Joe Klatt details why Ducks are his No. 1 team

The 2026-27 college football season is still several months away, but it’s never too early to discuss who the best teams may or may not be for the upcoming campaign. On Monday, analyst and announcer Joel Klatt revealed why he believes the Oregon Ducks will be the team to beat next year.

In the latest episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” Klatt explained how he was looking at the blueprint of the past three national championship winners. He then followed that statement up, claiming Oregon meets every mark on the checklist and believes the Ducks will be the No. 1 team in college football next season.

“I look at the blueprint of the teams that have won the last two national championships,” said Klatt. “Really, the last three national championships, and Oregon fits that blueprint to a T. They are going to be a veteran-led team with talent coming back everywhere.

“They’re going to be the best defensive line in the country,” continued Klatt. “They’re going to have an experienced quarterback. They’re going to have the ability to be explosive. They’re going to have the ability to run the football. They’ve been getting closer every single year.”

The last three winners of the national championship are the Michigan Wolverines (2023-24), the Ohio State Buckeyes (2024-25), and the Indiana Hoosiers (2025-26). All three of those programs met the qualifications Joel Klatt claims Oregon meets heading into the 2026-27 season. They each had a veteran quarterback under center, a strong rushing attack with plenty of weapons for the passing game, and arguably the best defense in the country

Not to mention, the Ducks have arguably the best head coach in college football in Dan Lanning, who has had his Oregon team thick in the mix of the playoffs (at the very least) every season since he was hired in December 2021.