FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt has released his predictions for the 2026 college football season, forecasting Notre Dame as the national champion. Klatt's projections also include his picks for each Power Four conference champion and a 12-team playoff bracket.
Conference Championship Projections
In the Big Ten, Klatt anticipates a competitive landscape at the top, with Indiana (the defending national champion), Oregon, and Ohio State considered frontrunners. Despite Ohio State's loaded roster and preseason rankings, Klatt predicts their challenging schedule will prevent them from reaching the conference championship game. He ultimately selects Oregon to win the Big Ten, citing their preparedness for a difficult schedule. Indiana is also projected to make a return to the championship game.
For the SEC, Klatt highlights Georgia and Texas as the top contenders. While acknowledging Georgia's consistent success under Kirby Smart, he believes Texas, led by Steve Sarkisian, possesses the offensive firepower to overcome the Bulldogs and win the conference. LSU is noted as a potential wild card.
The Big 12 is projected to be dominated by Texas Tech, which Klatt identifies as the most talented team with a favorable schedule. BYU is favored to secure the second spot in the conference title game, ahead of Utah and Arizona.
In the ACC, Klatt predicts Miami will go undefeated in conference play, though he anticipates a loss to Notre Dame. He forecasts SMU to emerge from a competitive group to face Miami in the ACC Championship game, despite Miami holding a significant advantage over the rest of the conference.
12-Team Playoff Bracket Predictions
Klatt's 12-team playoff bracket places Oregon as the No. 1 seed, assuming they win the Big Ten with only one loss. Notre Dame earns the No. 2 seed, projected to go undefeated with a less challenging schedule. Miami secures the No. 3 seed, with their ACC championship and sole loss coming against Notre Dame.
Texas lands the No. 4 seed, benefiting from an SEC Championship win over Georgia. Ohio State is seeded fifth, projected to have wins over Texas and Indiana but a loss to Texas in this scenario. Indiana rounds out the top six as the sixth seed, with an 11-2 record and a loss to Ohio State.
Georgia is projected at No. 7 after their loss in the SEC Championship. Texas Tech receives the eighth seed, with Klatt noting their strength of schedule is a limiting factor despite being conference champions.
The final at-large spots are filled by USC at No. 9, projected to finish 10-2 with a win over Ohio State. LSU is seeded 10th as a 10-2 team. The final two spots come down to Penn State, Alabama, and the winner of the Michigan-Oklahoma game. Klatt ultimately selects Alabama at No. 11, citing their strong defense and a potential 10-2 record against either Michigan or Oklahoma. Boise State rounds out the bracket at No. 12, favored for their strength of schedule among Group of Five teams.
Playoff Path and National Champion
In the first round, Klatt predicts Ohio State will defeat Texas Tech, Indiana will overcome Oregon, LSU will advance past Georgia, and USC will emerge victorious over Texas.
The quarterfinals see Oregon defeating USC, Notre Dame besting Georgia, Miami winning against Ohio State, and Texas Tech falling to USC.
Miami is projected to defeat Georgia in the quarterfinals, while Ohio State wins against Texas. In the semifinals, Oregon is predicted to beat Ohio State, and Notre Dame is expected to defeat Miami.
Klatt's national championship prediction is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who he believes will win their semifinal matchup and go on to claim the title.