Paul Finebaum's bold SEC prediction may cause him to 'leave the country'

The SEC's dominance over college football continues to look like a thing of the past as the playoff is now down to two.

Current SEC programs have won 16 of the last 25 (64%) championships dating back to 2000, but over the last few seasons, there has seemingly been a seismic shift occurring that has turned the sport on its head.

The SEC hadn't played for a championship for the past two seasons, and with Miami and Indiana playing for the title this year, that streak has been extended to three. While the writing on the wall is that other programs in the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 are able to contend now more than ever thanks to NIL and the transfer portal, this new reality is hard for some to get used to.

Heck, even Paul Finebaum, who is one of ESPN's brightest college football minds, fired off an SEC-oriented take before the season that clearly indicated that he thought the last two years were an anomaly and not a trend. Unfortunately for him, people remembered he said it, and have happily brought it up online.

When appearing on Netflix's "Sports Club" before the season, Finebaum said he would leave the country if an SEC team didn't win the championship.

"It is (going to be an SEC team)," Finebaum said. "And by the way if it's not I'm leaving the country. Because I am so sick and tired of being harassed by Big Ten fans on our show.

It was a good run in the states Paul while it lasted. Safe travels abroad https://t.co/X5EiVfP4GM
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 9, 2026

Finebaum later said the Big Ten has "literally done nothing," while also expressing that at the time he felt Texas would win the title.

A take that certainly didn't age well to say the least, as the Longhorns didn't even make the College Football Playoff, and the Indiana Hoosiers are the favorites to win the title this season.

SEC Nation Roman Harper (left) and Paul Finebaum. — SEC Nation Roman Harper (left) and Paul Finebaum (right) speak on the sideline during pre-game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

It's unclear if Finebaum will actually take a trip out of the country just to stay true to his word, but clearly he and many other fans and analysts alike are having to recalibrate in order to see where the sport of college football is headed.

There's no doubt that the SEC once ran the sport, but the playing field as even now as its ever been, the SEC's days of dominance appear to be over.

This year's SEC-less championship between Indiana and Miami is set for Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.