Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt isn’t one to sugarcoat things, and he didn’t hold back when asked a simple question on The Next Round Podcast: “If I told you one team this weekend will play for the national championship, who would it be?”
Klatt paused - a long pause, the kind that makes you lean in - before delivering a blunt answer: “There isn’t one.”
That’s a strong take, especially considering the list of teams playing in the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff includes some big brands: Alabama, Oklahoma, Tulane, Ole Miss, Miami, Texas A&M, James Madison, and Oregon. But Klatt’s point was clear - in his eyes, none of them are likely to break through to the title game. The top four seeds, all sitting on first-round byes, are simply too strong.
Still, Klatt did toss one team a lifeline: Oregon.
Wearing a Rose Bowl hat and speaking with conviction, Klatt said, “The closest one is Oregon. It’s the only team outside of the first-round byes that I think has a remote chance to make it to the national championship.”
That’s no small praise, especially coming from Klatt, who’s known for his detailed, film-first perspective on the game. And it’s worth noting - he said this while talking to three hosts from Birmingham, Alabama, where Crimson Tide loyalty runs deep. He didn’t flinch.
Klatt pointed to Oregon’s first-round matchup against James Madison as a potential thriller. “That game against Texas Tech should be an incredible game,” he added, though it’s clear he sees Oregon as the only non-bye team with a real shot at shaking up the bracket.
The Ducks will host James Madison at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. PT.
The game will air on TNT, TruTV, and HBO Max - part of a broader ESPN/ABC production partnership that’s farmed out some playoff coverage to TNT and its affiliates. The forecast calls for 39 degrees and a chance of rain, classic late-December football weather in Eugene.
But back to Klatt’s take - and how it landed in Alabama.
The hosts of The Next Round - Jim Dunaway, Ryan Brown, and Lance Taylor - are fixtures on Birmingham sports radio. They know their audience, and that audience bleeds crimson. So when Klatt essentially dismissed Alabama’s chances, it likely raised more than a few eyebrows.
This is, after all, a Crimson Tide program chasing its seventh national title since 2009. It’s also their first playoff appearance in the post-Nick Saban era, with Kalen DeBoer now at the helm. DeBoer and the university are reportedly working on a contract extension, but how far Bama goes in these playoffs could play a big role in how those talks unfold.
Their path won’t be easy. Alabama opens with a rematch against Oklahoma, the same Sooners squad that edged them 23-21 in Tuscaloosa back in November. There’s plenty of motivation in that locker room, but Klatt clearly isn’t convinced it’ll be enough.
As for Oregon, Klatt didn’t specify when he thinks the Ducks’ run will end. But on The Joel Klatt Show, he’s expected to dig deeper - possibly pointing to a potential Orange Bowl clash or a rematch with Indiana at the Peach Bowl on January 9 as possible stumbling blocks.
So, what would success look like for Oregon in this playoff run?
Right now, the betting markets see them as a fringe contender. At FanDuel on Tuesday morning, the Ducks were listed at +800 to win the national title - fourth-best odds behind Ohio State (+190), Indiana (+320), and Georgia (+600). Texas Tech follows closely at +850, while Texas A&M sits further back at +1900.
Here’s how the rest of the field stacks up:
FanDuel Odds to Win the 2025 National Championship:
- Ohio State: +190
- Indiana: +320
- Georgia: +600
- Oregon: +800
- Texas Tech: +850
- Texas A&M: +1900
- Ole Miss: +2200
- Alabama: +2500
- Miami (FL): +2500
- Oklahoma: +5000
- James Madison: +7500
- Tulane: +75000
The odds tell us what Klatt is seeing - a clear top tier, with Oregon on the fringe and everyone else needing a miracle.
So, while the expanded playoff format brings more teams into the mix, Klatt’s message is simple: don’t expect chaos. Expect chalk. And if anyone’s going to crash the party, it’s Oregon - but even that, in his view, is a long shot.