Joel Klatt names the best team in college football right now

Joel Klatt calls Ohio State the best team in college football after the Buckeyes’ dominant win over UCLA.

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt names the Ohio State Buckeyes the No. 1 team in college football after their Week 12 win over UCLA. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Even without their top two receivers, the Ohio State Buckeyes showed why they continue to sit at No. 1 in the rankings. In a commanding 48-10 victory over the UCLA Bruins, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day’s team left no question about its depth or balance. It was a dominant performance that had both analysts and fans reaffirming what they already suspected: this Buckeyes team has no equal right now.

Freshman quarterback Julian Sayin completed 23 of 31 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown while Bo Jackson carried the offense with 112 rushing yards and a score. The run game tallied 222 yards in total, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, the highest per-carry mark UCLA has allowed since 2019.

The Buckeyes built a 17-0 halftime lead and never looked back, even with Carnell Tate sidelined and Jeremiah Smith limited by injury.

Special teams delivered the exclamation point when Lorenzo Styles Jr. returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, marking Ohio State’s first such score since 2010. “Honestly, like, it was kind of easy on my part,” Styles said. “Just ran. I didn’t have to make no moves, make no one miss. So my teammates did a great job.”

Joel Klatt Names Ohio State the Nation’s Best Team

During Monday’s episode of The Joel Klatt Show, college football analyst Joel Klatt declared Ohio State the best team in the country. “And Ohio State is number one,” Klatt said. “Even without Carnell Tate on the field and no Jeremiah Smith late in the game, what did they do? They just decided to run the football for 6.7 per carry, which is the most per carry UCLA has given up since 2019.”

Klatt praised the Buckeyes’ improvement in the run game and their overall completeness. “Everyone’s been lamenting this idea that Ohio State can’t run the football,” he said. “They run it better against UCLA than anybody has this entire season, including Utah. Maybe Ohio State can run the football pretty well.”

Ohio State’s defense held UCLA to 50 first-half yards and just one touchdown, extending the Buckeyes’ stretch of elite defensive play. Day described the effort as “businesslike, workmanlike,” crediting his team’s preparation and composure. The Buckeyes have now won 10 straight, outscoring opponents by an average of 30 points per game.

Next, Ohio State will host Rutgers on Saturday at noon ET on Fox.