There are a few legitimate title contenders, like Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Clemson, Alabama, and Georgia. There are some long shot contenders like LSU, Miami, Michigan, Florida, and Tennessee. They might all make the playoffs. What about an unranked team in the Big Ten? Joel Klatt thinks there's a potential playoff team hiding in the shadows right now.
Klatt said on his podcast, "Washington's got something cooking with Jedd Fisch." In his first season, the Huskies managed to scrape to a bowl game despite him having to "start from scratch" when Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama after the team's national title berth in 2023.
He added," They might have, and no one talks about them, the best quarterback, running back, wide receiver combo, that trifecta, in the Big Ten. Demond Williams was terrific last year. Jonah Coleman is an excellent player, and Denzel Boston is an excellent wide receiver on the outside."
Klatt also loves the addition of Ryan Walters as the new defensive coordinator. He admitted that the offensive line could be an Achilles heel for the Huskies in their pursuit of a surprising College Football Playoff berth.
"They've got to do a better job protecting the quarterback. They gave up the most sacks in the league last year. Williams was sacked 15 times in his two starts at the end of the year," Klatt said. He also added that the Huskies need to be better at home, but he would not be surprised if they put things together and made an Indiana-esque run this year.