College Football Fans Roast Fox’s Joel Klatt for Ohio State-Michigan Commentary

Saturday’s matchup between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan is the biggest matchup of the college football season thus far, featuring two undefeated teams playing for a spot in the Big Ten championship and more importantly, a near-unassailable claim to a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Given the high stakes, tensions were heightened for fans of both programs, and some frustrations eventually boiled over on social media against color commentator Joel Klatt, who is calling the game on Fox alongside play-by-play man Gus Johnson.

Michigan football fans aren’t thrilled with Fox’s Joel Klatt early on during the game against Ohio State.

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

The criticism of Klatt largely came from his insistence that a Michigan touchdown was close to being ruled an interception. Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy had split two Buckeyes defenders with a bullet of a throw, connecting with receiver Roman Wilson for the score. But as Wilson fell to the ground in the end zone, Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Burke met him, tore at the ball, and ultimately ended the skirmish with the ball in his hands. 

“Boy, I tell you, I don’t know if he totally controlled that with the element of time necessary to make that a catch,” Klatt said while taking a look at the replay.

 The score was ruled a touchdown on the field, and the ruling was upheld after review.

While there was certainly room for disagreement on the play, fans still laid into Klatt, some arguing that he was too openly pulling for Ohio State in the game.

Ohio State would respond later in the second quarter with a touchdown of their own, but the Wolverines still took a 14–10 lead into halftime.