Joel Klatt likes Washington to beat Michigan in National Title rematch

The Wolverines are a slight underdog according to oddsmakers, and Klatt is siding with the Huskies in the encore...

Matt Lounsberry | 2 Hours Ago

Dec 4, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt during the Michigan Wolverines game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Michigan Wolverines

As game day approaches for Michigan and Washington in a rematch of last year's national championship game, opinions and predictions seem to be trending in the direction of the Huskies.

The latest to side with Washington is Fox Sports' college football analyst Joel Klatt, who believes the Huskies will avenge their 34-13 loss back in January to the Wolverines this Saturday in Seattle.

"I like Washington in this game," Klatt said on his podcast, The Joel Klatt Show. "The second half of each of the last two games for Michigan, the fact that they have no margin for error. The fact that Washington played a very good game, but just wasn't clean at the right times against Rutgers. They can clean that up. I think that Washington win. I think that they win this 24-17, and that's a cover for the Huskies, at home, in a national championship game rematch."

Perhaps the biggest reason that Klatt likes Washington in this game is their clear advantage at quarterback.

"I think Will Rogers, the Washington quarterback, is a pretty good player," Klatt said. "If [Huskies head coach] Jedd Fisch can protect him, I think they'll be able to throw the football, which USC and Minnesota did in the second half against Michigan. Will Rogers — 10 touchdowns, no interceptions [this season]."

Washington Huskies football quarterback Will Rogers

Sep 7, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Will Rogers (7) during warmups before the game against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, Michigan quarterback Alex Orji has thrown for just 118 yards total in the Wolverines' wins over USC and Minnesota, and Klatt questions how much more Michigan's coaching staff can get out of the redshirt sophomore going forward.

"My question for Sherrone Moore and Kirk Campbell and this Michigan offense would be, how do we put Alex Orji in a better position to succeed," Klatt asked. "And listen, he beat USC, which is a good team, and they got the win over Minnesota. That's nothing to scoff at. However, there is an element of kind of square peg-round hole that's going on with this Michigan offense. Namely, I'd love to see them lean totally into Orji's ability to be dynamic as a runner. We don't see a lot of the designed quarterback run game that we see from, let's say, Alabama and Jalen Milroe."

Between Orji and running backs Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, Michigan could potentially have a three-headed monster in the backfield, one that could keep opponents guessing if all three are on the field at the same time. While Klatt acknowledges the importance of developing Orji as a passer, he sees the best path of success for the Wolverines as one that plays into that triple-option type of attack.

"If he's going to be your quarterback, and you're having a hard time throwing the football, while developing the passing game you've got to lean into him being dynamic. I'd love to see Alex Orji get 10 to 12 carries a game. I'd love to see Kalel Mullings get 14 to 18 carries and Edwards somewhere around that eight to 12 carries a game. I think that's where they'd be best in the run game. Now you're talking about a significant run game to stop with three guys that are very difficult to do so."

Michigan Wolverines football quarterback Alex Orji

Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Alex Orji (10) passes in the first half against the USC Trojans at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Washington's defense has been stout through its first five games, ranking No. 10 nationally in yards allowed per game. However, Michigan's offensive strength plays into the Huskies' defensive weakness.

"Washington's defense, they did hold Rutgers under 300 yards last week, but they did allow [Scarlet Knights running back] Kyle Monangai to run for 132 [yards] on 25 carries," Klatt said.

Despite being ranked No. 10 in the country, Michigan (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) is a slight underdog to Washington (3-2, 1-1) in this matchup. Oddsmakers have moved the point spread line quite a bit this week, with Washington opening as a one-point favorite, climbing as high as a 2.5-point favorite and settling in as a 1.5-point favorite as of Sunday night.

"Washington, in their last game, really should have beat Rutgers," Klatt said. "Meanwhile, Michigan has eeked out back-to-back three-point wins over USC and Minnesota. They almost blew those leads in both of those games in the second half, and the question becomes, can Michigan continue to win with minimal to no downfield passing?"

At least this week, the answer to that question in Klatt's mind is, 'No'.

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