Joel Klatt just dropped his preseason college football Top 25, and strap in, because the Oregon Ducks are kicking things off at a shocking No. 1, despite never reaching a national championship in the extended College Football Playoff era (2024-). Klatt is pointing straight to their stacked roster as the main reason, arguing that every other team in the country has a question mark on their roster, except for the Ducks. He’s not wrong, Oregon has only lost three games over the last two years, every single one to that season’s eventual national champion. Can they finally get over the hump this year? Klatt thinks they absolutely can.
Ducks Soaring, Hoosiers Lurking
Oregon isn’t alone at the top of the pile, though the teams behind them each have their own big questions. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish landed at No. 2, even after missing the College Football Playoff last season. Right behind them, the Ohio State Buckeyes snagged the No. 3 spot, but they’re coming off a Cotton Bowl loss to the Miami Hurricanes, who Klatt still put at No. 4. And then there’s the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers, who surprisingly fell all the way to No. 5. Klatt himself admits this might be “too low,” giving huge props to Curt Cignetti, who he called the “best head coach in the country last year,” noting Cignetti kept his coordinators. Sure, their schedule looks a bit tougher this time around, but Indiana is an elite program and everyone knows it.
Georgia’s Gut Check and the SEC’s Wild West
Down at No. 6, the Georgia Bulldogs are the highest-ranked SEC team, ahead of Texas (No. 7), LSU (No. 8), and Oklahoma (No. 9), but they’re still outside Klatt’s top five. Klatt calls them “the class of the SEC,” raving about their great roster, Kirby Smart as a great coach, and quarterback Gunner Stockton being a “gamer” who’s “tough as nails” and an “elite fourth quarter quarterback.” So what’s the hang-up? Klatt just isn’t sure Georgia can score at the same level as the top five teams right now. That’s a massive question mark for a program that’s been so dominant. Rounding out the top 10 is Michigan at No. 10, with Klatt admitting he probably has the Wolverines ranked higher than most, calling them the “second-biggest wild card” in college football. The biggest wild card, according to Klatt? That’s the No. 8 LSU Tigers. Klatt warns LSU “could climb into the top three” or “fall out of the top 25.” He thinks “the Lane Kiffin experience will work” with their No. 1 transfer portal class, but he’s also quick to point out they had the top portal class last year and their offense struggled big time. This fall is going to be a total brawl for the Tigers.
The countdown to kickoff is on, and Klatt’s rankings have just dropped the first bombshells of the season. With Oregon at the top and massive questions swirling around traditional powerhouses like Georgia and LSU, every Saturday is going to be must-watch TV. Who rises, and who falls? We’ll find out soon enough.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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