FOX Sports’ lead college football analyst Joel Klatt just dropped his Week 2 picks, and he’s got Ohio State kicking a game-winning field goal to take down Texas 27-24 in a walk-off thriller. This isn’t just any game, it’s a top-10 matchup that Klatt says could truly go either way, calling it “as heavyweight as heavyweights get.”
Experienced QBs and the Battle in the Trenches
Klatt sees both Ohio State and Texas bringing a totally different vibe to this year’s game compared to last season. We’ve got experienced quarterback play now, so the unknowns are gone. Don’t expect a low-scoring slugfest here, either. Klatt anticipates both teams hitting the twenties, and there’s no way one team runs away with it. He loves this game because these programs are football royalty, always the “big dog” no matter where they play. When they finally face each other, eye-to-eye, Klatt says they’ll look across the field and think, “that looks like us.” The real difference-maker, the thing that decides this whole matchup, comes down to the “five guys in front.” He’s stressing that the defenses are going to have to adjust big time.
BYU’s Physicality at Home, Alabama’s Offensive Line Worries
Switching gears, Klatt also picked BYU to beat Arizona 24-20 in Provo, which he calls a “formidable place to play.” These teams had an absolute thriller last year, remember? While Noah Fifita is experienced enough not to be intimidated, the big question for Arizona is whether they can hold up against BYU’s physical, run-oriented offense. Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin lead that charge, and Martin was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Bear, well, he’s “a bear to deal with,” no doubt. Arizona’s got to replace a ton of guys, especially in the secondary, from last year’s effective defense. Klatt thinks Arizona will move the ball and score points, but at the end of the day, BYU is probably just better and they’re at home. Even with Fifita’s experience, BYU won’t “run and hide” from Arizona.
Then there’s Alabama versus Kentucky, a game Klatt thinks will be “more interesting than a lot of us realize.” He’s got Alabama winning 28-17, but he’s got some real concerns. Keelon Russell played “pretty well” in his debut, but he had to scramble way too much. Klatt points out that Alabama’s offensive line struggled last year, and they desperately need to run the ball and protect the passer better. Get this: 95% of Russell’s rush yards came from scrambling, and that’s worrisome even if he looked dynamic doing it. Now we know why he won that job for Kalen DeBoer, but that O-line needs to step up. Kentucky, with new head coach Will Stein (former OC at Oregon), has brought in some experienced coordinators, including Jay Bateman from Texas A&M. Bateman’s best skill? Putting pressure on the quarterback and rushing the passer. But his teams weren’t great against the run. With Kenny Minchey transferring in from Notre Dame, Kentucky could surprise.
Week 2 is going to be electric, folks. From a heavyweight walk-off to concerns about Alabama’s line, you’re not going to want to miss any of these matchups!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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