An expanded College Football Playoff field will give more teams a chance to win a national championship. Joel Klatt explored which teams could have benefited from the format over the last decade.
During The Joel Klatt Show, the broadcaster responded to a listener who asked what team could have made a championship run as a low seed. Klatt modified the question to identify teams that could have won the title if they made the CFP.
One of his three selections was the 2015 Ohio State Buckeyes. Klatt blamed Urban Meyer for “poor coaching” in their only loss of the season and claimed he said that to his new colleague’s face.
“I think the 2015 Ohio State team, that’s a team that definitely could’ve won the national championship,” Klatt said. “Lost to Michigan State by three, largely because they tried to run the ball way too much with J.T. Barrett and not with Ezekiel Elliott. They should have given the ball to Elliott. Give it to him 20 times, they win that game maybe by one, maybe by seven. And then they’re in the playoff and maybe win the national championship.”
Ohio State went 11-0 before losing to Michigan last November, so the 2023 Buckeyes would have made a 12-team playoff. However, Klatt believes another omission would have been more dangerous.
Klatt said Georgia would have been Michigan’s “most difficult matchup” had the Bulldogs gotten a chance to win their third straight title. Kirby Smart’s program was ranked No. 1 before falling to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.
He also believes the 2014 TCU Horned Frogs could have made a serious push. Ohio State instead made the playoff with one loss and won the title as the No. 4 seed.
The College Football Playoff will multiply from four to 12 teams starting next postseason.