Michigan football fans grew accustomed to checking what Fox Sports’ premier analyst Joel Klatt had to say the past few years, especially when he released his weekly top 10 after every college football Saturday. 2024 offered a departure from that, and it started early. The Wolverines lost in Week 2 to Texas and never returned to Klatt’s good graces, rankings-wise.
However, 2025 has the promise of a new year, especially given the season finished with wins over Ohio State and a full-strength Alabama team in the ReliaQuest Bowl. With Bryce Underwood coming in and some roster retooling via the transfer portal, Klatt seems to think the maize and blue can return to form this season.
On Thursday, Klatt revealed his too-early 2025 top 10 and Michigan football made the cut. Here are the rankings along with our thoughts on each team.
1
Penn State Nittany Lions
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Penn State is attempting to follow the blueprint Michigan did two years ago and Ohio State did this year, returning many of the key players who could have left for the NFL draft. However, there are some differences.
At the moment, the Nittany Lions don’t have a defensive coordinator. And though Drew Allar and both running backs return, this doesn’t feel like the same high-flying offense that James Franklin produced with Trace McSorley or Sean Clifford. PSU reached the semifinals, and it certainly should make the College Football Playoff again in 2025. But it still doesn’t feel like it’s ready to step into true championship contender status.
2
Texas Longhorns
This ranking feels apt. Though Quinn Ewers moves on as does wide receiver Isaiah Bond, the offense could take a step forward with Arch Manning taking over at quarterback and WR Ryan Wingo maturing in Year 2. Certainly, Texas has some issues along the lines, though the offensive line issues in 2024 were partially due to…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football | WolverinesWire…