Joel Klatt unveils Top 10 rankings ahead of Week 1 of college football

The 2025 college football season is set to begin shortly and the picks are flowing in on the top teams to watch out for. FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt recently picked his preseason Top 10.

Klatt has a who’s who of college football on his list, topped by James Franklin’s Penn State squad. But four Big Ten teams in total made the cut. The SEC also matched that number.

So who does the analyst have in the Top 10 right now? Let’s dive in.

1. Penn State Nittany Lions

Many have viewed the return of starting quarterback Drew Allar as the first potential piece of the puzzle for the Nittany Lions this fall. Can James Franklin push over the hump and win the truly big games, which he started to do last season? Klatt opened up.

Klatt: “There is a specific blueprint that Michigan followed and then Ohio State followed to win a national championship in the last couple of years. And that is veteran talent coming back to take part in their senior year. That’s exactly what you’ve got at Penn State, lots of veteran talent coming back with a purpose.”

2. Texas Longhorns

Texas has been to the national semifinals in college football in each of the last two years. Could this be the year the Longhorns break all the way through? That might be up to one man.

Klatt: “Arch Manning mania has begun. Cannot wait to see what Arch is able to do in their opener against Ohio State. Their defense should be excellent. They’ve got talent everywhere on the field.”

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

The defending national champions lost a slew of talent to the NFL. But few have recruited as well as the Buckeyes over the last several years. Add a few returning pieces and Ryan Day and company should at least make a run at it again.

Klatt: “They’ve got to replace their quarterback plus 14 guys that went to the NFL Draft. Fourteen. Think about that. This is still a program that can replace those guys and still play at the top end. They’ve got the two best players in the sport overall in Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs.”

4. Clemson Tigers

Despite losing three games to SEC programs last year, Clemson made the College Football Playoffs and proved it’s back on its game. Can Dabo Swinney ride an excellent defense and a returning starter at quarterback to a deeper run?

Klatt: “Sleeper pick for me now for a national championship. Lots of veteran talent. Sixteen starters back. Their quarterback, Cade Klubnik, lots of top-end talent in particular on the defense and in particular up front on their defense.”

5. Oregon Ducks

Another program that has grown accustomed to stacking talent year after year under its head coach, Oregon will be looking to erase the sting of an early College Football Playoff exit a year ago. There are a lot of moving parts, though.

Klatt: “Oregon under Dan Lanning is a team that I think every single year is going to have a top five, six roster in the sport. That’s how they recruit. We’ll see what happens at quarterback. I think they’ve got talent everywhere.”

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Coming off a loss in the national title game last year, Notre Dame should have all the motivation it needs. Does it have the talent this year? There’s a large question mark at quarterback, but Klatt points out CJ Carr will have a real luxury.

Klatt: “Love what Marcus Freeman has done. They’ve built themselves up front really solidly. They can run it. Their defense is excellent. They’ve got the best back in the country, individual back, in Jeremiyah Love. I think that will help them breaking in a new quarterback in CJ Carr.”

7. Georgia Bulldogs

Kirby Smart‘s program took a step back last year and now must replace Carson Beck after arguably the most surprising offseason departure in college football. But if the Bulldogs really want to get back into contention, it’ll start with being better in the trenches.

Klatt: “I’ve got questions about their quarterback. I know people believe Gunner Stockton is going to go out there and play really well, and I think that he probably will. But this is a team that got pushed around by Notre Dame last year, and that’s not something that a lot of people had on their bingo card. But that happened, and so how do they answer that bell?”

8. LSU Tigers

Few teams have a quarterback as good as Garrett Nussmeier heading into the year. Can he cut down on turnovers in key spots and be one of the best signal-callers in college football?

Klatt: “Lot of pressure on Brian Kelly this year. He’s got to win. Tough opener against Clemson, I think that’s going to be a tough win. But even if they lose that game you look at the rest of their schedule and the quality of their roster, I do believe this is a team that can get right back in the mix and potentially go to the playoffs.”

9. Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama lost three games in its first season following the end of the Nick Saban era. That won’t cut it long term. But can the new coach produce better results this fall?

Klatt: “I’m a big believer in Kalen DeBoer. He’s won everywhere he’s been. Their development of their quarterbacks everywhere he’s been has been excellent. So Ty Simpson, their new quarterback, I think he’s a guy to watch out for.”

10. Michigan Wolverines

Two years removed from a national title and the departure of Jim Harbaugh, Michigan begins its rebuild in earnest this year with a superstar freshman quarterback. Expectations remain modest due to that fact, but make no mistake: He has the upside to produce a playoff run, potentially.

Klatt: “Bryce Underwood their new quarterback. If he’s just any better than what they had a year ago at quarterback this team could take a step forward and right back up to the upper echelon of college football.”