Fox Sports college football expert Joel Klatt released his top 10 college football teams, and he put an SEC team on the top of the list.
His top nine includes three other SEC schools, three Big Ten schools, one ACC school and one independent school. It goes to show that the top competition this year is coming from the SEC and the Big Ten, and both teams that win those conferences will have a significant advantage in the playoffs.
With the 2024 season including an expanded College Football Playoff, there’s a likelihood that all of these teams could make the playoffs, even if they don’t win their division.
Here’s Joel Klatt’s top 10 teams:
No. 10: Oregon Ducks
Result: Win vs. Idaho 24-14
Oregon finds themselves down a few rankings from No. 3 in the preseason. This mostly has to do with them keeping it close against Idaho. They’ll have more chances to show they belong in the top 10, but squeaking by a Football Championship Subdivision school does not inspire confidence.
No. 9: Michigan Wolverines
Result: Win vs. Fresno State 30-10
After winning the national championship last year, this year looked to be harder for the Wolverines, who lost 13 players and their head coach in 2024. If their first matchup is any indication, though, they should be fine in the Big Ten; at least, defensively. The Wolverine’s defense sacked Fresno State QB Mikey Keene three times and picked him off twice, one returned for a pick-six near the end of the game.
No. 8: Penn State Nittany Lions
Result: Win at West Virginia 34-12
The Penn State Nittany Lions could be in position to make the playoffs for the first time in school history. They strengthened their case with a dominant win over West Virginia last week. There was a lot of hype for quarterback Drew Allar, and he didn’t disappoint, throwing 216 yards and three touchdowns for a 229.7 passer rating.
No. 7: Ole Miss Rebels
Result: Win 76-0 vs. Furman
Mississippi finds itself moving down a couple of spots in Klatt’s power rankings. This despite Mississippi having the largest margin of victory of the top nine teams. However, some of that may have had to do with its competition: Furman is a Football Championship Subdivision team. Even then, Mississippi dominated on both sides of the ball. Its offense totaled 772 yards and 37 first downs. The defense allowed only 172 yards and seven first downs.
No. 6: Miami Hurricanes
Result: Win at Florida 41-17
This team was probably the most surprising inclusion into this list. Going up against the Florida Gators, this was expected to be a tossup game that would be close to the end, but it wasn’t. Cam Ward was absolutely dominant, throwing for 385 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception for a 189.3 passer rating.
“@CanesFootball looks like the clear ACC favorite.” said Klatt in another tweet.
Result: Win vs. Western Kentucky 63-0
In Kalen DeBoer’s first game as new Alabama coach, the Crimson Tide took care of business against one of the weakest FBS teams, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Jalen Milroe barely passed the ball, but he still threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 79 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 4: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Result: Win at No. 20 Texas A&M 23-13
When most teams had a softball opponent on this list, Notre Dame had the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies in prime time on Saturday. It was a grind. Neither team mustered a touchdown in the first half, but Notre Dame pulled through with a touchdown run with 2 minutes left to steal victory away from the Aggies. This inclusion seems purely for the quality of victory, as Notre Dame showed they can beat a good team this week. Their first true test was passed.
No. 3: Texas Longhorns
Result: Win vs. Colorado State 52-0
The Longhorns looked like a strong contender against the Colorado State Rams, who have a former UGA running back on their athletic training staff. Quinn Ewers threw for 260 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while Archie Manning made his debut with 95 yards and his own touchdown throw.
No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes
Result: Win vs. Akron 52-6
To little surprise, Klatt has the Buckeyes ranked as the best Big Ten team. This is despite only putting up 404 yards against a mid-major school. Their defense was incredible through, racking up five sacks and two picks against three different quarterbacks. Still, you’d be hard pressed to argue that Ohio State, at its best, deserves to be up here.
No. 1: Georgia Bulldogs
Result: Win vs. No. 14 Clemson 34-3
This comes as little shock for anyone who watched Saturday’s game. While Notre Dame’s win against Texas A&M was impressive, Georgia’s win against Clemson was otherworldly. They took a team that looked like it could compete for the ACC crown and likely third playoff spot and broke them in half. They dominated Clemson completely, allowing only 188 yards (mostly in garbage time) and mustered 447 yards, including 169 on the ground. Joel Klatt said it best when he tweeted this.