Klatt calls Oklahoma the “Weakest” playoff team — but the Sooners’ five ranked wins and brutal schedule tell a very different story
As the Oklahoma Sooners linger on the periphery of the 12-team College Football Playoff field, they're left twiddling their thumbs while the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs clash in the SEC Championship Game.
With a 10-2 record, the Sooners' postseason destiny hangs in the balance: Will they host a first-round thriller in Norman, or hit the road elsewhere?
Oklahoma is ranked No. 8 in the latest College Football Playoff poll, a spot that secures a home game against a lower seed.
Yet, whispers of chaos abound—if Alabama topples Georgia for the SEC crown, could the Tide leapfrog the Sooners?
It wouldn't be the first twist; after all, Oklahoma edged Alabama 23-21 in Tuscaloosa last month, a gritty win fueled by Crimson Tide turnovers despite Bama's 200-yard total yardage advantage.
Enter FOX Sports' sharp-tongued analyst Joel Klatt, who unleashed a scorching takedown this week.
Klatt doesn't mince words: Among the playoff bubble teams, he deems the Sooners the shakiest contender. "To be quite honest with you, the team that has the weakest resume—and I know that sounds crazy and you guys are going to scoff at me—is OU," he declared. Diving into the data, Klatt leaned on advanced metrics like Sagarin ratings and ESPN's SP+ , which rank Oklahoma's efficiency middling at best. "If you're just watching the film and doing this off the eye test, I mean OU is the worst of all those teams," he added.
Klatt painted a dire picture, suggesting Oklahoma's flaws could unravel them deep into January. "You can get all the way to Miami, and it's like if any of those teams play OU this week, I think those teams win the game," he warned, referencing the Orange Bowl semifinal.
He circled back to that Alabama thriller: "Look at how many yards Alabama had in that game. They outgained them by almost 200 yards or more. So I know they won, but a lot of it was turnovers. That offense is so poor—watch out for OU where they go. If Notre Dame passes them, maybe we're set up for that."
Klatt's critique isn't baseless; Oklahoma's offense has been a sputtering engine all season, checking in at No. 92 nationally in yards per game (340.8).
Turnovers have masked deeper issues, like inconsistent line play and a run game averaging just 3.7 yards per carry.
The Sooners' reliance on quarterback John Mateer—a transfer sensation from Washington State—has kept them afloat, but his 10 interceptions underscore the volatility.
Defensively, they've been stout, allowing only 14.9 points per game (top-7 mark), but Klatt argues it's not enough against playoff-caliber firepower.
Still, calling the Sooners' resume "weakest" feels like a swing and a miss—overly simplistic and dismissive of their gauntlet. Oklahoma navigated one of the nation's toughest schedules, emerging with signature wins that few teams can match.
They notched five victories over AP Top-25 foes during the regular season: Michigan, Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama, and Missouri.
No other FBS program boasts that many ranked scalps in 2025, a testament to their mettle in the SEC meat grinder.
The numbers don't lie in their favor either. ESPN's FPI ranks Oklahoma's strength of schedule at No. 12 overall.
Their strength of record? A stellar No. 9, accounting for the quality of victories amid close calls.
Game control metrics—blending margins of victory, time of possession, and turnover margins—place them ninth nationally, highlighting their knack for dictating tempo even in one-score scraps.
Klatt's hot take risks overshadowing Brent Venables' rebuild in Year 4. After a dismal 6-7 debut in the SEC last year, the Sooners have done what they needed to do.
As Klatt shifts focus to calling the Big Ten Championship—pitting No. 1 Ohio State against No. 2 Indiana this weekend—it's clear he's overlooked the "special thing" brewing in Norman.
The Sooners aren't flawless, but they're battle-tested warriors, forged in the SEC's unforgiving forge.
If the committee rewards resumes over recency bias, Oklahoma deserves that No. 8 seed and a home crowd roaring them into the fray.