Joel Klatt explains why he thinks ‘the national championship…goes through Georgia’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Joel Klatt has made it crystal clear which team he thinks will be the one to beat down the stretch and all the way through the College Football Playoff.
“The national championship in college football goes through Georgia this year. Georgia is the most dominant team in college football this year,” the FOX Sports lead college football analyst said on his podcast.
Klatt pointed to the Bulldogs’ 42-7 beatdown of Ole Miss in Week 11, a game where the Dawgs piled up 481 yards of total offense to the Rebels’ 252. Nearly 300 of those came on the ground as Nate Frazier had 16 carries for 107 yards, while Dwight Phillips Jr. and Bo Walker combined for 17 carries and 108 yards of their own.
“Georgia’s floor is so high. They’re incredibly talented on defense. I think Trinidad Chambliss is fantastic, and he had no chance,” Klatt said.
That defense, and run game, will be key in getting the Bulldogs to Las Vegas, Klatt feels.
“I think Gunner (Stockton)’s a good player. But this is a defense, running-game team,” he said. “I don’t think you can win the national championship or go to the national championship without beating Georgia.
The Bulldogs should be ranked No. 1 in Tuesday’s CFP Top 25 after Miami lost to Notre Dame. Georgia hosts Mizzou in Week 11 before a trip to South Carolina and its regular-season finale at home against Georgia Tech.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
