Joel Klatt revealed his preseason top-25 rankings entering the 2024 college football season. The broadcaster gave Ohio State the No. 1 spot over Georgia.
Klatt explained why the SEC powerhouse settled for No. 2 behind the Buckeyes.
“I know what Bulldogs fans are gonna say. They’re gonna think of this as a slight. But I can tell you now, these two teams are upper echelon. They are my favorites,” Klatt said on his show (h/t On3). “I feel like they’re gonna face off in the National Championship Game, and I hope that they do because that’s a game that I would love to see.”
Klatt called Georgia “legit” and labeled Carson Beck a “Heisman-caliber quarterback.” He thinks a defense loaded with former five-star recruits will remain elite, putting an onus on the offense to replace star tight end Brock Bowers.
“They’ve won 46 of their last 48 games, which is just insane,” Klatt said. “Kirby Smart is, right now, the best coach in college football. As Nick Saban rides off into the sunset, Kirby Smart is the best coach in college football.”
Although he’s not worried about Georgia navigating a difficult schedule, he wondered if facing Clemson, Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss away from Sanford Stadium could block the Bulldogs from winning the SEC and earning a first-round bye to begin the College Football Playoff.
“But this is absolutely a playoff team,” Klatt said of Georgia. “This team could lose three games and still go to the playoff. They’re not going to lose three games, though.”
Klatt ultimately gave his top spot to Ohio State. He felt the Buckeyes landed the nation’s best transfer haul while retaining several key players in a way that feels “eerily similar” to vital contributors returning to Michigan to make one last title run.
“When you look towards veteran talent, then it’s clear to me that the number one team in the country in the preseason should be — and is for me — Ohio State.”
Related: Joel Klatt Releases His Post-Spring College Football Top 25 Rankings