnus is the reason Tiger Stadium adopted the name. Thurman "Crowe" Peele opened a gas station in Baton Rouge near the stadium, and the crowds on game day would shake the walls and rattle the glass of his station. He nicknamed the stadium "Deaf Valley" and fans caught on.
In an unofficial battle for the name, LSU defeated Clemson in the 1959 Sugar Bowl, leading some fans to steal the moniker because they believed they earned it for beating the team that already used it. Nearly 70 years later, there still is no consensus.
"You want great habits when they're needed, when you're on the road and you're playing in Death Valley Jr., not the Death Valley ... that's what you need. You need those traits on a day-to-day basis," LSU coach Brian Kelly said in July.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney responded by pointing out that Clemson used the name first.
"We don't have to prove that," Swinney said. "That's a fact. You can Google that."
Here's a look at key stats from each program this decade to try and settle the "real Death Valley" debate.
Opening week records
Clemson: 2-3
LSU: 0-5
Week 1 struggles for LSU are nothing new as it matches up against Clemson.
Kelly, who has never won a season opener as LSU head coach, made it a point to direct his players' focus during the offseason to the season opener. LSU's five straight season-opening losses since winning the national championship is the longest active losing streak among power conference schools, according to ESPN Research. The previous two defeats have come to ranked opponents: No. 8 Florida State and No. 23 USC.
Clemson has had similar results against ranked opponents when opening the season -- losing twice to Georgia, including a 34-3 drubbing last season. But, at least it has won a season opener, giving Clemson the edge in this category.
Bowl wins
Clemson: 2
LSU: 3
LSU is on a three-game bowl win streak, earning victories in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, ReliaQuest Bowl and Kinder's Texas Bowl. It's the most success the program has had in that stage of the season since winning each time from 2005 to 2008, including the BCS National Championship Game in the 2007 campaign.
Clemson has been less consistent, alternating between wins and losses from 2020 to 2023.
Playoff results
Clemson: 0
LSU: 0
Neither program has won a postseason game since 2020, and LSU has yet to even reach one since winning the national title in 2019. Clemson ran into a Texas Longhorns team that put up 21 points in the second quarter of its 2024 College Football Playoff first-round matchup, leading to a 38-24 loss.
First-round NFL draftees
Clemson: 7
LSU: 11
From Joe Burrow to Trevor Lawrence, both programs have sent blue-chip prospects to the NFL draft.
LSU leads the way with 11 first-round picks since 2020, including five first-rounders in that draft alone: Burrow (No. 1), K'Lavon Chaisson (No. 20), Justin Jefferson (No. 22), Patrick Queen (No. 28) and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (No. 32). Three LSU players were also drafted in the first round in 2024: Jayden Daniels (No. 2), Malik Nabers (No. 6) and Brian Thomas Jr. (No. 23).
Clemson has had three NFL drafts (2020, 2021 and 2023) with at least two players going in the first round, but only one went in the top five (Lawrence, No. 1 in 2021).
Home-field advantage
Clemson: 24-4, 85.7% win percentage; 80,581 average attendance (excluding 2020) out of 81,500, 98.9% full
LSU: 26-6, 81.25% win percentage; 99,345 average attendance (excluding 2020) out of 102,321, 97.1% full
Home is where the heart is, and Clemson and LSU fans always show out at their respective stadiums.
LSU has the higher average attendance, logically, because it has the larger stadium, but Clemson's Memorial Stadium is fuller on average by just 1.8%. A thin margin separates two of the more imposing environments in college football.
Naturally, each "Death Valley" boasts a strong win rate at home. The win-loss totals are nearly identical, adding to the rivalry between the programs and ... leading to our final breakdown.
The verdict
From the five statistical categories, there are some clear winners, such as LSU's first-round picks and Clemson's Week 1 record. It's a close call on home-field advantage and a draw in the playoff results.
Ultimately -- as it often does -- this might come down to the on-field matchup. Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker put it more bluntly during the ACC Kickoff media event in July.
"They can have their opinion," Parker said. "We're going to handle all that on Aug. 30."