Paul Finebaum Drops Truth Bomb on Why Small Schools Can't Compete in Modern College Football

The 2025 college football season marked a historic milestone for the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.

Historic Breakthrough for the Group of Five

The Tulane Green Wave and the James Madison Dukes were two of the five highest-rated conference champions, earning them an automatic bid. However, neither team was able to seriously challenge its first-round opponent.

The Dukes lost 51-34 to the Oregon Ducks after trailing 48-13 in the third quarter. Tulane was dominated 41-10 by the Ole Miss Rebels. Those results have fueled questions about whether Group of Five programs can realistically compete for a national championship in the current era.

Former Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall looks on during the first quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Doesn't See a Path Forward

ESPN's Paul Finebaum gave his answer on his show, "The Paul Finebaum Show." He said smaller schools have no chance.

"The truth is they cannot," Finebaum said. "They can compete in their own league. They may get grandfathered into the playoff, like we saw last year. They in no way can compete with the big boys."

Finebaum is right. It might be best if the smaller schools group together and form their own league. That might give them more opportunities to win a national championship. While the playoff format gives them a spot in the playoffs, the likelihood that they will ever be competitive is very slim.

The Growing Talent Gap

If a smaller program finds a diamond in the rough and develops the player, there's a good chance he eventually transfers to a bigger program with greater NIL opportunities and championship aspirations.

Former Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty is one of the rare exceptions. He stayed with the Broncos, produced one of the greatest rushing seasons in college football history and still saw Boise State's playoff run end in the opening round.

This will likely push more players of Jeanty's caliber to bigger schools, instead of sticking with it, because even though Jeanty was playing at a level that hasn't been seen since Barry Sanders, it ultimately didn't make them competitive in the postseason.

The gap between the sport's biggest brands and its smaller programs appears to be widening in the NIL and transfer portal era. Unless that landscape changes, Group of Five teams may find it increasingly difficult to make meaningful playoff runs, even when they earn a bid.

Whether that ultimately leads to a separate subdivision or another overhaul of the postseason remains to be seen, but the current model continues to favor the sport's wealthiest and most established programs.

Add us as a preferred source on Google