Joel Klatt identifies 'most complete team in the country' after CFP rankings reveal

Joel Klatt highlights his pick for the most complete team in college football following the first CFP rankings release.

Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt named this Big Ten program the country's most complete team. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2025 season arrived Tuesday night, sparking debate across the college football landscape. Among those weighing in was FOX analyst Joel Klatt on his Joel Klatt Show podcast, where he spotlighted Indiana as the most complete team in America.

Klatt praised both top-ranked Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana for their balance and execution. He emphasized how both programs have elite defenses and Heisman-caliber quarterbacks, but said one stands apart. “Indiana is maybe the most, at least statistically, complete team in the country,” Klatt said.

The Hoosiers have validated that claim on the field. They’re undefeated at 9-0, with wins over Oregon, Iowa, and Illinois. Under head coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana leads the nation in scoring at 46.4 points per game and ranks third in scoring defense at 10.8 points allowed per game. The Hoosiers’ +321 point differential underscores their dominance in every phase.

Joel Klatt Praises Indiana’s Offensive-Defensive Balance, CFP Position

Klatt explained that Indiana’s steady rise reflects how the committee values the Big Ten this season. “Those top two teams up there, Ohio State and Indiana, have been given a lot of respect and rightly so,” he said. “Talked about their defense, both of their defenses, top-10 defenses.”

The committee placed Indiana second behind Ohio State in the initial rankings, giving both Big Ten programs first-round byes in the projected 12-team playoff field. If the current standings held, Indiana would host the winner of No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 7 BYU.

Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers are 9-0 overall and 6-0 in Big Ten play this season. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Statistically, Indiana’s numbers back up Klatt’s argument. The Hoosiers rank third nationally in total offense at 504.9 yards per game and seventh in total defense at 248.3 yards allowed. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza has thrown for 2,124 yards and 25 touchdowns, while running back Kaelon Black leads a ground attack averaging 245.7 yards per game.

The Hoosiers will face Penn State in State College on Saturday at noon ET on Fox.