The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt turns the page on the 2024 season and ranks his Way-Too-Early Top 10 teams going in to next year. He evaluates where to place Ohio State as they begin their quest for repeat National Championships and explains why another Big Ten team looks set to follow their blueprint for success. It’s officially Arch Manning’s team at Texas as the Longhorns crack Klatt’s list along with the defending SEC champ Georgia Bulldogs. Klatt makes the tough calls on who makes the cut and who gets left out of the Top 10 from a group of teams including Alabama, Michigan, LSU and Tennessee. 0:00-1:25 Intro 1:26-2:23 Understanding football coming to YouTube next week 2:24-5:54 Way too early top 10 for 2025 season 5:55-8:39 Michigan 8:40-10:22 LSU 10:23-13:27 Miami 13:28-16:19 Clemson 16:20-19:24 Notre Dame 19:25-21:53 Oregon 21:54-24:05 Georgia 24:06-27:46 Ohio State 27:47-30:40 Texas 30:41-36:41 Penn State 36:42-37:55 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Revisit Joel Klatt's Big Noon Conversation with Ohio State’s Ryan Day about the expectations and pressure that comes with being the head coach in Columbus. Coach Day discusses why he made the decision to give up play calling and bringing in Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator. Day breaks down why several NFL Draft-eligible players on his team came back for one more season and also reveals whether Michigan’s National Championship provided extra motivation for the Buckeyes to win it all in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt reacts to Ohio State winning the National Championship after holding off a late comeback from Notre Dame in the Title Game. Klatt reflects on the journey this Buckeye team and Head Coach Ryan Day went on over the past 12 months, including bouncing back from the devastating loss to Michigan to go on a historic run through the first 12-team Playoff. He breaks down where the Championship Game was won and lost on Monday night while crediting the job Marcus Freeman has done with the Notre Dame program to bring the Irish back to the top tier of the sport. 0:00-1:15 Intro 1:16-6:37 Ohio State becomes National Champions 6:38-14:47 Ohio State wins first national championship since 2014 14:48-21:54 Did Ryan Day silence his critics after national championship win? 21:55-24:53 Ohio State beats Notre Dame 34-23 in national championship game 24:54-28:59 Notre Dame falls short in national championship game 29:00-32:40 Ohio State’s offensive success 32:41-35:25 What does Notre Dame’s future look like? 35:26-38:25 College football is awesome 38:53-40:54 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt makes his pick for the National Championship Game between Ohio State and Notre Dame. He breaks down each side of the ball in the matchup and what the Irish have to do to pull off the upset of the Buckeyes. He explains why Notre Dame will have to make a major adjustment if they are going to follow blueprints left by teams like Texas and Michigan that were able to slow Ohio State down. Klatt also points out how, despite Notre Dame’s successful run to the Title Game, Ryan Day's team will present a different set of problems that they have yet to face this season. 0:00-1:54 Intro 1:55-6:53 Ohio State and Notre Dame will face-off in National Championship 6:54-13:00 Will Notre Dame’s defense slow down the Buckeyes on offense? 13:01-17:07 How will Chip Kelly and Ryan Day structure the offensive game plan? 17:08-27:02 Will Ohio State’s defense shut down the Notre Dame offense? 27:03-27:30 Joel’s National Championship pick 27:31-28:00 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt puts on his Commissioner hat and takes a look at the areas that the sport could improve. From topics like the Playoff format to Targeting to the Transfer Portal, Klatt brings his own ideas to fix the biggest issues in college football. He provides answers for the sport’s hectic calendar as well as a very unique solution for non-conference scheduling that will provide the sport with more top-end matchups that fans love (along with creating a must-see offseason event that would become appointment viewing for any fan of the sport). 0:00-4:43 Intro 4:44-19:01 College football playoff/postseason 19:02-28:07 Calendar 28:08-35:08 Scheduling 35:09-44:47 Player rights and movement 44:48-52:36 On-field rules 52:37-53:59 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt reacts to Ohio State and Notre Dame booking their tickets to the National Championship Game following two thrilling Semifinal games. He begins by breaking down the Buckeyes’ win over Texas and examines how Ohio State was able to come up with the key plays to win the game – and why the Longhorns will regret a few decisions all offseason. He also breaks down the reasons why Notre Dame was able to beat Penn State and what has made the Irish so difficult to beat in the Playoff. He discusses Drew Allar’s late interception and why he should not be shouldering all of the blame for the loss. Klatt also evaluates Penn State’s 2024 season and explains why it’s important to make a distinction when thinking about this loss one game away from the Title game. 0:00-2:45 Intro 2:46-21:57 Ohio State beat Texas & advances to national championship 21:58-39:08 Notre Dame wins with a game-winning field goal 39:09-39:39 National championship is set 39:40-41:56 Rest in peace, Coach Mac 41:57-43:34 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt makes his picks for the College Football Playoff Semifinal matchups as Ohio State takes on Texas and Notre Dame faces Penn State. He begins by looking at the Orange Bowl matchup between the Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish and points out the blueprint for a win for each side. He also explains why this game is a tipping point game for the Penn State program in particular. He then shifts to the question of whether Texas can slow down this Ohio State team that is firing on all cylinders with players like Jeremiah Smith leading on offense and a suffocating defense. He explains what has changed for Ohio State in the CFP and what Texas has to do if they want to pull off the upset in Arlington. 0:00-3:01 Intro 3:02-15:59 Notre Dame vs. Penn State 16:00-23:08 Notre Dame and Penn State’s keys to the game 23:09-38:17 Ohio State vs. Texas 38:18-39:45 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt reacts to Notre Dame’s win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to book their ticket in the CFP Semifinals. He breaks down how Notre Dame was able to take down the SEC Champion Bulldogs and whether we should have been surprised by the result. Klatt congratulates Marcus Freeman on doing a great job in South Bend and bringing the Irish to the Final 4 of the sport, just 3 years after taking over for Brian Kelly. He then discusses Georgia’s up-and-down season and why the Bulldogs were not the same juggernaut that we’ve seen in recent years as the SEC continues to struggle in the College Football Playoff and Bowl Games this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt breaks down Ohio State’s emphatic win over #1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl as the Buckeyes continue to look like the best team in the nation. He discusses what Ohio State has figured out in their last 2 games that has resulted in the back-to-back blowout wins in the CFP and whether anyone can beat them when they are at this level. He also explains why the CFP format let Oregon down before proposing a permanent site for the National Championship Game. Klatt then debates how to feel about Texas after they moved onto the Semifinal but did so by narrowly escaping an upset-minded Arizona State squad. He gives Cam Skattebo his flowers after a performance for the ages and gives his take on the controversial targeting no-call at the end of the game. Klatt also explains why Penn State’s win over Boise State was big for the program but also covered up some issues they’ll have to fix to win in the next round. Finally, he discusses Michigan’s win over Alabama and Illinois’ win over South Carolina and hopes that the narrative of the SEC clearly being the best conference this year can finally be put to bed for the good of the sport as a whole. 0:00-1:28 Intro 1:29-2:30 Sugar Bowl postponed 2:31-19:33 Ohio State blows out Oregon in Rose Bowl 19:34-25:31 Rose Bowl should be the National Championship game 25:32-39:34 Texas survives Arizona State in 39-31 win 39:35-47:57 Penn State beats Boise State 31-14 47:58-54:37 Have bowl results ended the narrative that SEC was the best conference this season? 54:38-55:22 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt discusses Cam Ward sitting out the 2nd half of Miami’s Bowl game as well as BYU’s dominant performance vs Colorado before getting to his picks for the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals. Klatt points out the keys in the matchup between Boise State and Penn State and whether Ashton Jeanty will be able to carry the Broncos to an upset. He then makes his pick for the Peach Bowl between Texas and Arizona State before breaking down the heavyweight matchup between Ohio State and Oregon in the Rose Bowl. He also considers how Georgia will cope without Carson Beck in their game vs Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. 0:00-1:57 Intro 1:58-4:11 BYU beats Colorado 36-14 in Alamo Bowl 4:12-7:55 Cam Ward sits out second half of Miami’s bowl game loss 7:56-17:24 Fiesta Bowl: Penn State vs. Boise State 17:25-25:55 Peach Bowl: Texas vs. Arizona State 25:56-38:09 Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon 38:10-43:33 Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Georgia 43:34-44:46 Joel’s Picks 44:47-45:51 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt reacts to the First Round of the College Football Playoff as Ohio State, Texas, Penn State and Notre Dame all advanced to the Quarterfinals. He states why this is the version of Ohio State he’s been waiting to see and why they can win the National Championship. He breaks down what made Notre Dame and Penn State’s emphatic wins so impressive while giving Texas credit for withstanding a great performance from Clemson’s Cade Klubnik. Klatt also discusses the discourse around the Playoff this weekend and why it was so negative. He explains why he was so frustrated with the conversation questioning Indiana and SMU after their losses that he ended up tweeting at Lane Kiffin. 0:00-1:56 Intro 1:57-4:50 Joel’s Big Takeaways 4:51-15:50 Ohio State’s impressive game plan 15:51-23:34 Texas advances to quarterfinals after beating Clemson 23:35-30:42 Penn State blows out SMU 30:43-34:24 Notre Dame beats Indiana 34:25-47:05 Joel’s frustrations with the CFP discourse 47:06-48:19 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt makes his picks for the First Round Games of the College Football Playoff before making his full CFP bracket picks - including who he thinks will win the National Championship. He begins with the game between Indiana and Notre Dame and considers whether Curt Cignetti’s Cinderella squad can pull off the upset in South Bend. He then looks at SMU’s chances to knock off Penn State in State College and whether James Franklin will get a signature win of his tenure. Klatt breaks down the matchup between Clemson and Texas and discusses whether there should be concerns about Quinn Ewers in this matchup. He then analyzes the Tennessee-Ohio State game as the Buckeyes look to bounce back from their loss to Michigan. He discusses whether Ohio State will be able to correct their mistakes from that game against a team that is built similarly to the Wolverines with a strong Defensive Line and Run Game. Following his picks, he fills out his full bracket for the College Football Playoff and announces who he is picking to win the National Championship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt reacts to Colorado’s Travis Hunter winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy. Klatt reveals who he voted for on his Heisman ballot and what made Hunter’s season unprecedented. He also discusses why he believes the vote was so close with Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty and why Shedeur Sanders deserved more recognition from voters. Klatt also considers the role Deion Sanders had in Hunter’s Heisman season and why it was a uniquely perfect match between player and coach. He also discusses which players could be in New York next year for the Heisman ceremony. He reacts to the recent coaching moves in the sport and explains why coaches like Rich Rodriguez and Scott Frost are returning to their former schools in this new era of CFB and why it was smart for Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame to extend the Irish coach’s contract. He then reacts to the news that Penn State QB Beau Pribula is entering the Transfer Portal less than one week before the Nittany Lions’ Playoff game and blames the system for putting the player in a no-win situation. Klatt then offers solutions to the calendar which includes moving the Army-Navy game to a new date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt weighs in on North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick to be their new Head Coach and whether the 6x Super Bowl winning-coach would be successful as a college coach. He then discusses the announced Heisman Finalists for this season and why Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders deserved to be invited to New York. Klatt breaks down the impact of Carson Beck’s elbow injury on the College Football Playoff and whether Georgia can win a National Championship if Beck is forced to miss the CFP. He wraps up the show by discussing Michigan’s new Offensive Coordinator hire before giving his biggest takeaways from the Big Ten Schedule release including listing his most interesting Big Ten Games next season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt reacts to the final College Football Playoff Rankings. He discusses why the Committee chose SMU over Alabama for the final at-large spot and whether it was the right decision. He breaks down why the Committee placed so much value on the Conference Championship Games and discusses whether that makes sense in this era of super conferences with imbalanced scheduling. He also explains why teams like Ohio State and Tennessee have legitimate complaints about their seeding and why the team that did everything right to receive the #1 seed, Oregon, was “rewarded” with a very difficult path thanks to some unintended consequences. Klatt also lays out how the CFP format could look different very soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt makes his picks for Conference Championship Game Weekend before predicting how the final CFP Bracket will look on Sunday. Will Penn State finally get the big win they’ve been searching for when they face Oregon? Will Texas avenge their earlier loss to Georgia? Klatt then makes his picks in the Big 12, ACC and Mountain West Championship Games as those 3 Title Games are essentially play-in games to get into the Playoff. Among those 3 picks is an upset that will shake up the Bracket. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt reacts to the latest College Football Playoff Rankings as Alabama currently holds the last at-large spot in the field. Did the Committee get it right? Klatt compares the case for the Crimson Tide against teams like Miami, Ole Miss and South Carolina. He also breaks down who would win a potential argument for the last spot between SMU and Alabama on Selection Sunday if the Mustangs were upset by Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt breaks down the huge upset in Columbus as Michigan beat Ohio State for the 4th-straight year. He gives his reasons why the Wolverines continue to have the Buckeyes’ number and why Ohio State’s Offense was so conservative, resulting in just 10 points. Klatt discusses the lasting impact that this game will have on the programs going forward. He also gives his thoughts on the postgame fight on the field and how the emotions of college football rivalries are one of the best parts of the sport but can also, at times, go over the line. Klatt hits on the results around the country like Texas going to Kyle Field and winning at A&M before listing which teams are already in the College Football Playoff and who is on the bubble trying to sneak into the field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt previews The Game as Michigan heads to Columbus to take on #2 Ohio State on Big Noon Saturday on FOX. He discusses the keys to the game he will be calling and where each team has advantages in the matchup. He then makes his pick in the game that has been building for 13 years as #3 Texas travels to Kyle Field to take on #20 Texas A&M. Klatt makes his pick in the rivalry game between #15 South Carolina and #12 Clemson as both teams look to find a way to build their case to sneak into the Playoff. #5 Notre Dame has been red hot since their early season loss but will USC pull off the upset in the Coliseum? Klatt also makes picks in two potential upsets of Top-10 teams as #8 Tennessee heads to Vanderbilt and #6 Miami faces a tricky road test at Syracuse. He wraps the show up by providing some clarity for the crazy race for the Big 12 Championship Game, laying out what the top teams need to have happen to book their trip to Arlington next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FOX Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt reacts to the latest College Football Rankings as the Committee drops Indiana down to 10th following their loss to Ohio State. He discusses whether Hoosier fans should feel like they are safely inside the Playoff or in danger of being jumped by a team behind them. He breaks down whether the 3-loss SEC teams such as Alabama, Ole Miss or even South Carolina have a pathway to sneaking through the backdoor into the Field. Klatt breaks down if the Big 12 Champ could be vulnerable to missing out on the Playoff altogether and whether the CFP would actually leave a potential Big 12 Champion Colorado team out. He wraps up the episode by discussing whether the 12-team field is actually the best format for the Playoff and points out why the current system has some flaws that could very well show themselves this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices