Joel Klatt makes prediction on Alabama's 2025 College Football Playoff fate, title hopes
The former quarterback and longtime color commentator on Fox's weekly "Big Noon Saturday" games unveiled his full 12-team playoff bracket, complete with his preseason pick to win the national championship on the Monday edition of his popular program, "The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast."
Klatt sees Alabama making the playoff as the third of four SEC teams, behind conference champion Texas and runner-up Georgia, and ahead of LSU. The Crimson Tide will be the No. 9 seed in the playoff after finishing 10-2 in the regular season, he projects.
With that body of work, Klatt believes, will come a road trip to a college football town Alabama has never visited: Manhattan, Kansas, for a first-round playoff matchup against the Big 12 champion Kansas State Wildcats.
Klatt predicted that Alabama would beat Kansas State, making the Tide a small part of history.
"This would be the first upset that we've gotten, a road team going into the playoff and winning," he predicted. "The first one (to do it) is going to be Alabama. Kalen DeBoer needs it. He needs a win in the College Football Playoff, I think, so I've got Alabama over Kansas State."
A first-round victory is as far as the former Colorado Buffaloes starting quarterback is willing to go with Alabama, though. He sees the Crimson Tide falling to No. 1 overall seed Penn State in the quarterfinal round at the Rose Bowl.
Klatt explained why he saw Alabama losing to Penn State in Pasadena.
"They've got more experience. They were just here. It won't be new for them. Penn State moves on into the semifinals," Klatt said of the Nittany Lions, who made the playoff in 2024 and fell in the semifinals to Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl.
Joel Klatt predicts 2025 conference championship game matchups
For a national championship game prediction, Klatt took the Clemson Tigers to dethrone reigning champion Ohio State on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Follow us at @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
29 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Penn State's James Franklin Under Fire Heading into 2025 Season
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Over the last three seasons, Penn State head coach James Franklin has won 10 or more games. Furthermore, during his tenure with the Nittany Lions, he has a record of 101-42, but Franklin has a major criticism, which is his inability to win big games. Since arriving in 2014, the 53-year-old has a 1-15 record against AP Top 5 teams at Penn State, with the lone win coming against then No. 2 Ohio State in 2016. STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 23: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts to a play against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at Beaver Stadium on September 23, 2023... STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 23: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts to a play against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at Beaver Stadium on September 23, 2023 in State College, Pennsylvania. MoreNow heading into his 12th year as the head coach, is there pressure on Franklin to deliver or risk losing his job? CBS Sports college football analyst Damien Harris believes so. Read more: Florida Gators Coach Reveals Major DJ Lagway News "At what point do we get tired of just coming up short?" Harris said on CBS Sports HQ. "I mean, every single year, it's the same story with James Franklin. You beat the teams that you're supposed to, but once you face Ohio State, once you get to the playoffs and you play Notre Dame, once you finally have that test to show that James Franklin has gotten the Nittany Lions over the hump, and every time they come up short... "So again, with all of these things, you've got the experience at quarterback; you've got preseason All-Americans on the offensive line, on the defensive line. You've got a two-headed monster in the backfield. You are supposed to have one of the best defenses in the country. And again, James Franklin, if you cannot get this done this year, then what more is it going to take?" Read more: Insider Reveals Major Red Flag for Clemson QB Cade Klubnik There's a lot of pressure on Penn State to get to the national title this season as the Nittany Lions came in at No. 2 in The Associated Press Top 25. Furthermore, Franklin and his team will have Drew Allar back at quarterback for what many see as a light schedule, leading up to a late-September visit from Oregon and a Nov. 1 showdown with Ohio State." Penn State opened the College Football Playoff with a win over Boise State, but then fell to Notre Dame. Another season of falling short could be the final straw for Franklin. For more on college football, head to Newsweek Sports.
New York Times
29 minutes ago
- New York Times
Auburn's claim of 7 football titles is a throwback to a flawed system. Don't blame the Tigers
Not so long ago, in a land not so far away, what sounds like a fairy tale was reality. An SEC team won every game it played. It beat four top 15 teams. Only two wins came by single digits. The BCS computers said, 'Thanks, but no thanks,' and tapped undefeated USC and Oklahoma teams to play for the national title. Advertisement That was 2004. Two decades later, Auburn is — why now? who knows! — rewriting history. Tuesday, it announced plans to recognize that 2004 team as a national champion, one of seven new titles the program will now commemorate. With one decision, it also added national championships 1910, 1913, 1914, 1958, 1983 and 1993, taking it from two to nine all time. It might be absurd. But I say let Auburn cook. College football has never made sense. It's never been fair that a team can win every game on its schedule and not get to compete for a national title on the field. It's infuriating. It's unlike other sports. It'll likely never happen again after the College Football Playoff expanded from four teams to 12, a new world from the two-team BCS National Championship Game that locked out Auburn 21 years ago. Auburn's decision Tuesday harkens back to a bygone era of the sport, where national championships could routinely be claimed and disputed. Ironically, in 2017, Auburn failed to end UCF's undefeated season in the Peach Bowl, which gave the Knights the impetus to controversially hang '2017 National Champions' signage in the Bounce House after the season. Auburn, welcome to the club. 'For too long, Auburn has chosen a humble approach to our program's storied history — choosing to only recognize Associated Press National Championships,' athletic director John Cohen said. 'Starting this fall, we have made the decision to honor the accomplishments of our deserving student-athletes, coaches, and teams from Auburn's proud history.' The 2004 team, led by future first-round picks Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams, could make a case. Not all of the seven new titles are as legitimate. In 1993, Terry Bowden led the Tigers to an undefeated season, but the program was under NCAA sanctions and unrecognized by the coaches' poll and bowl games. It ranked fourth in the AP Top 25. Advertisement I'll begrudgingly allow it. The 1910 Auburn team, which went 6-1, was named champion by the Maxwell Ratings and College Football Rankings. It's important to note that neither of these rankings existed at the time. They're run by Loren Maxwell and Kyle Matschke. They are not grizzled pre-World War I college football sickos who died decades ago. They're men living in 2025 who built ratings systems and crowned retroactive champions. Now, a school is recognizing them. The same is true of the Howell Ratings System, which gave Auburn the 1914 title. Auburn lost a game in 1910. Champion Pitt did not. It tied a game in 1914. Champion Army was unbeaten and untied. But a sport with no one in charge has no mechanisms to prevent teams from claiming titles out of thin air. And while the legitimacy of Auburn's titles is questionable, it's not like those teams went head to head. There's at least some debate, even if it's being spawned by ratings models decades later. It's all silly, but credit to Auburn for recognizing it and giving their program more things to celebrate and honor from the past. Don't hate the player. Hate the game. Alabama fans — so long as no one takes a closer look at the dubious claims behind many of their 18 titles — will laugh. So will fans of other rivals like Georgia. Anyone associated with Auburn should ignore the complaints and derision and join the parade. Hundreds of players from the proudest teams in Auburn history are more revered than they were yesterday. Ultimately, that's what this is about. That and making Jordan-Hare Stadium feel a little cooler and more historic. Come and take the signage down. Try it. They'll just put it back up again. Auburn got a little prouder on Tuesday. And there's nothing anybody can do to change that. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cowboys trade idea sends former Penn State star to NFC Rival
Cowboys trade idea sends former Penn State star to NFC Rival originally appeared on The Sporting News The Dallas Cowboys and superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons are at an impasse in contract negotiations. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the two sides have not come any closer to reaching an agreement, and things are likely headed towards a messy divorce. While the Cowboys should have no problem signing the former Penn State product to a record-breaking extension, they have a history of dragging their feet in contract talks. Look no further than Dak Prescott and Ceedee Lamb in years past. Dallas, entering a pivotal year with a first-time head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, should want to be at full strength when contending with the NFC East and Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The Washington Commanders are up-and-comers that appear to have closed the gap with the Cowboys as well, and if Dallas wants any chance at cracking the postseason in 2025, they either need Parsons suited up or trade him now to get a return that will allow them to stay competitive. Former general manager Mike Tannenbaum recently proposed three hypothetical trades on ESPN's Get Up that would allow the Cowboys to trade him for fair value, while also maintaining their status as a playoff hopeful. The Trade Idea Tampa Bay Buccaneers receive: Micah Parsons Dallas Cowboys receive: Bucky Irving, Vita Vea, first-round pick Of all three proposed trades, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers supply the Cowboys with two win-now players, while also giving them a first-round draft pick. Nose tackle Vita Vea plays a different position on the defensive line than Parsons, but is still a high-impact player. Entering his age-30 season, Vea had a career high in sacks in 2024, registering seven in his second season as a Pro Bowler. Vea was also a key cog in Tampa Bay's Super Bowl LV victory. The other prized possession of this trade haul would be running back Bucky Irving. The Cowboys have been searching for a bell-cow back since the decline of Ezekiel Elliot's production began, and Irving would be the kind of star they're looking for in the backfield. A fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, he totaled 1,514 scrimmage yards in his rookie season and showcased his ability as a dual threat. He would be the perfect complement to Dallas' heavy passing attack. While trading one of the best players at their position as he enters his prime is never good for business, the haul that the Cowboys could get for a player of Parsons' caliber is tantalizing enough. If they intend to compete in the 2025 season, the package from the Buccaneers is enticing, even with the prospect of having to face him once a year.
