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CLEVELAND, Ohio — In the latest episode of The Joel Klatt Show, college football analyst Joel Klatt unveiled his comprehensive November College Football Playoff projection, offering fans a preview of what Selection Sunday might look like when the 12-team bracket is finally revealed next month. Klatt methodically worked through conference championship scenarios, potential regular season finishes, and the complex selection criteria that will determine the inaugural expanded playoff field. “This is our November bracket projection,” Klatt explained. “This is going to be more accurate than the two previous... there’s so many teams that are in this thing that we didn’t even realize were going to be in this thing.” Starting with conference championships, Klatt projected Ohio State (13-0) as the Big Ten champion, Texas A&M (13-0) winning the SEC, Miami (12-1) taking the ACC, Texas Tech (12-1) claiming the Big 12, and South Florida earning the Group of Six automatic bid. The four first-round byes went to Ohio State — Klatt’s overall No. 1 team — Texas A&M, Indiana (12-1), and Alabama (11-2) — with the Buckeyes and Aggies rewarded for perfect seasons, while Indiana and Alabama earned their spots as conference championship game participants. The most compelling drama came when Klatt had to decide on the final three at-large spots with six teams in contention. “Three spots, six teams. Where do we go? Where do we go? Let’s start with this process of elimination,” Klatt said, breaking down the bubble teams. After pointing out six two-loss teams Klatt gave two of the last three spots to Tennessee (10-2) and Oregon (10-2). His final decision was between Georgia Tech (11-2), BYU (11-2), and Notre Dame (10-2). In a decision that will certainly spark debate among fans, Klatt gave the final spot to the Fighting Irish. “The value of (each team’s quality losses) I think puts Notre Dame in as the 11 seed, and on the outside looking in you would have Georgia Tech and BYU. It’s crucial that BYU wins one of these games against Texas Tech and wins the Big 12. crucial,” Klatt emphasized. Notre Dame’s two losses are to Miami and Texas A&M, which Klatt has ranked Nos. 2 and 3 respectively in this scenario. He projected currently undefeated Georgia Tech to lose to Georgia, No. 6 in his bracket, and to No. 5 seeded Miami in the ACC title game, while BYU, theoretically, would have two losses to projected No. 7 seed Texas Tech. Klatt went on to highlight several fascinating first-round matchups, including Notre Dame at Georgia (a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal) and Tennessee at Ole Miss in an all-SEC showdown. South Florida would face Miami while Oregon would travel to Texas Tech. Klatt’s bracket also showcased how the expanded playoff creates meaningful November football for dozens of programs. With so many teams still alive in the playoff hunt, nearly every game down the stretch carries significant implications. For fans of bubble teams like Notre Dame, Klatt identified the key “chaos agents” to watch – specifically Virginia, Houston, and Cincinnati – teams capable of creating havoc in the playoff picture. “You need to root against Virginia, Houston, and Cincinnati,” Klatt warned. “Those three teams specifically are in a unique position to just blow this thing up. Blow this thing up.” What makes Klatt’s projection particularly valuable is how he played out realistic scenarios for conference championships and November schedules, rather than simply ranking teams based on current standings. His approach gives fans a true preview of how the selection committee might approach the complex task of building the 12-team bracket.
