“This committee is not serious,” said ESPN college football expert Paul Finebaum.
ESPN college football expert Paul Finebaum does not like where the College Football Playoff selection committee has ranked the Georgia Bulldogs.
Finebaum thinks that Georgia has the biggest right to be angry following the most recent playoff rankings. Georgia has the nation’s best strength of schedule and has gone 3-2 against top 20 teams in the committee’s own rankings. Georgia faced four of these five teams away from home.
“(In the playoff rankings) You saw Georgia’s opponents all over the place including, Texas, the No. 3 team in the country,” said Finebaum. “When you look at everyone else, Indiana doesn’t have a ranked team. They’ll get one this weekend. Penn State has lost to one.”
Yes, Georgia has two losses, but the Bulldogs have played a lot of great teams.
Finebaum went on to criticize the selection committee. “This committee is not serious. There are football coaches on this committee and there is no way those football coaches can tell me or anyone else with a straight face that they really think Indiana, Penn State, Miami, schools like that are better than Georgia. It is not possible,” Finebaum said.
We have to agree with Finebaum. Georgia would probably blowout this trio of teams with the exception of Penn State. However, we can’t envision Penn State scoring much against Georgia. In fact, none of Indiana, Miami or Penn State have scored an offensive touchdown against a team in the committee’s top 20 rankings team all season.
Of course, Kiffin was fired from his USC job in 2013 soon after those comments and then joined Nick Saban and Alabama as that team’s offensive coordinator. The rest is history, leading up to Kiffin’s Ole Miss upsetting Georgia this past Saturday.
Kiffin once again credited that chain of events to Finebaum, who of course isn’t the main reason Kiffin got fired at USC but probably didn’t help matters with his pointed, public commentary.
“I wouldn’t have been here to have the Georgia win if you wouldn’t have got me fired at USC,” Kiffin told Finebaum, who laughed at the comment. “Again, I’m grateful to you, Paul. Thanks for that day. Thanks for the Miley Cyrus comment.”
Both seemed to be in good spirits during the moment, and it looks like they’ve mostly buried the hatchet over one of the more infamous disses in recent college football history.
You can still detect a little salt from Kiffin, but this is probably as amicable as it’s going to get between these two.
SEC analyst believes the Georgia Bulldogs are in must win game against Tennessee
After the Georgia Bulldogs’ 28-10 loss to Ole Miss, Georgia has a lot on the line coming into this game. According to SEC football analyst Paul Finebaum, that could include their chance at the College Football Playoff.
“They’re a program that has been up and down this year,” explained Finebaum on Saturday Down South, “For the first time, they are now in a Playoff eliminator at home against Tennessee. It’s a monster game.”
Georgia suffered their second loss of the season against Ole Miss last Saturday, the first one against Alabama. It doubled as their second SEC loss of the year, and with Texas A&M and Texas only having one SEC loss. Ole Miss and Alabama are tied with Georgia with two losses. Georgia is in no-mans land for the SEC championship race.
If they were to lose to No. 6 Tennessee, they’ll have three losses, and, since 2020, only two teams with three losses have been in the top 12 after Week 14.
Currently, Georgia has a 74% chance to make the postseason, according to ESPN, but they currently have a 61.8% of winning the Tennessee game right now, and if they lose, they’ll be in the pool of three-loss teams in the SEC.
LSU and South Carolina have less than a 14% chance at making the playoff and even two-loss team Texas A&M has just a 14.3% chance too. With a loss versus Tennessee, Georgia could see themselves out of the top 12 rankings since 2017, Kirby Smart’s second year as head coach.
Jalen Milroe had a lights-out performance in Tiger Stadium, rushing for 185 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries for Alabama’s latest win in Baton Rouge. All-time, the Crimson Tide have lost nine times at Tiger Stadium since it first opened 100 years ago this season.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum teed off on the Tigers and third-year coach Brian Kelly. Finebaum labeled LSU’s performance against Alabama as “embarrassing” during an appearance on ESPN’s ‘SportsCenter.’ He also said the Tigers’ “relevancy is over.”
“Dearly beloved, let us say goodbye to LSU for the season. Their relevancy is over. Truly one of the most embarrassing performances I have seen from a major contender in a long time. They had everything. How many times did we hear (that) Brian Kelly hasn’t lost at night in Tiger Stadium? Well, that happened (Saturday). I mean, they were only down 42-6. I’m sure they had a chance to come back and they did — with 11 seconds to go to make the score, well, not really respectable.”
Finebaum said the game was “all about Jalen Milroe.”
“Nobody is burying him,” Finebaum said. “He is alive and kicking, and so is Alabama’s chances of getting to the playoffs.”
Alabama will host the Mercer Bears from the FCS ranks at Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT. The game can be seen on SEC Network+/ESPN+.
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Several media outlets share their opinions on Georgia Bulldogs football ahead of their game at Ole Miss
Throughout the season, the Georgia Bulldogs have been a massive talking point for any college sports show. Georgia is 7-1 and atop the SEC, but many folks are wondering about their staying power as SEC champions.
Georgia has a loss to No. 11 Alabama (6-2) and close wins against Kentucky (3-6), Mississippi State (2-7) and Florida (4-4).
Much of the media buzz has been around Carson Beck, who has struggled mightily with six interceptions in his last two games. A great deal of praise has been given to the defensive side of the ball: KJ Bolden, Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker have gained recognition.
Ahead of the 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday, here are some media takes about Georgia or the matchup between UGA and Ole Miss:
Paul Finebaum believes this game is big for Lane Kiffin
Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
Via the DawgNation podcast, Paul Finebaum gave his thoughts on the game, hinting this will be a referendum on Lane Kiffin’s career.
“Ultimately, I think this is the biggest game of Lane Kiffin’s career. He has a chance to come closer to punching his ticket to the College Football Playoff, or letting it all slip away. You’re going to hear about this in the game in Baton Rouge, but this is really about the opportunity for Ole Miss.”
Uncle Lou on Bleacher Report shares opinion on Carson Beck
On Bleacher Report, Uncle Lou went on his show to discuss the Bulldogs, and he had an interesting take on Carson Beck.
“The turnovers are obviously a problem. You just can’t talk about Georgia without addressing it. It’s just mind numbing, and it’s hard to understand why. It’s like a golfer with the yips. If you look at him last year, there’s a reason why every single top returning quarterback list anyone put out had Carson Beck on it. There’s a reason why he was considered a top-10 pick, potentially No. 1! But he’s far from that now, looking at third- or fourth-round pick. He might be the worst quarterback in the SEC.”
“Bell is a do-it-all player for the Georgia Bulldogs, lining up in the backfield, slot, and out wide with the ability to hit a big play every time he gets the ball.”
Safety Malaki Starks
“The strong safety for the Dawgs is one of the leaders of this defense, and he has been all over the field to start 2024. Starks tallied two tackles for loss in the loss to Alabama but was a key part of the victory in Austin, racking up seven total tackles and one TFL.”
Linebacker Jalon Walker
“Walker was a man amongst boys in the win over Texas, tallying three sacks and absolutely harassing the Longhorn offensive line. The Rebels offensive line hasn’t been great but has improved in pass protection in the past two weeks. To really have a chance on Saturday, however, the Rebels need to find a running game.”
Mike Elko discussed the Aggies’ mindset this season after the season opening loss to Notre Dame
Texas A&M’s 7-1 record and 5-0 start in SEC play, currently atop the conference, surprises many, mainly since head coach Mike Elko is in the midst of his first season with the program.
Elko and his staff deserve much credit for developing a culture that rivals nearly every Power 5 program. However, the Aggies have mainly thrived due to the transfer additions led by defensive end Nic Scourton and cornerbacks BJ Mayes and Will Lee, while a handful of others have made a weekly impact.
After defeating LSU last Saturday night in one of the craziest comebacks in Texas A&M football history, backup quarterback Marcel Reed entered the game in the second half amid Conner Weigman’s struggles, leading the Aggies to five consecutive scoring drives while producing three rushing touchdowns.
Set to face South Carolina on the road for the second consecutive primetime game on ABC, Elko appeared on the Paul Finebaum show, reflecting on the impending matchup while reflecting on how the Aggies have stayed the course after losing the season opener to Notre Dame.
“I think we started attacking this thing early on, and I think for us, one of the things that we were able to take out of the Notre Dame loss was, I think that allowed us to really insulate our program” Mike Elko stated. “You started to realize we just have to worry about us and what we need to do to improve and get better every day, to become the football team capable of coming and drowning out all that outside noise.”
After defeating Missouri, Mississippi State, and LSU, Elko and his team have stayed the course and avoided thinking that any of this is all but a weekly accomplish, as their focus remains on defeating the next opponent:
“You beat Missouri and everyone wants to talk positvely about you, but, hold on, that isn’t kind of anything yet, then you beat LSU and it kind of turns into the same thing” Elko stated. “Our kids understand what a pendulum this really is, and I believe that’s helped us in keeping them focused on what we’ve got to do to go out and play football the way we can and the way for capable of.”
Texas A&M will travel to Columbia to face South Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 2nd, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on either ABC.
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On the Matt Barrie Show this week, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum surprised Clemson football fans by praising Dabo Swinney for turning the Tigers’ season around after their early 34-3 loss to Georgia. Known for his criticism of Clemson’s head coach, Finebaum acknowledged that the team’s improvement has been one of the season’s big surprises. “Maybe one of the biggest surprises I’ve had this season is watching Clemson get a lot better,” he said. “To Dabo Swinney’s credit, I mean, I led the parade ruling them out after Labor Day.”
Clemson (6-1, 5-0 ACC) has won six straight games since the opener and heads into their Saturday home game against Louisville ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25 and No. 8 in the Coaches Poll. Swinney, however, has drawn criticism for Clemson’s approach to the transfer portal. Unlike many programs, Clemson was one of only four FBS schools, alongside the service academies, to skip the transfer portal entirely during the 2024 cycle.
Responding to Finebaum’s comments, Barrie suggested Swinney’s strategy could prove “incredibly victorious.” He noted that Swinney’s loyalty to recruiting and developing his players might outlast the trends, saying, “If they go win the ACC and are in the College Football Playoff, he can sustain the Dabo way while everyone’s dabbling in the portal, and he might have the last laugh.”
Following an open date in Week 9, Clemson now turns its attention to Saturday’s ACC matchup against Louisville (5-3, 3-2 ACC) at Death Valley, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Finebaum gives his thoughts on Alabama’s win over Missouri.
There is no denying that Saturday’s 34-0 shutout victory over the Missouri Tigers was simply a much-needed result for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
After a rough last couple of weeks, Alabama overcame a slow start against Missouri to cruise to a blowout win over the Tigers on Saturday, advancing the Crimson Tide to 6-2 overall for the season, as well as 3-2 in SEC play.
This result was also noticed by many across the sport as well, with one name being ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, who said in a segment Sunday morning:
“Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, Bama is back,” Finebaum said. “A week ago I think I ruled them out, but I am ruling them back in right now. They have a bye week. They’ll rest up, and then they get to go down to Baton Rouge in two weeks to play a beat up LSU team after what happened last night in College Station. This is a playoff eliminator. No joking, no kidding. Loser leaves town, the winner keeps going with a shot at making the CFP.”
Simply put, there is no margin for error going forward when it comes to Alabama making the College Football Playoff, as another loss will likely eliminate them from contention.
Yes, the Crimson Tide’s CFP hopes are still alive after the Missouri win, but they will need to keep compiling wins in order to keep that the same.
During one of his shows this week, a caller’s cat delivered the latest ridiculous Paul Finebaum Show moment while the caller was trying to get a word in about Deion Sanders.
Vance, from Georgia, was attempting to say something about Sanders being in the conversation for coach of the year when he abruptly stopped to yell: “Will you shut up?! I’m trying to talk to Paul!”
Understandably, Finebaum wanted to clarify exactly who Vance was yelling at in this moment.
“Vance, uh, exactly, uh, who did you — who is there?” Finebaum asked.
SEC college football analyst Paul Finebaum believes that one key Georgia player has taken a step back in 2024
At the beginning of the college football season, many news outlets projected Carson Beck as the top quarterback in college football. However, his season has been a letdown, and SEC college football analyst Paul Finebaum agrees.
On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” Finebaum mentioned he no longer believes Carson Beck is the top quarterback in college football, according to Athlon Sports.
“It’s definitely a bizarre year for him,” Finebaum said. “He started, as everyone knows, as the No. 1 quarterback in college football. He’s not that anymore.”
So far, Beck has had a completion percentage of 66%, with 1,993 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He ranks sixth on the Heisman betting odds, courtesy of BetMGM, which is far from the lofty preseason expectations he had.
