Paul Finebaum, the longtime college football commentator, has never shied away from speaking his mind. Currently, he’s acknowledging that his cherished Southeastern Conference (SEC) is no longer at the pinnacle of college football. Just a year after Michigan clinched the last-ever four-team College Football Playoff and mere hours following Ohio State’s triumph in the inaugural 12-team CFP, Finebaum conceded that the Big Ten now stands at the top of college football’s hierarchy.
During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of ESPN’s Get Up, Finebaum affirmed, “The answer, Greeny, is yes,” to host Mike Greenberg, a Big Ten alum from Northwestern, when asked if the conference dominates college football. “The Big Ten, at the moment, owns college football. And there’s no way you can say it doesn’t. When you go back to back, that’s generational.” He highlighted that the Buckeyes defeated SEC teams Tennessee and Texas in the playoff, leading to their victory over Notre Dame in Monday night’s national title game. Quoting former New York Senator William L. Marcy, he noted, “to the victor belong the spoils,” remarking, “And that’s exactly where the Big Ten is this morning.”
Paul Finebaum: “The Big Ten, at the moment, owns college football. And there’s no way you can say it doesn’t… it’s an uncomfortable feeling for the SEC, which has owned the sport. But it’s a reality this morning.” pic.twitter.com/B1KR8efVDS
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 21, 2025
Although ESPN typically embraces debate on its morning shows, the scoreboard reveals a different story as the last two seasons have seen varying Big Ten teams securing college football’s top honors. With Nick Saban no longer at the helm of a dynasty in Tuscaloosa, it remains to be seen how long the SEC will grapple to regain its prominence in the sport’s evolving landscape.
