Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt considers there to be a big gap between the top three teams and the rest of his top 10 college football teams. Klatt considers Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama to be the best teams in the country.
Who would join that trio in his College Football Playoff?
Week 4 of the college football season featured some close calls for highly ranked teams and an upset win for Kansas State over Oklahoma. Let’s take a look at Joel Klatt’s top 10 rankings following Week 4 of the 2022 college football season:
No. 10 Tennessee Volunteers
Week 4: Tennessee 38, Florida 33
Tennessee faces LSU in Week 5 before hosting Alabama on Oct. 15. The Volunteers’ offense and quarterback Hendon Hooker looks very good. However, Tennessee’s defense and special teams made Volunteer fans nervous in the end of Week 4.
No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions
Week 4: Penn State 33, Central Michigan 14
Penn State toppled Central Michigan a week after dominating Auburn. The Nittany Lions play Northwestern in Week 5 and have a challenging upcoming schedule.
No. 8 USC Trojans
Week 4: USC 17, Oregon State 14
The USC Trojans earned a tough win on the road at Oregon State. The Trojans needed some clutch play from quarterback Caleb Williams to beat a 3-0 Oregon State team.
No. 7 Oklahoma State Cowboys
Week 4: Off week
Oklahoma State had Week 4 off, but was happy to see Texas and Oklahoma both lose. Quarterback Spencer Sanders and the Cowboys play Baylor next week in a rematch of the 2021 Big 12 championship.
No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats
Week 4: Kentucky 31, Northern Illinois 23
Kentucky played a surprisingly close game against Northern Illinois in Week 4. Are quarterback Will Levis and the Wildcats overrated? We think Joel Klatt’s No. 6 ranking may be a little too generous. The Wildcats’ only impressive win is over Florida, which has had an up and down start. The ranking doesn’t matter much because the Wildcats must prove themselves again against Ole Miss next week.
No. 5 Clemson Tigers
Week 4: Clemson 51, Wake Forest 45
The Tigers knocked off Wake Forest, but showed some weakness in their double overtime road victory. Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei threw for five touchdowns against Wake Forest. Clemson running back Will Shipley displayed incredible balance on a key touchdown.
The Clemson defense looked vulnerable at cornerback. The Tigers’ cornerbacks could not stop the Wake Forest passing attack without safety help. The Tigers play NC State in Week 5.
No. 4 Michigan Wolverines
Week 4: Michigan 34, Maryland 27
Michigan running back Blake Corum had a monster game against Maryland in the Wolverines’ first true test of the season. The Wolverines play Iowa in Week 5.
Joel Klatt emphasizes there is a significant difference between the top three teams and the rest of his top 10.
No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 4: Alabama 55, Vanderbilt 3
Alabama dominated Vanderbilt as expected in Week 4. The Crimson Tide and quarterback Bryce Young play Arkansas, Texas A&M and Tennessee in the next three weeks.
No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes
Week 4: Ohio State 52, Wisconsin 21
The Buckeyes had the most impressive performance of any team in Week 4. Ohio State dominated Wisconsin in the first quarter and cruised to a big win over the Badgers. The Buckeyes face Rutgers in Week 5.
No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs
Week 4: Georgia 39, Kent State 22
Georgia struggled to take care of the football against Kent State. The Bulldogs were without a few key players, but played their worst game of the season against Kent State. Joel Klatt still considers Georgia to be the top team in the country thanks to Georgia’s impressive wins over South Carolina and Oregon.
