Joel Klatt Names College Football's 'Most Dangerous Team'

We've had a month of action in the world of college football, and the hierarchy of power has started to settle itself. We know the great teams and the good teams and have a good idea of who has a chance to make it into the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff at the end of the season.

But Fox Sports' analyst Joel Klatt thinks that the best team in the nation is one that we haven't spent much time talking about so far through the first four weeks.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are undefeated, ranked No. 2 in the nation, and seem to be going about their business without a single person making note of them on a national scale.

A big reason for this is their schedule, and the fact that they've played Akron, Western Michigan, and Marshall — games they've won by a combined score of 157-20. But ultimately, Klatt thinks that this schedule is part of what makes them such a dangerous team.

“In a season that could be as long of a season as we’ve ever seen in college football, I think it is a monumental advantage to not have to play a matchup game until later in the season," Klatt said on The Herd on Wednesday.

It's something that the Michigan Wolverines were able to take advantage of in 2023 on their way to winning a national championship. The Wolverines didn't play a ranked team until Week 11 of the schedule and outscored their first nine opponents 366-60.

In the new era of college football with the expanded playoff, there is a chance that the season could be longer for these teams as well, with a possibility that they could play 17 games before all is said and done, as compared to the 14 that were previously possible. Klatt says that taking care of business in the early slate and getting victories without making much noise is a valuable thing.

While other teams like Texas, Michigan, and USC have had to deal with big non-conference games, and Alabama and Georgia prepare for a big-time showdown in the first month of the year, the Buckeyes have been able to take things slow and let the season develop.

"Here’s quiet Ohio State, and guess what they haven’t had to do? Exert any energy," Klatt continued. "I think that makes them the most dangerous team in the country. It’s not just their roster, but their schedule makeup to this point makes Ohio State my front-runner for the national championship."

The smooth sailing will eventually stop for the Buckeyes, as they prepare to head to Eugene to face the No. 8 Oregon Ducks on October 12th. After that, they will play No. 9 Penn State in October, and No. 12 Michigan at the end of the regular season in November.

We will certainly see them get tested before the year is over, but it so far it's been relatively easy, and they're taking advantage of the relaxing start to the year.

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