Paul Finebaum Admits To Believing College Football Powerhouse Could Have Won 3 Straight National Titles

The Georgia Bulldogs nearly became the first team to win three consecutive national championships since the Minnesota Golden Gophers achieved this from 1934 to 1936.

The Bulldogs won the national title in both 2021 and 2022, achieving an impressive record of 29-1 during that period. They continued their success in 2023, finishing the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record and positioning themselves for a potential three-peat.

However, they faced a setback when they lost 27-24 to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game, which eliminated them from the College Football Playoff. Despite this disappointment, the Bulldogs concluded the season on a high note by defeating the Florida State Seminoles 63-3 in the Orange Bowl.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst took a call from an exuberant Alabama fan who was gloating about the end of Georgia's winning streak and their opportunity to achieve something that only a few teams have accomplished.

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Finebaum responded by mentioning that he previously believed another team had a chance to accomplish this feat, but he no longer holds that belief.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day leads his team onto the field. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I thought Ohio State was built to maybe make a run, but not anymore," Finebaum said. "That's obvious, they're not going to do it."

The Buckeyes won the national championship in 2024 during the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. Following a similar path as the Bulldogs in 2023, Ohio State finished the 2025 season with a perfect record of 12-0 and seemed poised to repeat as champions.

However, they fell to the Indiana Hoosiers with a score of 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship Game. However, with the playoff expanded to 12 teams, the Buckeyes qualified for the playoffs despite the loss, unlike the previous four-team format in 2023 that held Georgia out.

However, their pursuit of back-to-back championships ended swiftly as Ohio State lost in its first game of the College Football Playoff to the Miami Hurricanes, 24-14. The Hurricanes advanced to compete for the national championship but ultimately fell to the Hoosiers.

Finebaum believes that Ohio State has the potential to achieve a dominant run that hasn't been seen in nearly 100 years. Since the Associated Press (AP) began naming national champions in 1936, no team has won the AP, BCS or College Football Playoff three consecutive times.

Minnesota was recognized as the national champion by the CFRA, HAF and NCF in 1934 and 1935 before being named the AP national champion in 1936.

Ohio State aims to put the disappointing end of the 2025 season behind it and reclaim its status at the top of the college football world in 2026.