Despite his status as an SEC loyalist, Paul Finebaum is also honest about the state of his beloved conference.
And with Indiana’s victory over Miami in the College Football Playoff Championship Game marking the Big Ten’s third national title, the ESPN star believes that the league is now at a crossroads.
While chants of “S-E-C! S-E-C!” previously rang in the new year for nearly two decades, that hasn’t been the case since Georgia won its second consecutive natty in 2022. And with the Big Ten’s advantages in the NIL and transfer portal era already apparent, Finebaum believes the conference is in “crisis,” with no clear path to reverse its fortune.
“If anyone thinks there are smiles and cheers going on in SEC country about the fact that this league has been dominant over the last 20 years, you’re wrong. That’s idle chatter,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. “There’s a real crisis going on down here and Indiana winning just made it worse. Because it is not only as an improbable story in college sports or in sports history, it’s going to change the dynamics. The paradigm shift is massive.”
Finebaum argued that the fast nature of Indiana’s turnaround has made it less likely that the new head coaches at schools like Florida and Auburn will be able to preach patience with their respective fanbases. He also pointed to the reality that many Big Ten have obvious financial advantages with their alumni bases, noting that the state of Alabama only has two billionaires — and they both happen to be Auburn supporters (sorry, Crimson Tide).
Barrie, meanwhile, countered that although the Big Ten’s top teams have clearly been better than the SEC’s best in recent years, the later remains deeper, which is perhaps why its ratings are still better. He also pointed to Lane Kiffin’s arrival at LSU as a newfound hope for the conference, as all indications are that cash won’t be an issue in Baton Rouge.
Finebaum didn’t disagree, but he’s also not ready to raise a banner just yet. After all, those are reserved for national titles, the last three of which belong to Big Ten country.
“Ultimately, a sport is judged by its champion,” Finebaum said. “This is not a one-off anymore. This is a three-off. That’s serious stuff.”
