Joel Klatt Names Big Ten Powerhouse That 'Looks Lost' in 2024

With five weeks of the college football season now behind us, we've started to see things settle into place with teams like the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes establishing themselves among the best in the nation, while others like the Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Volunteers jockey for position behind them.

One team that we normally see at the top of the rankings, though, is struggling this year, and after a month of the season, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has come out and determined that they "look lost" in 2024.

That team is the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines.

After beating the Washington Huskies back in January and securing their first national championship since 1997, and their 12th in program history, the Wolverines have struggled to bounce back this season. They are 4-1 through the first five weeks of the season, but many of those wins have been unconvincing, at the very best.

"Michigan looks lost right now," Klatt said on his podcast this week. "This is not anywhere close to the team that we have seen over the last three years. They want it to be similar, but the difference is that I just don't sense that they have a real deep understanding of who they are now."

One of the many reasons that this Michigan team doesn't look like it did in the past is because of the significant amount of turnover this past offseason. Former head coach Jim Harbaugh left to take a job with the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Wolverines saw a program-record 13 players get drafted to the NFL back in April of this year.

While there is still a lot of talent on this current roster, a new coach and new quarterback will impact even the best teams.

Ultimately, Klatt thinks that the change for Michigan this year comes down to coaching and a lack of identity in Moore's first season.

"This is a team that in previous seasons was so good in terms of field position, turnover margin, and discipline," Klatt continued. "And this year, that hasn't been the case. They have lost some of that Michigan identity, which means that they don't have a blueprint to follow like they did in previous years."

Despite their early season struggles, Michigan is still 4-1 with their only loss coming to No. 2 Texas. However, the schedule is about to get a lot harder for the Wolverines, with teams like the No. 24 Illinois Fighting Illini, No. 6 Oregon Ducks, No. 23 Indiana Hoosiers, and No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes on the calendar in the next two months.

With good coaching, Michigan should be able to win some of those games and remain as one of the top teams in the nation throughout the year. But if Klatt is correct, and the Wolverines really are lost, it might be a tough year for Michigan fans.

Related: Joel Klatt Claps Back at Deion Sanders' Critics After Colorado Buffaloes' Win Over UCF