College Football

Joel Klatt: What to expect in Nebraska-Minnesota, Colorado-TCU matchups

Updated Aug. 30, 2023 4:51 p.m. ET

After a relatively quiet Week 0, Week 1 of the 2023 college football season brings a pair of intriguing matchups on FOX.

Matt Rhule will coach his first game with Nebraska as his Cornhuskers head to Minnesota to take on the Gophers in a Big Ten matchup on Thursday (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). Two days later, the Coach Prime Era officially begins as Colorado faces TCU in Forth Worth (Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt will be on the call for both games. He previewed what we should expect to see in two of the biggest matchups in Week 1 on the latest episode of "The Joel Klatt Show."

Nebraska at Minnesota — Thursday, 8 p.m. ET (FOX and the FOX Sports app)

As Rhule takes over a Nebraska program that saw its best days more than two decades ago, and which hasn't been bowl-eligible since 2016, expectations are naturally low entering 2023. But Klatt, who called Rhule the "ultimate fixer" following his stints at Temple and Baylor, also thinks that there's still an "urgency around the program" entering Year 1 of the Rhule era.

However, Klatt isn't quite sure what to expect, saying that there are "some holes on this roster." He's a fan of Nebraska's quarterback, Jeff Sims, though, comparing the Georgia Tech transfer to an Adonis-like figure due to his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame.

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Klatt believes Sims has to improve his completion percentage from the 58.5% mark he put up last season in order for Nebraska to do damage. He has questions on whether the Cornhuskers will help him in that regard.

"Their receiving corps is the one area that this team is lacking a little bit," Klatt said. "That's the position that I think they need to address the quickest. They're decent upfront. They've got some experience upfront. … There's guys upfront, and I think they're going to be able to run the football."

In addition to Sims, Klatt also has his eyes on running back Gabe Ervin Jr., who only had 20 carries last season after suffering a knee injury as a freshman in 2021. Klatt recalled how well Ervin played in the 2021 game against Oklahoma prior to suffering that injury.

"Gabe Ervin Jr. stole the show for a bit of that early section of that game," Klatt said. "I really loved what I saw from him on film and what I saw from him that day until, unfortunately, he blew out his knee. That knee injury has slowed him ever since and he's never gotten back to the point where he was playing at that year.

"I think he's back to that point and I believe he's healthy and this run game should be pretty good. They've also got Anthony Grant, who's been productive for them."

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While Klatt is "not quite sure" what to think of Nebraska's defense, he thinks it could have its hands full against Minnesota. Klatt said that Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck is a coach who "leans into his strengths," which could lead to the Gophers playing differently than they did in 2022, when they rode Mohamed Ibrahim and the running game.

"This team's strength is going to be back to the passing game," Klatt said. "They're really good at wide receiver. I look at these guys like Chris Autman-Bell, a really good player, Daniel Jackson, a really good player, Elijah Spencer, Corey Crooms, Le'Meke Brockington — these guys can play on the outside.

"They've got a quarterback replacing Tanner Morgan who might be more talented. Tanner Morgan deserved to play, he was the program's all-time winningest quarterback. He was the leader. But Athan Kaliakmanis might be a little bit more talented as a passer, which means that this is going to be a passing-oriented team. They like their tight end a lot, too."

Colorado at TCU — Saturday, Noon E.T. (FOX and the FOX Sports app)

Colorado and TCU had polar opposite seasons in 2022, but Klatt thinks the 2023 versions of both teams are closer than what the 20.5-point spread suggests.

The Buffaloes travel down to Texas with not only a new head coach but also an almost entirely new roster. They welcomed in 58 transfers this offseason, 51 of which are scholarship players. They also have 17 incoming freshmen as they return just seven scholarship players from their 1-11 team last season.

Joel Klatt and Deion Sanders discuss his first game against TCU

As Klatt said, Colorado is "talent-rich at the skill positions," the team most notably welcomed wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

"They're as deep as they've been at running back in a long time," Klatt said of the Buffaloes. "… Their quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, is a very good player. So, they have elements here, in particular on the offensive side. They will be able to score points. The biggest question mark is who is blocking for them and are they going to be stout at all upfront? Can they protect the passer? Can they provide running lanes? I'm not sure. And I don't know if they know, either."

Defensively, Klatt likes what he sees for Colorado at safety and corner, with Hunter leading the way there, too. But Colorado's weakness is a strength for TCU.

"In a game that's going to be north of 100 degrees in Dallas with some humidity, I don't know if they've got the depth to stay with TCU," Klatt said. "Here's what I know about TCU: While they went to the national championship game and lost some key contributors [in offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, quarterback Max Duggan, running back Kendre Miller and wide receiver Quentin Johnston], they feel that they are better because of their depth this year than they were a year ago."

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Chandler Morris was TCU's starting QB last season but was replaced by Duggan after he got hurt in the season-opening matchup against Colorado. Even though Klatt likes Morris and is buying the hype that TCU's receiver room can be better than last season's (which had two NFL draft picks), he's skeptical that it will have similar results, noting it "got incredibly fortunate last year."

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"I believe that they're going to take a little bit of a step back," Klatt said. "This line suggests that Vegas believes that TCU is what they were a year ago and Colorado is what they were a year ago. Both of these are false assumptions. That's why I think that this line is too big. Colorado is going to be much better than people think. TCU, I'm not sure, it's a wait to see. I can't wait to see that wide receiver room though, and I can't wait to see Chandler Morris.

"That's going to be the most interesting game in all of college football in Week 1."