The college football world watched one specific matchup in Week 2 that had been circled on the calendar since last year. Ohio State and Texas had a score to settle after the Buckeyes embarrassed the Longhorns in last season's College Football Playoff. Texas got its revenge with a thrilling, historic comeback that helped this highly anticipated contest live up to the hype.
However, just as notable was the behavior of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian after the game.
Following Texas' dramatic victory, ESPN's Holly Rowe approached Sarkisian for an instant reaction interview. Sarkisian, however, blew off Rowe and walked away from the interview.
MORE: Steve Sarkisian sends defiant message after leading Texas past Ohio State in historic stunner
Two prominent ESPN ****** ysts, Stephen A. Smith and Paul Finebaum, ripped Sarkisian for treating one of the best sideline reporters in the business that way. Stephen A. Smith addressed the situation on First Take.

#Football

Paul Finebaum and SEC Nation made their way to Lexington as Alabama is set to play Kentucky at Kroger Field today at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The Wildcats are in Year 1 under Will Stein, who kicked off his head coaching debut with a 45-13 win over Youngstown State last week. Saturay, he's facing his first conference opponent.
Ahead of today's contest, Finebaum made a bold statement about the Stein comparing him to one of the greatest head coaches of all time.
"Seventy-five years ago, Bear Bryant coached at the University of Kentucky," Finebaum said on the set of SEC Nation. "I feel a vibe right now that the next Bear Bryant has showed up at Kentucky. They really feel like they've got their guy. Will 'Bear' Stein has arrived."
"What a statement," Tim Tebow said. "That's a left hook."

#stein #bear

'He's a child': Paul Finebaum has strong words for Lane Kiffin amid SEC lawsuit originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The ongoing feud between Paul Finebaum and Lane Kiffin took another turn on Saturday.
Hours before LSU will host Clemson in Baton Rouge, the ESPN ***** yst Paul Finebaum ripped the controversial college football coach for his willingness to add former NFL players to the Tigers roster.
The jaw-dropping moment on SEC Nation will definitely prompt a response from Kiffin. Finebaum's commentary went in on how LSU has conducted business against the wishes of the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey, even after the conference barred NFL players from being signed by teams.
"In a time when there is absolute chaos and morale decay in our game (Sankey) stopped what would have been one of the worst moments in the history," Finebaum said.

#kiffin #sporting #source

The seemingly never-ending soap opera that is Lane Kiffin's existence on Earth continued this week with excerpts from a forthcoming book on the LSU football coach.
One such passage details, among other things, that he encouraged Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to come forward with accusations that Kiffin's former employer, Mississippi, had tampered with a player. According to one of the key characters in that drama, though, it didn't exactly go down like that.
With his Clemson team set to face off against Kiffin's LSU squad this weekend, Swinney denied that Kiffin played any role in the tampering charges he brought against Ole Miss earlier this year after losing linebacker Luke Ferrelli to the Rebels.
REQUIRED READING: Paul Finebaum: Lane Kiffin like 'an ex-girlfriend' — but he'll win ***** le at LSU
"Lane Kiffin had nothing to do with, I mean zero to do with me turning in the tampering situation here. Zero," Swinney said in a news conference on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

#kiffin #zero

One of college football's most polarizing figures is none other than LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin. Though he has worked over the years to repair his image, his actions over the past calendar year suggest he may still be the same-old Kiffin.
He ditched Ole Miss in the middle of a College Football Playoff run and is now fighting to get former NFL players on his roster. One prominent college football ****** yst ripped into Kiffin for what he believes is the coach's signature trait: lying.
MORE: Updated College Football Playoff odds & prediction after Week 0
Paul Finebaum appeared on ESPN's First Take and blasted the LSU head coach for what he views as constant lies and deception whenever Kiffin gets in front of a microphone.
Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; SEC Nation Roman Harper (left) and Paul Finebaum (right) speak on the sideline during pre-game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Credit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

#kiffin #paul #credit

Kalen DeBoer quieted some outside skepticism about him last season by leading Alabama to its first College Football Playoff appearance in the post-Nick Saban era.
The Crimson Tide not only reached the CFP, but also secured a first-round road victory over SEC rival Oklahoma. That success was rewarded this offseason when Alabama handed DeBoer a new seven-year contract that keeps him in Tuscaloosa through 2033, making him the third-highest-paid coach in college football, according to USA TODAY's salaries database.
So, as the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide enter the 2026 season, is DeBoer facing any hot seat chatter? ESPN's Paul Finebaum believes it's not out of the question.
What we're hearing: CJ Carr is 'unbelievable', Jimbo Fisher wants back in
Hayes: Alabama, Kalen DeBoer are SEC media days afterthought. How the mighty have fallen

#Football

ESPN is making a significant change to its college football broadcasts for the 2026 season.
According to Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, ESPN is getting rid of the BottomLine ticker that appears during a college football game. The network is making this change to make the presentation look cleaner.
MORE: Paul Finebaum applauds Big Ten, SEC bans on NFL players
"We're always looking for ways to better serve sports fans. By removing the BottomLine during live action, we're creating a cleaner presentation that keeps the focus where it belongs—on the field," an ESPN spokesperson told Glasspiegel.
The ticker already doesn't appear during College Football Playoff games, and that will now be extended to regular-season games.

#espn #glasspiegel

The college football season is quickly approaching, and soon a new quest for the College Football Playoffs will begin. The defending champions, the Indiana Hoosiers, will look to defend their incredible **** le run.
Head coach Curt Cignetti's run with Indiana was one for the ages. However, a familiar face is already casting doubt on their **** le defense.
Paul Finebaum was on SportsCenter, and when the topic of Indiana's ranking came up, he didn't hold back. In fact, he painted the whole picture as clearly as it can be.
MORE: Clemson and 3 other unranked CFB teams that could finish in the top-10
"That's where they were picked last year in the Big 10 … So, they are moving on up after a perfect season. They're exactly where they should be for this reason. Everybody in front of them has a starting quarterback. And if Indiana had its starting quarterback, number one," Finebaum said.

#Football #quarterback #playoffs

Jayden Daniels has been in the midst of an awe-inspiring, reputation-ruining run for the last week after it went public that he'd sent a legal threat to LSU over the use of the No. 5, which he wore while winning the Heisman Trophy for the Tigers.
The Washington Commanders quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner is engaged in a dispute with his former school over sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett wearing his former jersey number. Not only is Daniels upset, but his lawyer has also sent the school a formal cease-and-desist letter demanding that they stop using his name, image, and likeness.
Social media has had a field day with all of this, including pro sports teams pointing out all the ways they didn't score 5 points because they didn't want to run afoul of Daniels.
The media critiques haven't been kind either, as ESPN's Paul Finebaum excoriated the Commanders quarterback, saying, "I've rarely, if ever, seen a dumber, more senseless move," and warning him to never return to Baton Rouge.
SiriusXM host Adam Schein joined in the fun during a recent episode of his Mad Dog Radio show, saying that Daniels is effectively dead to LSU and its fans now.

#former #Commanders #quarterback

The Oklahoma Sooners are a top-10 program heading into the 2026 college football season, according to the preseason AP poll released on Monday. The Sooners came in at No. 10, coming off a 10-3 season and a College Football Playoff berth in 2025.
However, not everyone is on board with the Sooners' top-10 ranking. On "SportsCenter," ESPN's Paul Finebaum said that Oklahoma doesn't belong that high.
"I don't know how people realistically think Oklahoma's going to finish in the top-10," Finebaum said. "You can say whatever you want about what they have in John Mateer... but, Matt, their schedule is beyond brutal."
Former Sooner great Gerald McCoy had an issue with that statement from Finebaum. He tweeted saying that Oklahoma is one of the best programs in the history of college football, and they don't shy away from anyone.
"Schedule?" McCoy posted. "That's your reason, Finebaum? Man, this is the scariest, weakest statement ever. Winning a natty ain't easy. It has to be earned. This is OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL. We ain't worried about no schedule, man. We welcome all smoke!! Top universities, say line it up!! And we are a top university. Line it up with whoever!! Win, lose or draw, we ain't ducking ****** ODY. Home or road."

#Sooners #mccoy

Florida A&M football is getting national exposure on one of ESPN's signature shows.
On Tuesday, Aug. 4, head coach Quinn Fordham Gray Sr. will join "The Paul Finebaum Show" to discuss his Rattler football team, FAMU announced on social media.
Gray will be on the college football show's 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time block on the SEC Network and can also be heard on ESPN Radio. The "Paul Finebaum Show" has been a fixture of ESPN and the SEC Network for more than a decade.
The FAMU coach is one of the hottest names in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and Black College Football entering the 2026 football season, as the Hall of Fame and former record-setting quarterback takes over at his alma mater. He looks to rebuild the Rattlers from a 5-7 record a year ago after signing a five-year deal worth $1.4 million.

#gray #show #network

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer is coming off an inconsistent first season in Norman. Mateer joined the Sooners after a stellar season with the Washington State Cougars.
He was one of the most sought-after players in the portal before ultimately following offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to Norman. He got off to a great start, throwing for 1,215 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, while rushing for 190 yards and five scores in the first four games. The Sooners went 4-0 in that stretch, and Mateer was one of the leaders for the Heisman Trophy.
Mateer would suffer an injury to his throwing hand in that fourth game. That would require him to wear a brace on his thumb the rest of the season. He struggled, throwing for 1,670 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, while rushing for 241 yards and three scores in the final eight games of the season.
Despite those struggles down the stretch, ESPN's Paul Finebaum revealed he's a fan of Mateer.
"You know, (I) saw Mateer the other day, and I'm a fan," Finebaum said on WWLS The Sports Animal. "And if he can, you know, stay healthy, if (he) gets, you know, some protection and some weapons, which they didn't really have last year."

#season

Should Texas national **** le-or-bust talk be directed more at Arch Manning or Steve Sarkisian? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Is it national championship-or-bust for Texas? If so, who is more responsible to make it happen?

ESPN's "First Take" tossed this soon-to-be season-long narrative around at SEC Media Days on Thursday with Paul Finebaum and Stephen A. Smith. A hyped-up Texas team in July is nothing new. The Longhorns have a top-five ranking, a roster full of NFL Draft-ready talent and Arch Manning is plastered across the Sporting News College Football 2026 Preview magazine.
So naturally, this question became whether it's a national championship-or-bust year for Manning in 2026.
"Absolutely, because this is one of those heralded players in college football history," Finebaum said. "We know what happened last year, but what is going to happen this year? If he finishes his career with any sort of **** le or any sort of playoff, there is no other way to characterize it. You hate to do it — because of all of the good things about him and his family, but that's just the reality of the situation."
Then something curious happened, and it wasn't the part where Smith pushed back with the belief Manning will go on to a productive NFL career.

#bust #year #finebaum #college

The 2026 season will not bring another expansion of the College Football Playoff. That doesn’t mean expansion is off the table, though. In fact, it still appears more likely than not.
The biggest hurdle is ESPN’s grip on the current tournament. The network owns the exclusive broadcast rights through a 14-team playoff field. Any expansion beyond that would open the door for other broadcasters to bid on the rights.
MORE: NC State’s schedule could open unexpected dark-horse path
Paul Finebaum believes significant expansion is inevitable, and he also thinks it will challenge ESPN’s monopoly on the College Football Playoff.
“I think ultimately, it will go to 24. There will be too much money at stake. And what the Big Ten and others want to do is make it an open market. Right now, ESPN has the exclusive contract, but it can’t go [over] 16 and retain that.”

#espn #open

Is Kalen DeBoer the guy for Alabama football? Heading into year three, SEC media pundit Paul Finebaum still doesn't think so.
At the SEC Football Kickoff in Tampa on Wednesday, July 22, Finebaum discussed DeBoer with Stephen A. Smith on "First Take."
Stephen A. Smith had been vocal about his disbelief in DeBoer throughout the week on "First Take," but Finebaum joined the conversation while at the SEC Football Kickoff in Tampa on Wednesday, July 22. His boldest take came moments before the Crimson Tide's coach took the podium.
"Kalen DeBoer has just made a mess out of a great situation," Finebaum declared.
REQUIRED READING: Why this Alabama football QB battle is nothing new to Austin Mack | Exclusive

#finebaum #Football #alabama #wednesday

Lane Kiffin, Pete Golding, Ole Miss and LSU are all major topics at SEC Media Days and neither program nor coach have even taken the stage yet.
Let's take a trip down memory lane and see if we can jog the memory of Mr. Harper just six short month ago. Minutes after the defeat in the CFP semifinals to the Miami Hurricanes, Harper said that Ole Miss was "not going backwards, only going forward." Don't take my word for it, here's the receipt:
So what's forward from a last second defeat in the semifinals? Well that would be, at minimum, an appearance in the CFP national championship.
Tim Tebow, Paul Finebaum and Roman Harper were joined by former standout Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel on the SEC Nation set at media days and Daniels was talking about the sky-high expectations of the Ole Miss fan base because they were 18 seconds away from a natty.
It was at this moment that Harper interjected and said, "They're not winning a natty.. they're not, they're Ole Miss. You'll see, you'll learn."

#harper #lane

If there was ever a string of unlikeable college football head coaches, the LSU Tigers could arguably claim that distinction. Most recently, they hired Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss. He replaced someone many fans found even more unlikeable: Brian Kelly.
There's no doubt Kelly is a good football coach. However, his personality and the way he handles business have often rubbed people the wrong way.
MORE: CFB ****** yst warns LSU fans Lane Kiffin era may start with tough times
That became even more apparent when prominent college football ****** yst Paul Finebaum reflected on interviewing Kelly for three consecutive years. During a recent appearance at the 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit, Finebaum compared those conversations to an unpleasant medical procedure.
Jan 6, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; ESPN broadcaster Paul Finebaum during media day at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer is looking to prove he belongs among the best in college football. Mateer was doing exactly that early last season before a thumb injury completely changed the trajectory of his season.
Mateer was one of the most impressive quarterbacks in the country through the first four games of the 2025 season. He threw for 1,215 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions and rushed for 190 yards and five touchdowns. That dominant start quickly made him one of the early favorites in the Heisman Trophy race.
Mateer missed just one game after undergoing surgery to repair the broken bone. He returned for the final eight games of the season, but he was not the same player he was before the injury. Mateer threw for 1,670 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, while adding 241 rushing yards and three touchdowns in those games.
On3's Chris Low ranked Mateer as the fourth-best quarterback in the SEC heading into the 2026 season. However, because of how dominant Mateer looked when healthy, Low believes he has the potential to make the biggest leap among SEC quarterbacks.
"If he stays healthy, I think Mateer makes the biggest jump," Low said on 'The Paul Finebaum Show.' "They've done a nice job of surrounding him with better players. This is his third year with his coordinator, second year at Oklahoma. He was never the same after he hurt his hand... he's had a great off-season."

Arch Manning was among the most hyped up players for the 2025 college football season, with **** ysts even projecting him to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2026 NFL Draft, win the Heisman Trophy, and even lead the Longhorns to a national championship.
Peyton Manning, who is regarded as a Tennessee Volunteers legend, is also an uncle to Arch, which is why the Super Bowl Champ’s support is always a point of curiosity for fans.
Talking about whether he’ll support Tennessee or Texas in the upcoming 2026 college football season, Peyton told the reporters at Manning Passing Academy on June 26th, 2026.
“Obviously, it’s going to be a huge SEC game. My dad dealt with it when I was in college when Tennessee played Ole Miss, We don’t really touch those topics in our family group chat… I love my university and alma mater – love them both unconditionally… but nothing’s more important to me than my family,” Peyton said. “When you have a nephew playing, I pull very hard for him every single Saturday so that’s pretty much a no-brainer that you’re pulling for your nephew to play well.”
Analysts like Paul Finebaum projected Arch to be the next Tim Tebow, predicting him to be one of the best college football players the game would see in over a decade.

When Nick Saban retired from Alabama, he effectively brought an end to one of the greatest dynasties in college football history. Alabama no longer sits atop the sport. Instead, the focus has shifted to a new question: Which program will become college football’s next powerhouse?
As the expanded College Football Playoff era takes shape, several programs should emerge as annual contenders. But which of them has the potential to build a dynasty of its own? Replicating Saban’s unprecedented success may be impossible, but a new dominant force could soon emerge.
MORE: Paul Finebaum is right about Kalen DeBoer-led Alabama
Here are three programs positioned to become the next dynasty in college football.
If any SEC program looks capable of winning it all year after year, it’s Georgia under Kirby Smart.

Dabo Swinney has spent nearly two decades proving doubters wrong at Clemson. These days, though, one of his most vocal critics isn’t expecting another turnaround.
ESPN commentator Paul Finebaum has repeatedly questioned the direction of Clemson’s program in recent years, and his outlook hasn’t changed heading into the 2026 season. Earlier this offseason, Finebaum bluntly stated that he no longer believes in Swinney, pointing to Clemson’s recent struggles and an opening-week showdown against LSU as reasons for concern.
“I don’t have any faith or belief in Dabo Swinney anymore,” Finebaum said.
Finebaum specifically cited Clemson’s trip to Baton Rouge, where the Tigers will open the season against LSU.
“It’s hard for me to believe that Clemson, with a new quarterback, is going to go into Baton Rouge and win that game,” he said.