Joel Klatt: Texas is a College Football Playoff favorite

At this point, Texas is a College Football Playoff favorite this season, according to Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt.

Fresh off a win over Alabama, the Longhorns look like a legit national title contender and the path to get there is relatively easy. With how Klatt sees it, the Big 12 provides the easiest path out of the top contenders in college football.

Everything’s coming up Texas right now after a 2-0 start and a No. 4 ranking in the AP Poll.

“We are officially allowed to start talking about Texas as a College Football Playoff, not only contender, but favorite to get into that spot at this point,” Klatt said on his podcast. “Their path to the playoff, it’s pretty easy … Particularly in the Big 12 … If I look at Georgia and Texas, those are the two paths that I would consider the easiest of all of those teams in the top 10. Now Bama has got a loss, they still have to play Ole Miss and LSU and then possibly Georgia in the SEC Championship game. 

“Utah’s gotta go through the Pac-12, USC’s got to go through the Pac-12. Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State all have to play each other and Florida State still has to play Clemson. So maybe it’s like Georgia, Texas and Florida State are probably the three easiest paths to the playoff here.”

But you can’t rest on your laurels now if you’re Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns.

“Texas, you better hold a high standard for yourself because it’s real now,” Klatt said. “Now it’s like this. It’s not ‘is Texas back,’ it’s more is Texas elite and is it real? Yeah, it’s real. This is real. This is a team, I can’t believe I’m saying this, this is a team that can play for a national championship.” 

It all starts with Quinn Ewers. But you add in AD Mitchell and Xavier Worthy and a stout defense so far, it’s looking like one of the best rosters in football.

“Look at the talent on that team,” Klatt said. “If you look at the talent that Texas has compared to the rest of the Big 12, it’s not even close. They should win their conference and they should be in the College Football Playoff with a chance to compete for a national championship. 

“It’s how good this team is. And that’s what Saturday proved. The No. 4 team in the country right now. I’ve got them three, that’s the highest they’ve been ranked by the way since they played for a national championship back in 2009.”