Paul Finebaum Didn't Hesitate When Naming His CFP National Championship Favorite
Paul Finebaum Didn't Hesitate When Naming His CFP National Championship Favorite originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
As the college football offseason continues and games are less than two months away, high expectations are being thrown around for some of the top programs.
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One of those teams is the Texas Longhorns, who came up just short of a national championship last season, falling to the Ohio State Buckeyes 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl semifinal.
However, with quarterback Arch Manning set to take over, they have a real shot in 2025. On Wednesday's episode of ESPN's "Get Up," analyst Paul Finebaum was asked if the Longhorns are his favorites to win the national championship.
"Absolutely,' Finebaum said. 'They have Arch Manning, in case you have not gotten that email from the front office, and he is expected to be better than Quinn Ewers... I think Arch Manning, had he come in during the Cotton Bowl, may have had a better shot, may have even beaten Ohio State, but he is going to be the leader of this team. They reloaded in the portal, to the tune of many millions and millions of dollars."
Throughout the offseason, Texas was a big player in the transfer portal, recruiting a total of 11 commitments for a group that ranks No. 17 in the nation and No. 7 in the SEC.
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They also have several key starters coming back, including cornerback Malik Muhammad, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and EDGE Colin Simmons, who were all placed in College Football Network's list of top 100 returning players.
Of course, to compete for a national championship, a Week 1 win would be huge, and they face a tough opponent in Ohio State, where ESPN BET already has the Longhorns as three-point underdogs.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16).Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
If Finebaum is correct, though, and Manning can lead Texas to a national championship win, it would be their fifth in program history and the first since 2005 when they defeated the USC Trojans 41-38 in the Rose Bowl.
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Related: North Carolina Reacts to Retirement of Former Patriots Super Bowl Champion
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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