There are times I listen to[autotag] Joel Klatt[/autotag] speak about college football and wonder if there is a better analyst in the entire game. There are also times I hear or see something he says and wonder if we’re watching the same game or sport.
Klatt released his preseason top 25 on Monday, the same day the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll was released. The Coaches Poll had Notre Dame at No. 13 but Klatt sees the Irish even lower, putting them at No. 18.
“Notre Dame – I could easily put them higher. I love their offensive line. I think [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] is gonna be better for them. I just question them losing their offensive coordinator in [autotag]Tommy Rees[/autotag], and they lose [autotag]Michael Mayer[/autotag], who was just a huge part of their offense.
“With [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag], I’ll be honest, he is a wait-and-see for me in terms of whether this is gonna work at Notre Dame. Their offensive line is gonna keep them in games, and I think that’s gonna be a hard matchup against Ohio State, similar why Ohio State doesn’t match up great against Michigan. If I was Notre Dame, I would line up with that offensive line and go right at Ohio State in that matchup in September. Hartman is a big addition for them at the quarterback position.”
Klatt draws to the obvious but I feel like he’s downplaying the difference between Hartman and Drew Pyne at quarterback more than a little seeing as it should change the entire outlook of the Notre Dame offense.
Regardless, here is how Klatt ranked the rest of his best 25 teams ahead of the 2023 college football season.