Two weeks into the college football season, FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt used his show to sort a wide swath of programs into three buckets: panic, stay calm, and get excited. His breakdown touched teams in Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Washington, Florida, Georgia, Colorado, Ohio, Utah, Alabama, Kentucky, California, Michigan and Minnesota.
Oregon topped the panic list. Klatt said the film from the Ducks’ loss was troubling on both sides of the ball, and that he found what he called “run-pass tells” in Oregon’s offense after reviewing tape from last season and this year’s game against Boise State. He noted the Ducks are also dealing with injury issues at an inopportune time.
Oklahoma drew similar concern. Klatt said the Sooners “don’t have an offensive line and they cannot run the football,” leaving quarterback John Mateer to manufacture explosive plays largely on his own — something Klatt said failed against Michigan and was a weakness for the team a year ago as well.
Washington made the list despite a 2-0 record. Klatt pointed to a narrow 16-14 win over Utah State, an offense that “has not clicked,” and a rash of injuries that has cost the Huskies their top two running backs, wide receiver Christian Moss for the season, and starting receiver Rashid Williams on a week-to-week basis.
Florida State, Klatt said, doesn’t quite fit the panic label but is close. He cited the school’s decision to fire its athletic director on Monday, a $437 million athletic-department debt figure for fiscal year 2025, and the roughly $50 million buyout — about $800,000 a month through 2031 — that would be owed if coach Mike Norvell were fired mid-season. He also flagged the Seminoles’ 3-14 record in their last 17 ACC games and an upcoming stretch against Alabama, Virginia, Louisville and Miami as reasons for alarm.
Georgia Tech landed in the panic category as well, with Klatt noting the Yellow Jackets have lost six of their last seven games after an 8-0 start last season, their lone recent win coming on a fourth-quarter comeback against Boston College.
Stay Calm
Klatt urged patience with several programs. Colorado, he said, looks more “fundamentally sound” after shifting its offseason recruiting philosophy from chasing star power to prioritizing production, resulting in a tougher line of scrimmage and a more committed run game.
Ohio State, fresh off a loss to Texas, doesn’t need panic either, according to Klatt, who said the Buckeyes dominated for three quarters and mainly need to fix red-zone execution and a defense that wore down late in games.
Klatt described himself as “cautiously optimistic” about BYU, Alabama and Oklahoma’s staff at large, and specifically flagged BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier and running back LJ Martin as building blocks — while cautioning that BYU’s true level won’t be known until it faces Notre Dame and Texas Tech.
He also praised Alabama freshmen including wide receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, tight end Mark Bowman and defensive end Luke Wafle, but said he wants to see the Crimson Tide defense tested against stronger competition before getting more excited.
Get Excited
UCLA earned enthusiasm from Klatt, who cited quarterback Nico Iamaleava, receiver Wayne Knight and coach Bob Chesney’s staff continuity as reasons the Bruins could “knock somebody off in the Big Ten” unexpectedly this season.
Miami also drew high praise. Klatt said quarterback Darian Mensah looks like an upgrade over Carson Beck, the offensive and defensive lines remain dominant, and receiver Malachi Toney is “an absolute cheat code.”
Texas, now ranked No. 1, made the excited list despite a sloppy performance, with Klatt pointing to coach Steve Sarkisian’s postgame comment — “Now we know we can” — as a turning point for a team he says now believes in itself.
Michigan earned excitement for beating Oklahoma in what Klatt called a win built on coach Kyle Whittingham’s identity: man coverage, strong pass rush and a physical run game.
Mississippi State also made the list. Klatt highlighted the Bulldogs’ road win over Minnesota — their first road win over a Big Ten opponent since 1980 — and praised quarterback Kamario Taylor, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound dual threat, along with a defense that didn’t allow Minnesota an offensive touchdown.
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