"Two national championships in the last three years": Joel Klatt hypes up Georgia Bulldogs' matchup with top SEC program in 2024
Joel Klatt talked about the upcoming SEC showdown between Georgia and Texas on the latest episode of "The Joel Klatt Show" while talking about the upcoming top games in 2024. As the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners are joining the SEC, the conference landscape is shifting dramatically.
The Georgia Bulldogs, who have claimed two national titles in the last three years, will be traveling to Austin to face the Longhorns on October 19. This game is particularly crucial for Georgia, as they face a challenging schedule with road games against Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss.
Klatt talked about the challenges Texas will face and how Georgia's rigorous schedule makes winning this game vital for their championship aspirations. Texas, fresh off a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff appearance, also has much at stake:
"Texas moves into a conference after being in the playoff. Thinking that, 'We put ourselves on the upper echelon of college football.' Steve Sarkisian has done an incredible job and now, bam, you get the standard in college football,” Klatt said.
He also pointed out the challenge Texas faces in meeting Georgia's high standards under the leadership of head coach Kirby Smart. Klatt praised Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian for his remarkable work in positioning the Longhorns among the elite teams in college football. And he believes their biggest challenge will come from the Bulldogs:
"Two national championships in the last three years. Kirby Smart is there. No one's recruited better than Georgia, and you're gonna host Georgia."
This game could significantly influence the path to the national championship for both teams due to their schedules.
"Georgia and Texas are favorites to be in that championship game, but it's not a guarantee. So, if you want a first-round bye, if you're Texas or Georgia, if you want to make your path to a national championship as easy as possible, winning that game is going to be important," Klatt added.
Joel Klatt shares that Buffaloes could reach Big 12 Championship
Joel Klatt's positive outlook for the Colorado Buffaloes' 2024 prospects stands in contrast to more pessimistic national opinions. When featured on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Klatt, a former Colorado quarterback in 2005, talked about how the Deion Sanders-led Buffs competing for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game is realistic.
He noted that if Colorado reaches the championship game, they would be just 60 minutes away from securing a place in the new 12-team College Football Playoff:
“There’s a chance that Colorado’s competing to go to the Big 12 Championship Game. If they were to get in that game, they would be 60 minutes from the College Football Playoff. It’s not out of the realm of possibility,” Klatt told Cowherd.
(from 2:13 mark)
This optimism isn't new for Klatt however; just last month, he ranked Colorado just outside his post-Spring top 25.