When Joel Klatt talks college football, people listen-especially when he’s dropping playoff predictions just days before the action kicks off. But his latest take on the College Football Playoff field? Let’s just say it raised some eyebrows, particularly in Alabama.
Klatt joined The Next Round Podcast and was hit with a big one: “If I told you one team this weekend will play for the national championship, who would it be?” After a pause long enough to make the hosts lean in, Klatt’s answer was blunt: “There isn’t one.”
That’s right-Klatt doesn’t see a single team playing in this weekend’s first-round matchups making it all the way to the title game. Not Alabama.
Not Oklahoma. Not Tulane.
Not Ole Miss, Miami, Texas A&M, James Madison… not even Oregon, though he did make an exception for the Ducks-sort of.
Wearing a Rose Bowl cap and speaking with the confidence of someone who’s spent years breaking down film, 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 a strong statement, especially when you consider who he was talking to-three sports radio veterans from Birmingham, Alabama: Jim Dunaway, Ryan Brown, and Lance Taylor. The Crimson Tide faithful don’t usually take kindly to being counted out, especially with a playoff spot secured and a shot at their seventh national title since 2009 on the line.
But Klatt didn’t flinch. He sees the top four seeds-Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia, and Texas Tech-as a clear tier above the rest.
Oregon, he says, is the only team with a real shot to crash that party. Everyone else?
Playing for pride or hoping for a miracle.
And while Klatt didn’t specify exactly where Oregon might stumble, he’s likely to dive deeper into that on his own show, The Joel Klatt Show. Whether it’s a potential clash in the Orange Bowl or a rematch with Indiana at the Peach Bowl on January 9, the road ahead for the Ducks is steep.
Still, Oregon’s got a path-and a puncher’s chance. They’ll host James Madison this Saturday at Autzen Stadium, with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m.
PT. The weather forecast calls for 39 degrees and a 25% chance of rain, classic December football conditions in Eugene.
The game will air on TNT, TruTV, and HBO Max, part of the playoff package farmed out by ESPN and ABC to Warner Bros. Discovery’s platforms.
As for Alabama, Klatt’s comments might sting, especially considering the Tide are still adjusting to life after Nick Saban. New head coach Kalen DeBoer is already in talks for a contract extension, but how far Bama goes in this playoff could go a long way in shaping the early chapters of his tenure. The Tide’s playoff run begins with a rematch against Oklahoma, who edged them 23-21 in Tuscaloosa back in November.
Vegas isn’t exactly bullish on Alabama’s chances either. According to FanDuel, the Tide sit at +2500 to win it all-eighth-best odds in the field. That’s a steep climb in a loaded bracket.
Here’s how the title odds stack up heading into the weekend:
- 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
So, is Klatt right to be skeptical? Maybe.
The numbers-and the matchups-back up his case. But this is the College Football Playoff.
Upsets happen. Legacies are made.
And if history has taught us anything, it’s to never count out a team with something to prove.
Oregon might be the only non-bye team Klatt gives a shot, but come Saturday, every team stepping onto the field will believe they’ve got a path to glory. Whether that belief turns into reality? That’s why we watch.