There aren’t many better ways to get ready for a major college football tilt than a live show before the game.Â
Ahead of Michigan hosting No. 11 Oklahoma this Saturday, FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt hosted a live showing of “The Joel Klatt Show” in Ann Arbor.
The third-ever live “Joel Klatt Show” sold out The Circ Bar and featured guest stars like a national title-winning head coach and Klatt’s “Big Noon Kickoff” colleagues.
Klatt hosted guests including former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft and “Big Noon Kickoff’s” Dave Portnoy. Klatt and co. discussed everything from the 24-team playoff to expectations for Michigan against Oklahoma and even put them in the spotlight with a lie-detector test.Â
Here are the best moments from “The Joel Klatt Show” live in Ann Arbor:
It’s no secret that Portnoy is a passionate Michigan football fan, portraying his fandom constantly on-air and on social media.
On Klatt’s live show, Portnoy revealed his all-time Michigan team with his top-five Wolverine players of all time. To name a few, Portnoy included players from the Wolverines’ recent national title win in 2023, like quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and their 1997 national title team with Heisman winner Charles Woodson. Â
Portnoy’s all-time Michigan team:
Quarterback: J.J. McCarthy
Wide receivers: Desmond Howard, Anthony Carter
Running back: Tim Biakabutuka
Defense: Charles Woodson
Following his all-time Michigan team, Portnoy shared his thoughts on former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who led the Wolverines to a national title in 2024.Â
Harbaugh finished his coaching tenure at Michigan with an 86-25 overall record, a 60-17 record in conference play and three consecutive Big Ten Championships from 2021-23. Harbaugh’s final year saw a Big Ten title, an undefeated 15-0 record and a national title win.Â
Despite the success, Portnoy’s thoughts on Harbaugh did not change.Â
“Once McCarthy came in, everything changed. Hand up, I wanted Harbaugh gone,” Portnoy said. “It was every year we were getting drummed. I bet there are a lot of silent Michigan fans out there that are like, Yeah, maybe we thought it was time for a change. There were some down years.”
Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops joined Klatt and Portnoy on stage and weighed in on current topics surrounding the college football landscape.
Stoops was head coach of the Sooners from 1999-2016 and compiled a 191-48 overall record, two Big 12 titles and a BCS National Championship in 2000.
In particular, Stoops shared his thoughts on the possible College Football Playoff expansion to 24 teams.Â
“I’ve been a proponent of less playoff games, but these games are going to go away. So then that would be the reason to keep the 24 teams in the playoff,” Stoops said. “Because now you can come up to Michigan, things don’t go the right way, you can still recover from it.”Â
If you’ve seen Zlatan’s infamous Polygraph test during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, get ready for Klatt and Portnoy to have their turn.Â
Klatt went first, and was asked about everything from his Big Noon Kickoff colleagues and the success at his alma mater, Colorado. However, one answer regarding Saturday’s matchup stood out.Â
When Portnoy asked Klatt about his stance on Michigan beating the No. 11 Sooners, his answer was simple and true.Â
“Do you think Michigan can actually win [on] Saturday?” Portnoy asked.Â
“Yes,” Klatt said confidently.Â
When it was time for Portnoy to take the test, the focus was not so much on his Wolverines’ upcoming matchup. Portnoy was instantly asked by Taft how his last weekend went when Rutgers was upset by UMass in Week 1.Â
