SouthernWorldwide.com – As the college football offseason progresses, fan bases often find themselves convinced of their team’s flawlessness. However, Joel Klatt, FOX Sports’ lead college football analyst, adopts a more critical perspective, even when examining the nation’s top-ranked teams.
In a recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” Klatt delved into what he perceives as the most significant challenges confronting each of the 12 highest-ranked teams in his post-spring top 25 poll. While some questions are readily apparent, such as the need to replace productive departing players, others are more subtle factors that Klatt believes could ultimately define a team’s season.
Here’s a closer look at the pivotal questions surrounding each of these elite teams, according to Klatt.
Following the departure of former Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck to Michigan, Klatt raised concerns about Beck’s ability to help Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood replicate the rushing impact of Devon Dampier, who amassed nearly 2,000 rushing yards over the past two seasons. Klatt highlighted that three of the top four teams in quarterback rushing last year were service academies and Utah, underscoring Beck’s offensive philosophy.
“That’s a big part of what Jason Beck does on offense,” Klatt explained. “Do I think it’s going to be that extensive? Probably not. You want to protect Underwood a little bit. This is going to be a more physical conference and demanding schedule in the Big Ten. You don’t want him running a ton, but this is what Jason Beck does. They’re probably going to have a better run game surrounding the quarterback than maybe even Utah did, even though Utah can run the football.”
Klatt suggested that if Michigan can effectively incorporate Underwood into their run game, the Wolverines could emerge as a top contender in the Big Ten. He believes such an offense would be exceptionally difficult to stop.
“If that pans out, this becomes a very difficult offense to stop,” Klatt asserted. “If Michigan leads the Power 4 in rushing, which Utah was able to do a year ago… then they’d become a team and a style that nobody wants to play. They’d be in that mode where they’re the antidote to what Oregon, Indiana, and Ohio State do.”
Regarding Oklahoma, Klatt expressed optimism about head coach Brent Venables’ situation. He considers John Mateer one of college football’s premier quarterbacks and ranks the Sooners’ defense among the nation’s elite. However, Klatt emphasized the urgent need for improvement in Oklahoma’s ground game, especially to ensure Mateer’s health throughout the season.
“This problem was the reason that John Mateer wasn’t able to play to his potential,” Klatt stated. “Early in the year, Mateer was incredible. In fact, he was on a lot of people’s Heisman lists, including mine. But it was a lot of Mateer in the run game.”
Klatt felt that Oklahoma over-relied on Mateer in the run game, attributing this to a lack of production from their running backs. He elaborated on how a complementary run game, involving both backs and the quarterback, is crucial for offensive effectiveness.
“I thought Oklahoma was exposing Mateer too much, and the reason was that they weren’t getting anything out of their backs,” Klatt continued. “When the quarterback complements the run game, then you can be effective using your backs and your quarterback. Last year, Oklahoma was unable to do that.”
While cautioning against excessive use of Mateer, Klatt believes a potent run game could unlock significant potential for the Sooners.
“He can’t be Superman every week. I don’t think he’ll get through a nine-game SEC schedule,” Klatt remarked.
“If they have a run game, plus a top-10 defense and Mateer’s playmaking ability, then they can be a real threat in the SEC,” Klatt added. “They can level themselves up to a team that can do some real damage in the playoff.”
Klatt admitted to ranking USC higher than many others, acknowledging potential weaknesses along the Trojans’ defensive line. Nevertheless, he believes USC might not require drastic improvements in that area to become a legitimate contender in 2026.
“During Lincoln [Riley’s] tenure at USC, they’re 132nd in the country in yards per carry allowed — and that’s when you remove sacks,” Klatt observed. “The question is not if they can become a dominant defense, but let’s take a look at something that’s a little bit under the radar, which is this margin between what you gain per carry and what you give up per carry. That gives you a real good idea of how strong you are at the line of scrimmage.”
He drew a comparison to Riley’s time at Oklahoma, where the team excelled in yards per carry difference despite not having a dominant defense. Klatt noted USC’s lower ranking in this metric during Riley’s tenure and suggested that improvement here, coupled with a solid run defense, could be transformative.
“When you look at Lincoln Riley’s tenure at Oklahoma, they were third in yards per carry difference. They were pretty good, even if they didn’t play great defense,” Klatt continued. “They were good at the line of scrimmage in terms of what they gained and what they gave up. If you look at his tenure at USC, they’ve been 55th in the country in yards per carry difference. If they can shrink that down and that defense is just OK stopping the run, then they’re going to have something here because they’ve been able to run the football.”
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed showed Heisman-caliber potential, leading the Aggies to an 11-0 start last season. However, his performance faltered in the final two games, including two interceptions in the loss to Texas and another two in the College Football Playoff first-round loss to Miami (Fla.).
Klatt believes Reed needs to elevate his consistency for Texas A&M to be considered a true contender in 2026.
“He’s a low-floor, high-ceiling player,” Klatt said of Reed. “If he can get those games and eliminate those bad performances, or even just have one [bad] series here or there, now A&M is a team that has to be reckoned with in those big games vs. a team that falls flat in those big games.
“If Reed becomes a player and plays to his potential in all of those matchups, now you’re certainly talking about a team that’s going to go back to the playoff, can compete for the SEC championship and maybe — with the way that they’ve recruited and the stability they’ve had under Mike Elko — compete for a national semifinal and reach the national championship game.”
Lane Kiffin, the new head coach at LSU, has brought in 40 transfer portal players, reshaping nearly half the roster for his first year. Despite this significant overhaul, Klatt expressed confidence in Kiffin’s ability to address the team’s primary challenge in 2026.
“Can you have top-end success with that big of a roster shift in Year 1? Yes, you can,” Klatt stated. “Texas Tech last year had 21 transfers and 11 [new] starters. Last year, [Lane] Kiffin’s own team at Ole Miss had 32 transfers. Indiana, a couple of years ago, had 27 transfers in their turnaround with [Curt] Cignetti. If you’re looking at their projected depth chart, you’re probably looking at 11 or 12 starters from the portal. So, it comes down to culture and execution. How quickly can they buy into the culture? [Kiffin] was able to do that quickly at Ole Miss, so it leads you to believe that they’ll be able to buy into the culture.
“They’re going to have to hit the ground running. You look at guys like quarterback Sam Leavitt and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, they’re going to make this roster better. It’s like the most expensive roster in all of college football. And it’s going to have to be ready to go right away. First four games: Clemson, [Louisiana] Tech, Ole Miss in Kiffin’s return and then they’re going to face Texas A&M. Two losses would leave them with no margin for error.”
Klatt believes the top seven teams in his post-spring rankings stand apart. However, before elevating Texas into this elite tier, he wants to see improvement in their running game following last season’s disappointing conclusion.
“Texas was putrid running the football [last season],” Klatt recalled. “If you look back to [Steve Sarkisian’s] really good teams, whether he’s been a head coach or an offensive coordinator, they’ve been able to run the football well. That 2020 Bama team he was the coordinator of. They had Najee Harris. They could run the crap out of the ball, but Texas just couldn’t do it last year. It was bad. The running backs’ yards per carry last year ranked 120th in the country.
“They should be better up front. Sark’s at his best when he’s running it well, and he’ll have to do it with a rebuilt running back room. They got transfers Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown… these guys have to play well. If they do, then Arch [Manning’s] not going to be under as much pressure. That was the problem with Texas last year: Everything was on Arch’s shoulders. He actually played fine in the back half of last year.”
Klatt identifies Miami’s most significant question as the replacement of three first-round talents on the offensive and defensive lines: offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, and edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor. Despite this challenge, he is confident in Mario Cristobal’s ability to rebuild these units.
“They lost so much off their line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. It’s clearly a question of can you remain dominant at the line of scrimmage? That’s what allowed them to make the run all the way to the national championship game,” Klatt explained. “They were terrific on the offensive line — they didn’t allow a ton of pressure and they were able to run the ball — and their defensive line got after it.
“You’re replacing all these guys — offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, edge rusher Rueben Bain, and edge rusher Akheem Mesidor — who were high-round draft picks. Who do you have behind them?” Klatt continued. “They’ve recruited and developed offensive and defensive lines. That’s what Mario Cristobal does.
“If there’s not much of a dropoff, this team’s going to go back and compete for a national championship. They’re that good… They’ve got a ton of former five-star players.”
Klatt believes Georgia and head coach Kirby Smart have earned the benefit of the doubt, labeling the Bulldogs as the class of the SEC despite failing to win a College Football Playoff game in the last three seasons. However, he harbors concerns about the offense and whether the Bulldogs possess sufficient playmaking ability to overcome their recent postseason struggles.
“The problem with Georgia the last couple of years, at least in my estimation, is their lack of playmakers on the outside,” Klatt stated. “It killed Carson Beck two years ago. So many drops. They led the country in drops. Last year, they didn’t have a big-play threat. Can you go and win a shootout? I don’t know if they can because the guys on the outside just don’t scare me. Ever since [Brock] Bowers went out the door, who has been the threat? At some point, you’ve got to at least come to the conclusion that you’re not going to shut everyone out. You’re not going to hold everyone under 24 points.
“Their leading returning receiver from last year’s group is a veteran, London Humphries, who had 18 catches. Is he the guy? They brought in the 6-foot-4 wide receiver from Georgia Tech, Isaiah Cannon, and he was their third-leading receiver last year. Does he turn into a real No. 1? … They’re going to need a young guy to step up.”
While many might assume Indiana’s primary concern is new quarterback Josh Hoover replacing Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, Klatt posits that the defense presents a more pressing issue.
“I think you’ve got to go two levels deeper. What drove that team? Cignetti talked about this when talking about Josh Hoover. [He said], ‘What’s a quarterback’s best friend? A run game and a good defense.’ So, their question for me is about their defense,” Klatt explained.
“Their defense, schematically, was almost built completely around D’Angelo Ponds. I know that’s strange. He was a 5-foot-9 corner on the outside. But he allowed freedom of movement for the rest of the defense. They had a ton of zone and simulated pressures because they could roll the defense away from Ponds. He could handle everything back there. He could handle half the field and the boundary in the passing game and also come up and play in run support. Ponds was the critical factor in what was one of the top defenses in all of college football.
“If they can replace him, they’re going to be good again on defense.”
Similar to Indiana, some might believe Ohio State’s biggest question revolves around replacing three defensive players drafted in the top 11 of the NFL Draft, creating significant voids across all defensive levels. However, Klatt expresses confidence in defensive coordinator Matt Patricia’s ability to reload the unit. His greater concern lies with the Buckeyes’ offensive line.
“I’ve covered a ton of their games and you can look back on all of their losses, going back to Oregon in the middle of the year [in 2024]… they got beat up at the line of scrimmage [in all of those losses],” Klatt noted. “They couldn’t protect Julian Sayin. They couldn’t convert on short yardage. It was an issue in every one of those losses. Now, their offensive line has a lot of guys back. Arthur Smith is their new offensive coordinator, and he’s got a run game background from his time in the NFL.
“When you look at a team that allowed five sacks in each loss against Indiana and Miami, something has to change up front. They’ve got to get better up front… Ohio State was just 51st last year in yards per carry. That has to improve. If it does, watch out. This will be one of the best offenses, if not the best offense, in college football.”
In contrast to Indiana and Ohio State, Klatt views Notre Dame’s primary challenge as more straightforward: replacing two standout running backs, including Heisman finalist Jeremiyah Love.
“Who is replacing that production? If they get great production out of the run game, they will be a great team,” Klatt stated regarding Notre Dame. “They’re going to be excellent on defense. I think quarterback CJ Carr is going to have a solid year. But it just can’t be a throw team. They’re going to have to run the ball. They became the first team with two first-round running backs since 2008.
“Instead of hitting the portal, they’re going to fix this thing from within. They’re putting their faith in Aneyas Williams, who had 58 carries last year, freshman Nolan James, who had 14 carries last year, and Kedren Young, who is a big back at 235 pounds and missed last season after having 21 carries in 2024. Those are your top three guys, and they have a combined 93 career carries in college football.”
Klatt holds a positive outlook on Oregon head coach Dan Lanning as he enters his fifth season in Eugene, consistently praising him as one of the nation’s top young coaches. He points to Oregon’s sustained growth under Lanning’s leadership.
However, following Oregon’s decisive 56-22 loss to Indiana in the College Football Playoff semifinal last year, Klatt is beginning to question the Ducks’ readiness for high-stakes games.
“They allowed 56 points against Indiana and 41 against Ohio State in their last two CFP losses,” Klatt recalled. “Dan Lanning is supposed to be a defensive guy. In big games, their defense doesn’t really show up. The way they lost to Ohio State, getting run off the first half at the Rose Bowl, and Indiana, I know one of those [scores] was a pick-six, but the defense has got to get better and up to task for the big games.
Read more : First-time mothers are older as birth rates decline in progressive states
“They’ve got two new coordinators on each side of the ball. Chris Hampton, who was promoted from safeties coach to defensive coordinator, is going to have to look at those games and figure out a way to play better defense when it matters. You can get in a shootout, but I’m talking about going from 56 [points allowed] to 30. How do you give up 30 and not 41 or 56 to allow this experienced offense to go out there and potentially go win the game?”
