Eight weeks into the season, potential conference championship matchups across college football are taking shape, but questions remain.
Will Ohio State and Indiana meet back in Indianapolis for a 2025 Big Ten rematch? Does UCLA continue its hot streak and reach its first-ever Big Ten title match instead? Despite its loss to Auburn, Georgia continues to make its case as the SEC’s top team. But who could the Bulldogs face? A two-loss Ole Miss team, or could a contender like Kentucky earn a spot in the SEC championship?
On the latest episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt made his projections heading into Week 9 of the regular season.
(Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Klatt’s thoughts: “I’m going to give Ohio State the benefit of the doubt. They’re going to figure something out on offense, and I think Ohio State gets themselves to Indianapolis and they’re going to play for the Big Ten Championship. So that leaves the next spot. Is it going to be UCLA? Now I don’t think UCLA is going to run the table. I just think that that’s too difficult. We see every single week that it is difficult for these 18-to-24-year olds, and some older at this point. But you know what I’m saying. It’s difficult for these young men to play at a consistent level. We see it week in and week out. So to expect UCLA to just run off into Indianapolis and get to the Big Ten championship game, I think would be naive of us. I think UCLA gets tripped up one time, which means those two teams would actually be in a tiebreak, and the tiebreak would be that game against Michigan. In this case, in this scenario, I think that Michigan were to trip up UCLA. Indiana got that win last week [against Michigan], which suggests Indiana is within the Huge Ten championship sport.
“So right here, we now have for the second-straight 12 months an Ohio State-Indiana matchup. And by the way in which, please, that may be superb as a result of the 2 earlier video games that we have seen from these groups have been superb, superb video games. Final 12 months within the championship sport, what we simply witnessed two weeks in the past with Nick Marsh’s foot being simply out of bounds, that was an incredible sport. I might like to see this, and we all know how evenly matched these groups are … For those who inform me, should you take that at face worth and you have Julian Sayin not on the sector for Ohio State, it is actually exhausting for me to say that Ohio State’s going to beat Indiana, particularly with how evenly matched I do know that they’re.
“If they do not have Sayin on the sector, Indiana goes to win the Huge Ten championship over Ohio State.”
(Photograph by Steve Limentani/ISI Photographs/ISI Photographs through Getty Photographs)
Klatt’s ideas: “This one’s far more troublesome. In a great way … It is exhausting to mission what is going on on from week-to-week, and we see that with Georgia shedding to Auburn, after which impulsively LSU destroys Auburn. We see this week in and week out. Florida and Missouri, Ole Miss, Texas. I feel it is a mess in probably the most stunning approach, as a result of it is going to be very troublesome to really mission what we see in the course of the course of this final month … I see Georgia as my SEC favourite. I feel Georgia is the very best group within the SEC, partly as a result of they’re probably the most constant. Regardless that they misplaced to Auburn, I get it … Now we now have to determine, okay, who else goes to Atlanta now? As a result of that is the place it is an actual mess. Ole Miss solely has one ranked opponent left on the schedule. It occurs to be that Georgia sport … Do we actually anticipate anybody profitable out? I do not know. I received to be trustworthy with you. I actually do not.
“However they’ve a quarterback that I belief that nearly got here again on the street in opposition to Texas, in a sport during which Texas confirmed that they are enjoying the very best soccer that that they had performed all season lengthy, and Ole Miss nonetheless nearly got here again and beat them. So do I belief Ole Miss? Yeah, I form of do. The place does that each one land us? Nicely, it lands us on this state of affairs. There can be a big tie within the standings during which Ole Miss primarily wins the tiebreaker. I am not fairly positive. I simply do not see Alabama, LSU or Tennessee profitable out. So I am projecting Kentucky additionally to drop a few video games, and I feel Ole Miss is sitting there as a two-loss group, they usually get that nod, they usually go and play Georgia. In my state of affairs, bear in mind Ole Miss had knocked off Georgia within the common season. Do we actually suppose Georgia goes to lose a rematch to Ole Miss? I do not.
“So Georgia goes to be my SEC champion.”
(Photograph by Bryan Byerly/ISI Photographs/ISI Photographs through Getty Photographs)
Klatt’s ideas: “The Huge 12, one other convention that is form of a multitude proper now. A variety of groups within the combine as of proper now. Utah is clearly within the combine; they’re undefeated. BYU continues to be within the combine even after that loss to UCF. Arizona, do not write off the Wildcats. Brent Brennan and Noah Fafita. Noah Fafita is without doubt one of the most skilled quarterbacks within the nation, so be careful for them. Texas Tech continues to be alive on this factor. Oklahoma State is alive on this, all with one or fewer losses. I have been pointing to that Holy Warfare on Nov. 7 as form of like the sport within the Huge 12. I’ll stand by that. I feel it is probably the most vital sport within the convention. Projecting that sport could be very troublesome. that I like Utah, however I am additionally an enormous believer in BYU.
“Let’s simply say, for the sake of argument, that BYU have been to beat Utah in Salt Lake. I do not see Texas Tech, Arizona and Oklahoma State working the desk the remainder of the way in which. You have a look at their schedules. There’s areas for these groups to journey up. So now all of them land with two losses. BYU and Utah would have one loss in convention play, and people groups would rematch within the Huge 12 championship sport. That was as clear as I might make it … These two groups are tremendous intently matched in a variety of methods. I am unable to see both of these groups profitable each video games. I feel they will play an amazing sport on November 7, and I feel they will rematch within the championship sport.
“I’ll go Utah because the winner of the Huge 12.”
(Photograph by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs)
Klatt’s ideas: “Within the ACC, pay attention, put Miami in there. They are not shedding a convention sport. So who performs Miami? Nicely, should you have a look at the standings, and also you see how this stuff are going to play out, we principally are going to have a play-in sport between Wake Forest and SMU. That sport is at SMU, and SMU is 11-0 at residence since becoming a member of the ACC. Kevin Jennings has accomplished an amazing job not turning the soccer over. They haven’t been a group that we targeted on quite a bit.
“However bear in mind … Once they play clear, they’re very harmful on the offensive facet. Rhett Lashley has accomplished a exceptional job there. They win a variety of soccer video games, they usually’ve received an skilled quarterback. And should you have a look at Wake’s schedule, it has not been a really troublesome schedule. So SMU is a extra examined group. I feel that they’re a greater group. They’ve a extra sustained period of success, not less than at present. Once more, 11-0 at residence, 11 and nil at residence since becoming a member of the ACC. I feel Wake finishes at 10-2, however SMU wins that sport, they usually play Miami, and Miami beats SMU.
“So, Miami goes to win the ACC.”
