Paul Finebaum Continues to Wrongly Blast Michigan Football: 'They're Not Relevant'

The SEC analyst continues to hold onto the Jim Harbaugh days and how Michigan won its national title.

Ken Ruinard / staff, The Greenville News via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Michigan is the most winningest program in college football and the Wolverines won the national title in 2023. However, following a two-year debacle under Sherrone Moore, former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is hoping to right the ship.

The Wolverines will have a difficult schedule this season and if Michigan gets back into the College Football Playoff, it will be well deserved. But not only is Whittingham hoping to get Michigan back to its winning ways, but the Wolverines are looking to gain some respect back as one of the nation's powers in college football.

But for some national analysts, like Paul Finebaum, that respect may never be earned back — if there was ever any. On the latest episode of The Paul Finebaum Show, a caller called in asking why Michigan wasn't on Finebaum's 'most hated' list, which included teams like Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Ole Miss, among others. Well, it's because he thinks the Wolverines are irrelevant.

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"I'm well aware Michigan won the national championship in basketball," Finebaum began. "Not that that's really a big issue here, but I don't really take Michigan that seriously in football right now. And maybe, maybe that will change under Kyle Whittingham, but it's hard — just hard to get much emotion.

"Once [Jim] Harbaugh left, it felt like that program just flatlined...They're just not that relevant. And I'm sorry. I can't get upset about Michigan. They cheated and stole a national championship three years ago."

Finebaum goes back to the ole cheating story

Everyone is allowed to have their opinions, which is what makes covering college football fun. Finebaum is an SEC guy, who dislikes Jim Harbaugh and what he accomplished at Michigan. While he continues to talk about Michigan's cheating ways — or the Connor Stalions' sign-stealing saga — he quickly forgets how he praised Harbaugh after the Wolverines beat Washington in the national title.

“I didn’t think [Jim Harbaugh] would ever beat Ohio State… if I live to be 150, and I’m getting close,” Finebaum said. “This is truly remarkable. I don’t wanna be wrong about something—you never wanna be wrong—but if you’re gonna be epically wrong, out-of-this-universe wrong, I’ll take it.

"I think Jim Harbaugh has silenced all those who doubted him in the early days," Finebaum said. "In the end, he has proven everyone wrong."

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The Wolverines would blast through the competition that season, even well beyond the Stalions' news coming out. Teams knew about the signs and still couldn't score or stop Michigan. The Wolverines beat Ohio State fair and square that year, and would go on to crush Washington in the national title game.

While it's a great narrative for rivals and pundits to hold onto, Michigan was the best team in 2023. Now, looking ahead, Whittingham will look to rekindle some magic from the Wolverines' national title season.