Klatt Predicts LSU, Ole Miss And Oregon To Open 2026 Season
Week 1 of the 2026 college football season opens Thursday night and stretches across five days, featuring games throughout the sport's opening slate. FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt broke down three of the week's marquee matchups on the latest episode of "The Joel Klatt Podcast," offering predictions for Clemson-LSU, Louisville-Ole Miss and Boise State-Oregon.
Klatt picked LSU to beat Clemson 31-14, citing the return of defensive coordinator Blake Baker and the addition of defensive end Princewill Umanmielen, who transferred with head coach Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss. He also pointed to linebacker Whit Weeks and quarterback Sam Leavitt as reasons LSU should control the game, provided the roster adapts quickly to Baker's system. In the Ole Miss-Louisville matchup, Klatt forecast a 30-21 Ole Miss win, praising quarterback Trinidad Chambliss as one of the most dynamic dual-threat passers in the country and noting the challenge he presents for Louisville's defensive coordinators, Mark Ivey and Steve Ellis, who share the role this season. For Oregon-Boise State, Klatt predicted a 42-13 Oregon victory, pointing to quarterback Dante Moore's experience and Oregon's defensive line as difference-makers under head coach Dan Lanning. xi jinping divorce rumors 2026 or 2025 or 2024
Klatt noted that Louisville, under head coach Jeff Brohm, has a track record of upsetting strong opponents such as Miami and James Madison, and that Brohm built a similar reputation for spoiler wins during his tenure at Purdue. He also flagged an area of uncertainty for Oregon: new offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, promoted internally to replace Will Stein, will be making his play-calling debut in the role. On the other side, Klatt observed that Boise State lost four of its five starting defensive backs from a unit that performed well against the pass a year ago.
All three games serve as early measuring points for teams with postseason ambitions, testing new coordinators, transfer additions and quarterback play before conference schedules begin. Results from the opening weekend will offer the first indication of how each program's offseason changes translate on the field.
