Joel Klatt Makes Wacky Big 12 Championship Prediction

Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt unveiled his 2024 College Football Playoff projections on Thursday, and as part of them, revealed a Big 12 title game nobody would have seen coming.

"Big 12, I've got Utah playing — wait for it — Kansas!" he declared on The Joel Klatt Show.

Imagine revealing that Big 12 title game to somebody even three years ago. One, because fans never would have foreseen Utah leaping to the Big 12. And two, because Kansas has gone from the Vanderbilt of the Big 12 to a legitimate contender in just a few seasons, a truly remarkable turnaround.

The Utah Utes and the Kansas Jayhawks for the Big 12 title and a likely top-four College Football Playoff bid and bye, according to Joel Klatt. That's quite a statement in 2024.

"If you really look at what Kansas is and what their schedule is, there is a good chance that Kansas is going to be a top-two seed in the Big 12," he said of the Jayhawks.

However, Utah remains a darling program of his.

"Now: Death, taxes and Utah football," Klatt added. "I'm going to ride with Utah, you know that about me. Kyle Whittingham is an excellent coach."

Klatt also has supreme faith in the leadership under center for the Utes.

"When Cam Rising is their starting quarterback, what do they do?" he asked rhetorically. "They win the conference and they go play in a big bowl. That's what they did in the Pac-12 with a couple of Rose Bowl berths and that's why I've got them in the Big 12."

Utah has been a force under Kyle Whittingham and were even strong last season despite Rising's brutal injury. With him back in the saddle as an extreme veteran behind the robust line of scrimmage play on both sides of the ball, Utah is every bit a top contender for the Big 12 in their first season apart of it.