Paul Finebaum Blasts ‘Stupid People’ Covering College Football Over Playoff Praise

ESPN's Paul Finebaum is never shy about calling out anyone in the college football world, whether that's a team, coach, player or even those who cover the sport.

The SEC Network analyst said this week on "The Paul Finebaum Show" that he has an issue with certain college football media members.

His issue with them, pointing directly to the network's flagship college football show, "College GameDay," is how they prop up teams that make the playoff, even if they get blown out in the game they played.

"We've got a lot of stupid people covering college football," Finebaum said. "If you make the playoffs, they're going to prop you up more. You heard it last year with, 'Tennessee made it, Alabama made it.' It doesn't matter what happened after they made it. I think it does matter. That should be the minimum. You think Kirby Smart in a 24-team playoff is going to be happy if they lose in the first game? Of course not."

From left: Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit on the ESPN College Gameday set during the Rose Bowl. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Finebaum specifically named "College GameDay" as a show where the analysts will say that whatever team is being discussed, made the playoff last year, as if it is a defining achievement. But this issue with what Finebaum said isn't necessarily what he said; it's the context he left out.

For programs like Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio State, Notre Dame, etc., it is a disappointment to just make the playoff.

These programs are considered among the best programs in the entire sport's history. Their focus is strictly on winning national championships. Anything short of that is a failure.

So, of course, those teams would not be happy in a 24-team playoff if they made it, but then immediately lost. But that's not the same for every team. Do you think Indiana fans were disappointed for making the 2024 College Football Playoff, despite losing to Notre Dame in the first game?

Do you think Vanderbilt Commodores' fans would have been disappointed if they made it in 2025, but then lost immediately? The answer to both of those questions is, of course, not.

Even Tennessee fans were likely not that upset with the loss to Ohio State in 2024. The Volunteers hadn't been relevant for a long time, but they made it to their first College Football Playoff appearance.

Sure, they were likely disappointed, hoping for a long run. But they likely didn't see the season as a failure.

So, while Finebaum's comments ring true for some programs, that isn't the case for all of them.

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