Fox Analyst Klatt Tabs Oregon as Preseason No. 1, Georgia Slotted Sixth

Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt has unveiled his preseason top 25 rankings, positioning the Fox Corporation-broadcasted college football season with the Oregon Ducks claiming the top spot. The rankings come as Fox Corp trades up 4.67% on the day, with the stock last changing hands at $69.04 amid a broader market capitalization of approximately $26.03 billion.

Klatt placed Oregon at No. 1, citing the program’s roster depth as the deciding factor. He noted that while the Ducks have yet to secure a national championship in the expanded College Football Playoff era, their three losses over the last two seasons all came against the eventual national champion. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio State Buckeyes follow at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, while the defending champion Indiana Hoosiers sit at No. 5.

The Georgia Bulldogs secured the No. 6 ranking, leading a pack of SEC and Big Ten contenders. Klatt praised head coach Kirby Smart and quarterback Gunner Stockton but expressed skepticism regarding the Bulldogs’ offensive ceiling compared to the top five. Georgia ranks ahead of Texas (No. 7), LSU (No. 8), Oklahoma (No. 9), and Michigan (No. 10).

Identifying volatility in the upcoming season, Klatt labeled the LSU Tigers, now coached by Lane Kiffin, as the biggest “wild card” in college football. Despite securing the top transfer portal class, Klatt noted that previous portal success did not translate to offensive efficiency last season. He also highlighted Michigan as the second-biggest wild card, ranking them higher than many other analysts.

What to watch

• Fox Corp’s upcoming quarterly earnings report for specific segment revenue breakdowns regarding Cable Network Programming.
• Viewership ratings for the upcoming college football season on Fox networks.
• Further analyst guidance on the sports media advertising market.

Source: original release