Latest news with #ThePaulFinebaumShow
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
'I really like what I see': Paul Finebaum on the 2025 Oklahoma Sooners
'I really like what I see': Paul Finebaum on the 2025 Oklahoma Sooners In the transfer portal era of college football, programs now have the capability to change so much for their team over just one offseason. A team that excelled can get gutted by players transferring elsewhere, while a team that struggled can make upgrades at the necessary positions to improve the following year. That's what fans of the Oklahoma Sooners are hoping happens for their team in 2025. After a poor season in 2024, OU is in serious need of a bounce-back this year. They made plenty of portal additions this winter and spring to try and avoid another subpar season. Oklahoma's biggest portal acquisition came in the form of a QB upgrade. Washington State's John Mateer replaces former starting quarterback Jackson Arnold, who now plays at Auburn. With the Sooners needing a total revamp on offense after last season's dumpster fire, many believe that Mateer is the key to getting OU back to their high standard on that side of the ball. That list includes Paul Finebaum, who covers college football and the SEC for ESPN and the SEC Network. He hosts "The Paul Finebaum Show," where he expressed his high expectations for Mateer and Oklahoma. "I think John Mateer is going to fit in very well," Finebaum said. "This is based on people who have seen him perform out there and those who know the Sooners' depth chart. I really like what I see. It's a big year. A couple of tricky games. The second half of the schedule, to me, is littered with tough road games." Mateer, along with new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who also comes from Washington State, will be tasked with getting OU back on track offensively. However, Oklahoma's early schedule includes two big home games against Michigan and Auburn. If the Sooners can topple the Wolverines and the Tigers, they should be 5-0 when they head to the Cotton Bowl to face Texas. After the Red River Rivalry, Oklahoma's final six games are all against brutally tough competition. South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and LSU is about as tough of a half-season stretch as you can find in college football. It certainly won't be easy against the nation's hardest schedule, but with a difference-maker in place again at the quarterback position, the Sooners have high hopes for the 2025 season. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN analyst has words for SMU Football's playoff credibility
ESPN analyst has words for SMU Football's playoff credibility originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Leave it to Paul Finebaum to stir the pot before the first snap of the college football season. The ESPN analyst, never one to mince words, took aim at SMU football during a recent segment of The Paul Finebaum Show, dismissing the Mustangs' 2024 College Football Playoff berth as unearned. 'Last year, SMU got a third-place ribbon. They had no business being in the CFP,' Finebaum said bluntly. Advertisement The comment has sparked major backlash among Mustangs fans and college football insiders, especially given SMU's standout first year in the ACC. The Mustangs went 11-3, won the ACC Coastal Division, and went undefeated in regular-season conference play before narrowly falling to Clemson 30-27 in the ACC title game. Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee leads his team to the field before the 2024 ACC Championship game against the Clemson Tigers at Bank of America Stadium. :Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Created: Despite the loss, SMU secured a spot in the expanded 12-team CFP. While their postseason ended with a 38-10 loss to No. 6 Penn State, the selection committee deemed their resume strong enough, especially in a year filled with parity across the Power Four. Finebaum's critique raises a larger question: what does it really take for programs outside the traditional elite to be respected? Advertisement With a 2025 slate that includes matchups against Clemson, Louisville, and Miami, and a non-conference gauntlet featuring Baylor and TCU, SMU has a chance to prove last season wasn't a fluke. The Mustangs aren't just playing for wins this fall, they're playing for national credibility. And thanks to Finebaum, they've got bulletin board material before Week 1. If Finebaum wanted to wake a sleeping giant in Dallas, he may have just succeeded. Related: SMU Football Makes Underrated Hire After Playoff Season Related: SMU Football Faces Backlash After Team GPA Under Rhett Lashlee Surfaces This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Brian Kelly Dealt Blunt Reality Check Amid Growing Hype Around LSU
Brian Kelly Dealt Blunt Reality Check Amid Growing Hype Around LSU originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There is a lot of hype surrounding the LSU Tigers and head coach Brian Kelly ahead of the 2025 college football season. However, that's to be expected for a SEC powerhouse like the Tigers. Advertisement Despite that, one college football analyst believes everyone should pump the brakes because Kelly has yet to accomplish much of anything since his arrival in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While on the Paul Finebaum Show, 247Sports analyst Brad Crawford explained his reasons why, if anything, Kelly should be on the hot seat. "Brian Kelly hit the mark. He knows this, on paper, is the best roster he's had. For me, LSU's big thing this summer has been 'Don't buy into the hype. Don't read the press clippings. Don't watch 'The Paul Finebaum Show,'" said Crawford Per the 247Sports' 2025 transfer portal team rankings, LSU had the top class with 18 commitments. The Tigers paired that with the No. 10 recruiting class in 2025, which included two five-star and 19 four-star commitments. Advertisement With all those incoming players, LSU's roster is chock-full of new talent, and it's reflected in the added expectations surrounding the program. "LSU is a team that should get to the (College Football) Playoff. Now 'should' is not 'would' or 'is it possible' because we've seen the last five years, LSU has not won a season opener," Crawford continued. Kelly arrived with the Tigers ahead of the 2022 college football season, so this losing streak in opening games stretches beyond his tenure. LSU has lost to USC and Florida State twice over the last three years under Kelly. LSU Tigers head coach Brian Chenault-Imagn Images The Tigers lost to UCLA in 2021 and to Mississippi State in 2020. LSU is travelling to Clemson to kick off the 2025 season on Aug. 30. Advertisement "With [quarterback] Garrett Nussmeier, a guy I think will be the No. 1 pick in next year's draft," said Crawford. "(Kelly has) got to get it done this time around or Brian Kelly is going to be on the hot seat by November." Finebaum responded to Crawford's bold statement by saying that Kelly is going to be a regular guest on his show throughout the season, and he would use Crawford's quote to see what Kelly thinks about it. LSU is ranked at No. 6 in ESPN's latest way-too-early college football rankings, and analyst Mark Schlabach shares a similar sentiment with Crawford that the Tigers should be "in the thick of the SEC title and CFP races." Related: Former LSU HC Issues Blunt Reality Check to Brian Kelly Before Tigers' 2025 Season Related: Kirby Smart, Georgia Reportedly Made a Move To Steal 5-Star WR Away From Alabama This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Reports: Donald Trump's proposed presidential commission put on hold
According to reports, plans to create a presidential commission to oversee key issues in college sports have been placed on hold. The commission championed by President Donald Trump was slated to be headed by former Alabama football coach Nick Saban and ex-Texas Tech offensive lineman Cody Campbell, who's now the chairman of the Texas Tech Board of Regents. The commission idea gained steam after May 1, when Trump spoke at the University of Alabama's graduation ceremony that also included an address from Saban. With multiple issues clouding the college sports landscape - including powerful Name, Image, Likeness questions that the courts and Congress have been trying to answer - the presidential commission sounded like another avenue to find solutions. But two weeks after meeting with Trump in Tuscaloosa, Saban appeared on "The Paul Finebaum Show" and claimed the commission might not be necessary. "I think that a lot of people know exactly what the issues are in college football and exactly what we need to do to fix them," Saban told Finebaum. "I think the key to the drill is getting people together so we can move it forward. I'm not opposed to players making money. I don't want anybody to think that. I just think the system, the way it's going right now, it's not sustainable and probably not in the best interests of the student-athletes across the board or the game itself." Presumably, putting the presidential commission on the back burner suggests other legislative avenues are making headway. According to The Athletic, a bipartisan Congressional group led by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has devoted "hundreds of hours" to solving what ails college sports. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
White House pausing plans for presidential commission on college sports: Source
By Justin Williams, Sam Khan Jr. and Chris Vannini Plans for a presidential commission exploring issues in college sports have been paused, a source familiar with the plans confirmed to on Thursday. The commission will be paused indefinitely as members of Congress continue to pursue legislation in hopes of addressing major issues facing college sports, the source said. There is no definitive timetable for when the commission could resume, but planning and coordinating could continue in the interim. Yahoo Sports was the first to report that the commission would be paused. Advertisement Former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas Tech board of regents chair Cody Campbell were the expected co-chairs of the commission and met in person last week and were said to be aligned on key issues. A presidential commission would typically dig into various aspects of an issue or enterprise and deliver a report suggesting possible solutions that could involve executive and legislative action. But Saban has publicly downplayed the need for a commission in recent public statements. During a May 14 appearance on 'The Paul Finebaum Show,' Saban simultaneously downplayed the commission's necessity while advocating for solutions from a group of people. 'Well, first of all, I don't know a lot about the commission. Secondly, I'm not sure we really need a commission,' Saban said on the show. 'I think a lot of people know exactly what the issues are in college football and exactly what we need to do to fix them. I think the key to the drill is getting people together so that we can move it forward.' Advertisement Saban discussed possibly constructing a group that addresses the ongoing legal, financial and competitive issues college sports have struggled to navigate in this era of name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation and the transfer portal. 'I think there are a lot of people out there that know how to fix it,' Saban said. 'I just think we have to push it forward and get everybody together, and some of it may need to be done on the federal level.' News of the possible commission broke on May 7, shortly after President Donald J. Trump spoke at Alabama's commencement and visited with Saban personally afterward. College sports leaders have been lobbying Congress for several years for a bill that would support the NCAA and conferences as they try to regain control of regulating college athletics issues, including NIL compensation, transfer portal movement and possibly obtaining an antitrust exemption. Advertisement Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has been leading a bipartisan group, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who is working on a bill that could provide some relief to the NCAA and conferences. In early May, Cruz expressed optimism about the possible legislation, while acknowledging the multiple steps that remain in the process. 'That is actively moving forward,' Cruz said on May 6. 'We are negotiating. I think we are close to having a bipartisan product that can move. … I think college athletics is in crisis, and Congress has an obligation to step in and solve this problem. 'That is a major priority for me and for this committee. We have been spending hundreds of hours working, trying to get bipartisan agreement.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. College Football, Men's College Basketball, Sports Business, Women's College Basketball, College Sports 2025 The Athletic Media Company
