National college football analyst Joel Klatt makes bold prediction regarding the college football playoffs and Duck fans aren’t going to like it
Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt predicts that Oregon could fall out of the top 10 after the team stumbles in November.
On his podcast Wednesday, FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt outlined which teams could rise, and which might tumble, in the College Football Playoff picture. His biggest concern? The Oregon Ducks, currently ranked No. 9, face the toughest November stretch of any top-10 team.
“Of all the teams in the top 10 most likely to lose a game, and maybe even two, is Oregon,” Klatt said on The Joel Klatt Show. “I think very highly of Oregon, Dan Lanning, that staff and team. Do I think they’re going to lose? Probably not, they’re going to be favored in all those games. But at Washington is a scary proposition. Washington owns Oregon at Husky Stadium. At Iowa is no picnic, particularly with the weather coming in for Saturday.”
First they love you, then they hate you
Klatt’s remarks come at a time when sentiment surrounding Oregon has already turned negative following a rocky two-week stretch. The Ducks’ surprising home loss to Indiana earlier this season raised major questions about their consistency, and a close game against Wisconsin in Eugene did little to ease doubts about their playoff readiness.
Now, with the calendar turning to November, Oregon’s schedule offers little reprieve. The Ducks close the season with three ranked opponents in their final four games — at No. 20 Iowa, home against Minnesota and No. 19 USC, and a road finale at No. 23 Washington. According to Klatt, that gauntlet could expose Oregon’s vulnerabilities.
“Oregon, of the teams in the top 10 right now, if I had to pick a team that had something happen to them and fall out, it would be Oregon,” Klatt said.
It’s fascinating to see the optimism around this Oregon team take such a different turn. Not long ago, the Ducks were considered one of the most balanced teams with an explosive offense and a stingy defense full of potential first-round picks. Luckily for the Ducks, they have an amazing opportunity to prove doubters wrong and remind people just what kind of team Dan Lanning has built in Eugene.
I fully expect the Ducks to come out this Saturday and take care of business in Iowa. Lanning loves it when his team’s back is against the wall, and while the Ducks are favored by betting markets, most analysts are actually picking Iowa in the upset.
The Ducks have all of their goals right in front of them; they just need to go out and take care of business.
