Paul Finebaum makes surprising claim on FSU and the SEC

The college football analyst said the Seminoles do not carry as much "gravitas" as another ACC program looking to exit the conference.

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum gave what he believes to be the harsh reality of conference realignment to Florida State fans, sharing that the university and its football program are not as sought after as they would like to think.

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Finebaum appeared on the "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning" program to discuss his thoughts surrounding the FSU football program and the rollercoaster it's been on in the last few years, and how it affects the university's stock in the realignment carousel.

“I think, then you start to get into the next level. Is it Florida State? I feel far more strongly saying that it is not Florida State than anyone else," said Finebaum. "Just go back two years ago. We all watched that circus going on down there. Not only that, we saw the program implode last year, which doesn’t help you in any way. Which brings me to the school I think there’s the most conversation about, and that is Clemson.”

Moreover, the ESPN analyst shared his belief that the main reason for the conference realignment solely deals with current football matchups and nothing else.

“I might have said some time back that I didn’t think Clemson was in a good position. I think they’re probably in a better position now only because in this world that we live in, it is about buzz,” Finebaum said. “It is about sizzle, and it is about matchups. You put Clemson against anyone in the upper level of the SEC, and it’s a far better game than it would be than if you put Florida State against them. And I know that’s contradictory to the earlier card, Virginia, because they don’t really bring much buzz to anyone other than in an academic, presidential setting. But I think Clemson has been gaining just a little bit of traction just in the parlor game. That’s all we’re talking about here.”

Finally, Finebaum believes that Clemson owns the final bargaining power in these discussions over teams like FSU, consistent success over the last ten years.

“The question for every one of these schools within a state that has SEC schools is, what is the position? I’ve already talked about Florida State. Would South Carolina try to stand in Clemson’s way? And, if they did, could they and would they be able to stop them? So, those are questions. I think, after that, there are any number of possibilities,” Finebaum said. “But none which would have as much gravitas as Clemson would.”

However, the argument that Florida State's administration has been making is that despite its down years on the gridiron, it continues to bring in massive viewership numbers.

Whether it's success or eyeballs that the top two conferences are looking for, it will ultimately be up to them to decide.

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